Basic Elements of a Great Local Guide App
You want to make your guide the best source of information out there for travelers who want to learn about your town and what it has to offer. In order to do this there are several basic elements that your guide should follow.
Organize like your life depends on it…
What with technology constantly evolving and the population always a few steps behind you want to make your city guide as easy to use as possible. This all comes down to organization. You need to separate all of your content into categories and subcategories that make sense. Your app should be a clear pathway through the forest of information and not a potholed overgrown deer trail. Travelers want something easy to use, so do your best to appeal to that need.
Interesting Content
You want your app to be engaging and interesting. Keep your information short and sweet, no long-winded explanations about a historical tree. You want to include just the most interesting facts and bits of trivia that only a local would know. It’s a good idea to include a link to another website that has more information, this way people can choose to learn more.
Remember to double check your content! Be sure that it is true, relevant, and up-to-date. This is crucial when it comes to contact information. Check out the websites of different businesses and be sure that the phone numbers and addresses are correct. Make sure you update any information that is time sensitive, such as theater and venue showtimes.
Engaging Photos
Not only do you want your app to have good information you want appealing images to excite your app users. Perhaps they weren’t too excited about going to that park but then they saw the picture of the giant sequoia tree tucked away near the Japanese Garden and they immediately jumped in their car. You want to choose photos of good quality and that best show off your city. When travelers see the beauty of your town they will want to experience for themselves and that’s what photos are for.
Location, location, location…
Say you’re traveling and you’ve heard a lot about this specific beach that you want to check out, but you’re having a really hard time finding directions. When you finally learn how to get there you discover that the drive is almost three hours long and it’s already noon. There goes your plan for a picnic on the beach. Now, imagine the same scenario but instead you whip out your phone and find the beach with the help of a city guide. The creators of the app were helpful enough to give you directions to this magical place, and with the location aware setting on your phone you’re able to see that, with little traffic, you can be at the beach in just under three hours. You pack up your picnic and head out.
This is why finding the correct addresses is extremely important. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to find a restaurant or a cool store and not being able to find the address. There are also many places where you can find the latitude and longitude of areas that may not have addresses. Google Maps is a great resource as well as latlong.net. If you are creating an app about outdoor recreation latlong.net will be a huge help. Your app is going to be traveler’s local tour guide they keep in their pocket, so you want them to see where all the local trails, parks, and scenic drives are with the little to no searching.
Have fun creating you amazing local guide app.
