Foursquare is revamping its website to focus on discovery on both desktops and tablets as it attempts to move beyond social check-ins.
Foursquare is revamping its website to focus on discovery on both desktops and tablets as it attempts to move beyond social check-ins. The website now features an interactive map that displays where users’ friends are, while a time-sensitive suggestions panel presents places of interest nearby, such as restaurants. The HTML5-based site also makes it easier for users to discover suggestion lists, while also improving business pages. Foursquare is attempting to prove that it can successfully monetise its near-15m users as more consumers begin to explore social location-based platforms.
By providing more features to its platform, such as linking with deals partners and enabling users to post recommendations for venues and businesses, Foursquare is attempting to add value to its service, and give consumers more of a reason to engage. In a blog post the company claims to have almost 15m users, however it is unclear how many of those users regularly visit the firm’s website, as it does not allow them to check-in.
The redesign is the latest modification as Foursquare attempts to broaden its offerings to consumers. The firm recently launched its Radar feature, which sends push notifications to users when they are near to sites of interest, such as places included in their lists and participating businesses that are offering deals. The updates are part of moves that CEO Dennis Crowley says are designed to lower the amount of work users have to do to engage with the app, in order to boost user numbers, and ultimately revenues.
Foursquare’s popularity is driven by the continuing adoption of smartphones and tablets, as consumers utilise the location-based functionality of the devices. However, while the adoption of location services such as maps is growing at a healthy rate, the market for social check-in services such as Foursquare and rival Gowalla remains relatively niche. Just 4% of US adults access check-in services, according to recent research by Pew Research Center, compared to the more than a quarter that use broader location services. A number of analysts remain unconvinced that the firm will be able to convert its popularity into significant revenue.
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