Google's Favourite Places, validates SpotiD

Google's Favourite Places, validates SpotiD

Great news!

Google are issuing google favourite place window stickers to 100,000 US local businesses.

Last week Google launched an initiative called 'Favourite Places' that combines google maps and local business pages. For a while now, google have been busy building localised business directory listings, reviews, advertising, business info for small businesses geo-tagged onto google maps. This supports the consumer trend to search for locale based businesses. Google want to drive Adword revenue from those localised business searches. To do that, they need to drive more web traffic based on local businesses. To that end, google believes that these new window stickers will help them drive more web traffic, directed to their specific website. This is what SpotiD has been evangelising since our birth.

To see how the google windows stickers work:
YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuVSpG-ZdkU
NY Times article: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/putting-a-bar-code-on-places-no...

We at SpotiD believe that providing window stickers that rely only on QRcodes is too limiting. What if you don't have a capable phone? or haven't found the QRcode software to download for your specific device model? or don't even know what a QRcode is? or you don't have a 3G data connection at the time when you see the sticker, or you couldn't be bothered waiting, or you cannot get close enough to get a clear, focused photo? Lots of obstacles.

A SpotiD Window Sticker....

This sticker is real....you can try it now via SMS, Email, QRCode or MsTag.....your choice....you will be directed to the www.toptable.co.uk website for a Thai Restaurant called Mango Tree. You may need to zoom in on the sticker to get a good photo of either of the codes....see the limitation? If you want to use SMS....which is free for you, and anonymous, you can Text MTR to 60365 or +44 7781 474817 or you can email MTR as the subject, to spot@spotid.me. Any of these methods will work right now for this sticker...simple. Soon you will be able to tweet it, facebook post, or use Skype IM chat to request it from us.

At SpotiD, our window stickers will support QR codes, Ms Tags, SMS, Email, Twitter, Facebook and Skype IM. As a consumer we believe that YOU should be able to choose YOUR preferred method of accessing information about the business in which you are interested. So we allow you a multitude of options/channels to request it.

Interestingly, we don't see google Favourite Places as a competitor, instead, they validate our business model. We see google Favourite Places competing with review & voucher websites that rely on eyeballs to review businesses and drive Ad/Voucher revenue.

Any consumer that sees a google Favourite Place window sticker (or QR Code in other print material) will be directed to google local business places pages to read reviews, get contact details, download vouchers,etc as well as be enticed to click on competitive Adword Ads. If this is the case, then review sites miss out, and the local business website misses out. Google wins over pure-play review sites.

With SpotiD window stickers, not only do consumers have the choice to request the info however they wish, but businesses are not locked into where consumers are redirected. So local businesses can choose to redirect their consumers to any website, offer any voucher/incentive, any contact details, any info.....and they get to control that content delivery and dynamically change it whenever they like....they're not locked in to the google model.

Now it gets exciting...thanks Google!