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WhitePages targets Android users via geofencing app

WhitePages has rolled out a new Android application to let users search by neighborhood to find relevant businesses.

The Localicious app uses data from business directories and foursquare, too. The company has also developed apps for the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android.

?We?re launching this app on the Android platform first, which is different for us, because we saw just as many users on Android phones than we did on iPhone devices,? said Kevin Nakao, president/ CEO of WhitePages, Seattle.

?It?s important for us to be on as many platforms as possible so our users can always be connected to us, and we saw a great opportunity on the Android,? he said.

WhitePages is a provider of contact information for people and businesses in the U.S. with 30 million unique users per month.

In the neighborhood
The focus behind the Localicious app is for users to discover neighborhoods by finding local businesses that are relevant to them.

Users can check-in to locations before they are close to them with the app.

?Most location-based apps are aimed at finding places close-by to where people are at an exact moment,? Mr. Nakao said.

?But our goal is to be more of a source service and find places where people are going in the future, not just where they currently are,? he said.

?We want to show more than just where consumers are and are building on already existent geotracking apps.?

Another feature of the app is how search results are found.

The app uses two types of data ? information from business reviews via algorithms and locations found on foursquare to give users a comprehensive list of businesses to access while on the go.

?Algorithms are important for a check-in app because it taps into actual consumer reviews,? Mr. Nakao said. ?On the other hand, check-in data from apps like foursquare is equally important because it shows where real people are."

?On foursquare there are certain locations you can?t check into,? he said. ?We try to do more data searches to get business information so that users don?t have to search for locations.?

Advanced check-ins
The app includes information from more than 80,000 neighborhoods across the U.S. and is powered by WhitePage?s business directory.

Consumers can browse businesses by area or use the app?s 25 categories to narrow down the results shown.

Users are also given full contact information for a business, including an address, phone number, maps, Web site and hours of operation.

In addition to searching and checking in to businesses, users can also view real-time tips, updates and check-in counts at businesses.

?Our apps have always been consumer-focused, and we actually like how fragmented mobile is because it gives us the opportunity to reach as many consumers as possible through their mobile devices,? Mr. Nakao said.

?In general, I think check-in apps are getting closer to a point-of-sale with consumers, whether it?s through a coupon or other incentive? he said.

In particular, one way check-in apps will evolve is by appealing to consumers on a small level by making content relevant, which is a challenge for advertisers.

?No publisher is ever going to have enough data for hyper-local campaigns,? Mr. Nakao said.

?Check-in apps have the opportunity to reach people in mass-market ways but with a personalized twist,? he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York