5 Creative Location-based App Ideas and Building Your Own
Foursquare is widely credited as one of the pioneering entertainment startups to bring location-based services to the mainstream. Subsequently, the popularity of Pokémon GO sparked a resurgence in augmented reality game app concepts, once again thrusting startups with location-based features into the limelight. What location-based application ideas can improve your software solution or fuel your startup ? Let’s find out!
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What Are Location-Based Mobile Applications?
Location-based services applications/location-aware applications are the apps that suggest various services relying on the consumer’s location as determined utilizing GPS or data from the cell tower & Wi-Fi. There are several kinds of services out there:
- Location-based search for various services & places: timetables for public transport, restaurants, health professionals. For instance, Zomato location application lets you view menus, pictures & reviews for restaurants nearby which is handy if you are seeking a place to eat in a new city:
2. Sending push notifications (sometimes called drop-messages): various loyalty program applications & applications that permit to earn points that can be exchanged for bargains or gift сertificates. It’s almost like location-based messaging application Momo from China but for brands.
For instance, Shopkick gives consumers points (kicks) when they enter particular stores, & while at the shop people are more likely to buy something since they are already there.
3. Applications for finding people: applications for tracking geolocation of family members & friends or safety applications, dating applications, & communication applications for joining others in sports activities, hobbies, travels, & the like. Tinder-like dating apps are likely the most prominent example here.
The Hppn app elevated the concept of making friends with nearby individuals to a new standard. It presents you with user profiles of people you’ve encountered in close physical proximity on the same day, such as someone who shared your bus ride or sat in the same café. You can then establish connections with these individuals.
How to Make a Location-Based Application
To embark on location-based application development, it’s crucial to first grasp your objectives and the specific business challenge you aim to address. Nonetheless, there exist certain shared attributes to consider:
- Consumers should be able to determine their location & share it with others
- The solution should permit measuring distances between objects (to find the nearest supermarket, café, restaurant, etc.)
- The application should include in-built maps with navigation elements, for the consumers to spot the fastest ways to their destination.
When creating a location-based app that captivates users and sustains their interest, it’s imperative to make informed decisions regarding essential functionality, key features aligned with your business objectives, data security measures, optimal technologies, and the appropriate tech stack.
Let’s look into the geolocation techs in more detail.
Location-Based Techs
As previously noted, the purpose behind developing a location-aware app should significantly influence your technology selection. For instance, if we are crafting a mobile guide for a country or its scenic locales, it’s reasonable to assume that GPS could serve as a comprehensive solution to address our needs.
However, relying on GPS might be unnecessary; employing a steam-hammer for such a simple task would be impractical.
Creating a top-tier app guide can be achieved by adopting a strategic approach centered around the Cell ID positioning principle. It’s important to note that Cell ID alone may not yield precise user coordinates; instead, it furnishes information indicating that a smartphone user has entered a specific sector of a base transceiver station within a particular location area code. To obtain more detailed information about the base transceiver station, you can access various freely available databases, with OpenCellID being the most widely used among them.
The concept revolves around linking specific points of interest within the app to the unique BTS ID associated with a particular location. As a user enters this area, the app can generate prompts such as, “Would you like to explore nearby places?” or “You’re just moments away from…”
What sets it apart from GPS is primarily the fact that the application doesn’t require an active GPS receiver, thus preserving battery life.
Consider a large retail store or even a shopping center as our example, or perhaps a smart home system. Under no circumstances should GPS be employed in such situations. The most optimistic outcome would be a weak indoor signal, and the best-case scenario would involve merely identifying the user’s specific building.
Wi-Fi positioning is utilized for such goals, it works well on-premises. The principle of it is that the structure includes Wi-Fi transmitters, & the software realizes the logic of position determining. The location is determined to an accuracy of 0,5 -2 meters, relying on the number & position of the transmitters.
Thus, the application will be aware of the consumer's position every moment & it opens broad capabilities for businesses: you can prompt your consumers about a shop nearby (in case of shopping centers) or tell them about the discount for some products.
Businesses can get a lot of additional info: the most visited places in the shopping center, the most popular client routes in the shop, and even a list of individuals who entered the shop without frames at the entrance (the frames at the entrance are especially intended to count guests & not to detect thieves).
We once created an app, the essence of which was to observe consumers via a WiFi scanner, register their device IDs, and the clients’ points of interest in a shopping center, & targeted advertising was generated based on this data. This performance was very similar to geofencing tech but more accurate.
Geofencing — in fact, it’s the definition of consumers in an exact geofence. A GPS module is utilized, & the tech is based on defining coordinates. In case you have a shop & an application for it, the consumers having it can be informed of a recent promotion or discount when they pass by. It’s a wonderful opportunity for businesses to remind their customers about themselves, but what if a company fails to have a dedicated application?
A low-power Bluetooth LE — iBeacon tech comes to the rescue. These are small tags that are utilized within a short-range wireless data transmission (Bluetooth LE) to distribute messages or notices.
Now, let’s discuss GPS, a widely acclaimed technology known for its high-precision user location capabilities. This technology is frequently employed in logistics and taxi service applications, and it also presents a valuable opportunity for restaurant networks.
Depending on the specific task at hand, we have the flexibility to select the most appropriate technology for the job. This typically involves integrating a combination of various technologies to address a wide range of challenges for both users and businesses.
Steps of Location-based Application Development
When developing a location-based mobile application, we adhere to a standardized process. This process begins with discovery, followed by design, and then the implementation of the backend. Finally, we proceed to develop a location-aware app for either Android or iOS.
The success of the entire development process largely hinges on the discovery stage, making it crucial to unearth all the goals and objectives envisioned by the client. Subsequently, the next step involves identifying user pain points and elements that can captivate and engage them.
When the light is shed on the key points & the general concept of location-based mobile application development is worked out we agree it with our customer. Stfalcon’s team proceeds to design after the client’s consent.
We carefully consider all user flows and scenarios when designing the solution, ensuring that it is both simple and intuitive while remaining convenient and effective. Additionally, we seek approval from the client for the proposed design.
The next step is backend development since every mobile application needs to turn to the external server, which concentrates the whole business logic of a software decisions we develop.
Finally, we make a location-aware application for Android or iPhone or both relying on the client’s request.
We complete the development with testing and QA stages that follow.
How Much It Costs to Develop a Location-Based App
Every customer, enthusiast, or startup wants to know the cost of development before they begin a location-based application creation.
There is no concrete answer to the question before the project details are discussed. However, to give you a little hint, we will mention that application development for 2 platforms will approximately cost 80000 USD.
If you have a limited budget, you might want to explore the option of MVP development. This approach can reduce costs by approximately half and allows you to launch your product in the market, test your idea, assess your business logic, and gauge user engagement.
And now let’s take a look at some geolocation application ideas for iOS & Android:
Ideas for Your Own Location-Based Applications
Utilizing very basic types of location-aware applications specified above you can develop an idea further & create the following:
1. Location-based application for content available only in certain locations (SnapChat + Pokémon GO). Consumers and brands can write personal messages, add photos, or suggest discounts that their followers can only notice when visiting a certain location.
For consumers, it’s possible to recommend attractive spots to their friends or remind them about a memorable event. Brands can utilize it to attract more guests to their less popular venues by suggesting on-the-spot discounts or notifying about special time-limited suggestions when consumers are downtown.
2. Location-based application for task automation. People love it when somebody (or something like an application) completes a boring assignment for them. And a lot of assignments are location-based (do not forget to inform a loved one you are running late, grab those cookies from the shop on the corner, etc.). Trigger application permits you to inform people when you’re leaving your workplace.
3. Location-based application for locating products in stores & malls. In contemporary retail establishments, an abundance of products fills the shelves, making it impossible to showcase everything deserving of attention. This innovative app concept empowers brands to:
- point out products to clients based on what they’ve bought before
- remind about recurring purchases
- point out certain suggestions & items that are on sale
4. Location-based application for notifying consumers about threats nearby. Unfortunately, in today’s world, safety is not as guaranteed as we desire, given the frequent occurrences of terrorism, natural disasters, and various human-caused crises. This application can offer users vital alerts by automatically analyzing local online newspapers, sparing them from the inundation of distressing global news.
LastQuake, based in France, and FEMA, in the USA, provide information about specific types of events — earthquakes and weather-related incidents, respectively. However, there remains a gap for a comprehensive solution in this domain on a global scale.
5. Location-based application for planning a weekend or location-based reminder app. We certainly have a lot of mobile travel guides & applications for finding a place to eat, to sleep, & to hang out at. However, the responsibility for all trip planning still rests with us. An Android and iOS app centered on location, capable of providing comprehensive weekend planning options such as booking tickets, and hotels, organizing sightseeing, and suggesting entertainment based on user preferences and budget, could generate significant excitement. Moreover, this could lead to a substantial profit opportunity for brands, allowing them to prioritize and advertise their fee-based activities.
Our Experience
The best examples of the location-based application development performed by Stfalcon lately are a car order service application BBGO & Whizzy.
BBGO revolutionizes the car ordering process with a comprehensive system. We’ve meticulously crafted a versatile range of services to introduce this innovative system to the market. Stfalcon has skillfully crafted two distinct app versions, catering to both passengers and drivers. Our system boasts advanced capabilities, including user location detection, seamless routing, and real-time car tracking, all aimed at ensuring a smooth pickup experience. Case study: Car order service
The system, developed by Stfalcon, will permit the business owner to create the business further, optimize and scale the system in the future.
Whizzy offers a delivery service tailored to the Middle East market, allowing customers to request item transportation or delivery and monitor the progress in real-time as the driver fulfills their order.
Stfalcon meticulously developed app-based location tracking services for both iOS and Android, catering to the needs of clients and drivers, with a comprehensive approach from the ground up. This included building the solution in two languages, English and Arabic, and also creating a dedicated website and admin panel to support the project.
Summary
Geolocation technology holds potential far beyond simply recommending nearby restaurants or introducing yet another location-based dating app. The key is to consider activities that are inherently tied to location and identify opportunities for automation that would enhance people’s experiences.
Initiating the product discovery phase is an essential initial stage to set a strong basis for developing applications utilizing location-based services. During this stage, we cover a functional specification, UX/UI design, and develop a visual prototype to offer a distinct perspective of the ultimate product. Normally, this phase spans a duration of 4 to 6 weeks.
The advantages of the product discovery phase contain:
- Defining an all-encompassing scope of tasks and outlining a project roadmap.
- Formulating a practical budget for your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and aligning resource allocation.
- Validating the concept with your intended audience using a visual prototype. Crafting an engaging investment pitch to entice potential stakeholders.
- Gaining insights into your team and nurturing a fruitful working partnership.
Need MVP development, Android and iOS applications or prototyping? Check out our portfolio & make an order today!
Originally published at https://stfalcon.com.
