Don't Get Cocky, Foursquare
An article yesterday on TechCrunch pointed out all kinds of great statistics on Foursquare and how much they seem to be, essentially, wiping the floor with Gowalla in the location-based social network wars.
I ask: what's next?
Now's not the time to get cocky, Foursquare, because you've got a lot of work to do to hold on to the user base you've managed to accumulate. Here's what I'd like to see from you in the coming weeks and months.
A Design Refresh
Foursquare, you're lacking style. Gowalla's got it. They've got everything from the slick interface to the fancy website to the impressive sketched graphics. Everything they've created screams personality, whereas Foursquare (with the exception of the badges) feels, well, a little clinical.
Ramp up your site and your app to look a little more spunky. Give everything you create the same playful, fun feel that each and every badge has. When it comes to apps and sites like yours, pretty counts.
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Better Check-ins
It's a little embarrassing that, here we are, almost a year and a half into the life of Foursquare and I still can't include a photo with my check-ins.
As of right now, location profiles on Foursquare consist of nothing much more than an address and maybe a tip or two. Just think about how much more powerful the service would be if I could get a street-view perspective from the app, and see photos from other users in the profile. What I could see the latest tweets from that business? What if I could see similar places nearby, or popular check-ins among users who had checked in at that venue?
The possibilities are endless, yet the check-in itself has barely evolved since its conception. It's time to move beyond just pushing that button, and start adding some content behind it.
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