What sets mobile local search apps apart

June 16, 2009

Deborah Eldred is director of mobile and personalization at R.H. Donnelley’s Dex

By Deborah Eldred

Some things go better in two's. Peanut butter and jelly. Bacon and eggs. Milk and cookies.

Given this, providers of mobile local search solutions should consider mixing traditional results, such as general listing information, with something sweeter -- like value-added content.

And wouldn't it be even more powerful if that content was exclusive to a particular industry or topic, affording the provider the opportunity to really dig deep and offer a great deal of useful information on a specific category?

While the mass-appeal approach of apps such as Google Mobile and Eventful is good, a consumer looking for information on a business in a specific industry may be more inclined to rely on a tool that specializes in that industry.

In adopting this approach, mobile local search providers can go beyond simply providing data -- numbers and addresses -- and turn their tools into content portals that instill consumer loyalty and reside right on a mobile device.

Providers need to start thinking outside of the handset box and look to partner with companies that may not traditionally be considered local search players.

Take the wedding industry. People looking for wedding-related businesses often turn to local search apps for information.

Likewise, those same people are likely visiting sites like TheKnot.com and OurWeddingDay.com as they seek insight into planning a wedding.

Combining the content found on either of those sites with the information contained within a mobile local search app would create a deeper, more unique local search experience.

For example, a consumer searching for "wedding dress shops" may find it useful to not only discover that their local search app can provide them not only with information on local businesses, but also articles about "how to plan a wedding" or "10 things you need to do before the big day."

Several different groups will benefit from such an approach.

Sponsorship partners and content providers will have their content exposed to consumers through a new outlet and medium. Small businesses and other advertisers will be able to better target their listings because they will have a captive audience that is interested in their products and services.

Also, the mobile local search provider will be able to offer this benefit as a selling point to advertisers.

The ability to maintain fresh, dynamic content is important. Consumers want information, but they also want to be kept informed of the latest news and trends. It is imperative that content be updated on a fairly regular basis.

To use the wedding example above, content could be updated seasonally, for example.

Combining accurate listings with powerful, vertical-specific content can result in a killer app that sets one mobile local search tool apart from another. After all, isn't it better to have both the peanut butter and the jelly?

Deborah Eldred is director of mobile and personalization at R.H. Donnelley's Dex, Lone Tree, CO. Reach her at

Comments on "What sets mobile local search apps apart"

1. Lafayette Howell says:

   June 16, 2009 at 9:26am

   Thoughtful article to be sure. You outline some amazing opportunities, however, with mobile and as a fervent consumer of mobile content, people want actionable information on the go and not necessarily vertical content; this is so, I believe because most content is not optimized for mobile viewing. Also, this takes a lot of work to compile and organize a vertical offering that is “contextually relevant” as you suggest with your example. Not to mention, the monetization model for adding value-added content is simply not profitable, at least not at this point to achieve a meaningful ROI. Also, mobile, at least for now, is good for entertainment or obtaining news; the opportunity in the future will be more about facilitating a call to action to make a purchase or make a decision to do something while on the go.
   
   What I take away from your article is the idea of providing a service that is “contextually relevant” and now add a touch of, what I call “mobile serendipity” to help others while on the go. This is where mobile directories or listing companies have a great opportunity and miss the mark. They have all this data, but during a natural disaster, for example, we rely on television, radio or simply looking up the number or directory assistance to find out what stores are open for business; and last I checked, directory assistance is $1.79 per call. Of course, now Yellow Pages and DEX have to organize this information during a “contextually relevant” (hurricane for example) time to provide real value worth paying for. I recall driving around when gas was $4/gallon “searching” rather than being able to meet a call to action and thus make a decision starting from my phone.