My entrepreneurial project isn't so much of a new concept as it is a supplementary idea that merges together certain services which are already in existence. For people who do a lot of traveling, finding decent restaurants in a foreign place can be a cumbersome process. There are so many sites out there that offer reviews, directions, coupons and what have you, but they involve browsing and time wasted on dead-end research. My idea is a mobile app that detects your location and gives you professional (ie: zaggot, nytimes) reviews and turn by turn direction (as opposed to just a map), in addition to any deals that the location may be running.
This can be related to last week's lecture on twitter, because as I learned, twitter is not just for individuals, but also a powerful marketing and advertising tool. This mobile app could possibly search twitter feeds of companies/professionals that have a concentrated focus on rating and reviewing restaurants. Another possibility is that users of the app can submit feedback (via their twitter accounts) in concern to a review they read. If someone found a review to be helpful, they can re-tweet it, and it would be shown under article on the app.
I realize there are applications and websites out there that provide similar services. Even though user feedback is handy instrument, my focus is directed more towards eloquent, articulate, and adept reviews from industry experts who really know what they are talking about. This coupled with ease of navigation and lure of discounts can prove to be something that travelers and even locals may find useful
There is nothing more frustrating than going on to these non professionally reviewed sites and seeing a review of a restaurant that is literally one line and that line is usually either, "this place is great" or "this place sucks" very rarely are they actually helpful. Bringing in professional content from reliable sources would be like having your own concierge helping you decide where to go. I think your focus is very good and it is astute of you to take inventory of the competitive landscape and carve out a specific niche. Nice work.
ReplyDeleteI think that an idea like this could potentially be really popular. Trying to find a decent restaurant in an area you're not familiar with can be a headache, and your app could help people avoid running into that problem. I also like the idea of using twitter for feedback--that could help weed out inaccurate or poorly written reviews.
ReplyDeleteCool idea! Good to play to the mobile app market, that is hot right now. There are a LOT of apps out there, so a crucial aspect of your project will be how to make your app stand out from the rest. But by providing links to quality reviews, turn-by-turn directions, and the option to tweet about the restaurants, you have a lot of unique things going for you that should earn you some nice reviews and get you to the top of the hot apps list.
ReplyDeleteAdvertising will be crucial though to start out. But once your name is out there, I think this will be pretty popular.