Geolocation App Development: Once upon a time, geolocation technology seemed to be the concept of sci-fi movies, but it all exists in reality today. Geolocation app development is now a thriving discipline. Whether it’s checking the weather of an area or searching for the best eateries in a relocated town, geolocation apps have made their own place in our lives. In this context, Uber serves as the best example.
Geolocation has become a multipurpose technology and a ubiquitous part of web-based solutions. Every industry is searching for ways to harness this technology and increase their overall brand value. Stats from German company’s Statista show that the total revenue generation from the Navigation segment shall reach around 1174 million US dollars. It also projects the advertising revenue of the Navigation segment to reach 690 million US dollars.
The COVID pandemic further instigated this technology as more users started vouching for the services of location-based apps. Groceries, stationary, cosmetics and even medicines – the on-demand delivery services reached an all-time high and even the local apps found profound use amongst customers.
So looking at all the factors, the current circumstances appear perfect for venturing into geolocation apps. But, merely launching an app is not enough to reap profits. One needs to have a basic idea about it and its core benefits and then endeavour into the niche industries where geolocator mobile app finds relevant use.
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What is Geolocation?
Geolocation is the process of tracking a device’s or person’s location by using multiple technologies, both electronic and visual, like satellite navigation systems (mainly GPS), cellular ID, geo-fencing and assisted or virtual GPS. Positioning systems are also used to track down a person’s whereabouts.
The GPS systems come as in-built features of smart-devices and do not require any sort of networks to trace a device’s location. But cell ID does require a strong signal to calculate a device’s position. Geo-fencing, on the other hand, acts more like a virtual geographic parameter and it gets triggered every time a new device enters the parameter. When a user enters or exits a geo-fence(d) area, the software triggers an alert to the operator.
Benefits of Geolocation
When we talk about location-based services (LBS), navigational apps instantly strike us first. They have literally become virtual tour guides which show roads, help people reach destinations and even make them aware of traffic conditions. Then there’s Uber and Foursquare and their massive success forced enterprises to rethink their business ways and integrate their apps with geolocation services.
– Geolocation can provide quality data to enterprises which can be used for marketing purposes. By analysing locations and shopping history, businesses can predict their users’ buying patterns and come up with tailored offers.
– It enables businesses to make services faster and more precise.
– It helps them to track down regions which can serve as profitable business areas.
– Geolocation can help enterprises make ads localized and personalized thereby enhancing customer engagement.
– It can prove exceptionally rewarding for real-time review sharing. When a customer rates a particular store or eatery, it helps spread the good word.
It’s hard to look away from the lucrative gains that geolocation apps have in store. But to maximize ROI, it’s crucial to know about the right place to invest. Here are five niche industries where location-based apps are thriving and simultaneously catalysing the success of enterprises and individuals.
1. Travel and Tourism
Airbnb, TripAdvisor, TripIt, HotelTonight, Skyscanner – travel and tourism industry has given rise to some stupendously successful apps. Hotel reviews, cheap flights, travel itinerary, famous tourist spots, there’s an app for anything and everything. But all these apps have one common feature and that’s LBS. All these successful apps have augmented their services by incorporation of geolocation. So if you have an idea for a geolocator mobile app, then travel and tourism is the prime industry to consider.
2. Transport
Next in line is the transport sector. We all know that Uber and Ola are big hits, but there’s always room for more. Citymapper is an excellent example. While Uber serves as your private cab finder, Citymapper serves as your virtual transport system where you can find information on subways, cabs, trains and even ferries.
It even shows you departure times but one of its best features is its facility to let users vote so that they can get their respective areas covered too. See! Room for more. Transport system has become so vast that you will always be able to find an app-ortunity, and the best part is that LBS integration is a must here.
3. Automotive
The relationship between the automotive industry and GPS is an old one. But use of geolocation apps has evolved from merely keeping drivers on path. Location-based automotive apps can now do a lot more than that and GasBuddy is a shining name which proves the same. Its primary function is to display gas prices offered by pump stations but additional ones include showing directions. In addition, it rewards its users generously.
Besides gas stations, the automotive industry can use LBS apps for information on service stations, mechanics, traffic jams, logistics, and spare parts and many other things. The only thing one needs to do is find the unattended pain area and hire iOS app developers or Android app developers to get started on your idea.
4. Healthcare
Healthcare is a booming industry and the one where geolocation-based apps are flourishing. Whether you want to buy medicines online from local stores or you need to book emergency ambulance service, location-based apps are attending to customers’ needs quite efficiently. The best thing is that the healthcare sector covers a wide range of services.
We have Leafly setting a typical example by connecting patients with dispensaries and clinics which can shed some light on the controversial marijuana. So, if you too have an innovative idea that can help a patient-in-need, the healthcare industry is a beneficial sector to consider.
5. Online Dating
Leave aside community building and social networking; if there’s one sector where geolocator mobile apps are enjoying prime position, it’s online dating. Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid and the list can go on. It’s not only trendy but also rewarding, especially for businesses which want to break the ice with the app industry.
Finding matches with similar interests in your own areas or other countries has become possible and interesting. Book lovers who go to the same book stores, movie nerds, music maniacs or people who share the same hobbies, online dating apps with location-based services have made it possible for seekers to seek love interests.
Apart from the industries mentioned above, the other ones which offer productive opportunities are retail industry, on-demand delivery sector, ecommerce, and finance industry. However, it is advisable to get detailed inputs, analysed data and proper guidance from experts since development of geolocation apps involve technical minutiae like security of data location, privacy issues, etc.
Summing Up
COVID lockdown has set whole new rules to online businesses. Despite facing setbacks, enterprises are looking for ways to serve and satisfy their customers. Location-based apps have turned out to be beneficial in several ways and are helping businesses to bridge the gap as well as address the opportunities created by the pandemic. But, the right approach with the right idea is equally important. Getting professional help is a wise option especially when you lack technical expertise.
So without further ado, hire native app developers and start shaping your ideas into workable apps.
Albert Smith is Digital Marketing Manager at Hidden Brains, a leading Mobile & Web development company specializing in mobile & web applications, IoT, Cloud and Big Data services. He provides innovative ways to help tech companies, startups and large enterprises build their brand.