Russo's Pizza 4sqcling

Russo's Pizza 4sqcling, originally uploaded by MattsLens.

Russo's Pizza Located in Wyoming, Michigan.

Russo's has joined the growing list of foursquare businesses.

Foursquare is a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices, and also a game. Users "check-in" at venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application.

Tags: #4sqcling, Grand Rapids, Michigan,

Yelp! 1.6 miles away

I went to eat with the family yesterday at the Red Geranium.  I thought it would be a good time to try the updated Yelp app on my iPhone.  Sitting in the restaurant and trying to check in with Yelp, I was informed that I was 1.6 miles away from the Red Geranium.  So I restarted my phone to give the Yelp app a fair chance to locate me and....... same result, 1.6 miles away.  I verified the address was correct, and google maps put me exactly on the mark.  It looks like Yelp is trying to put the game aspect into reviews, but without accuracy it will be very difficult to get good results.  It's a great concept and I think it could work with some tweaks and would be great if they could integrate with foursquare.

Tags: foursquare, Yelp, MattsLens, Red Geranium

Foursquare for business!

I'm glad to see Foursquare is catching on in the West Michigan area.  If you own a business, setting up and managing your foursquare account should be a priority.  Participation in foursquare is fun so why not join in and offer your customers the opportunity to play along.  Offering a foursquare special for their loyalty is a great way to make them feel important.  It will also give you an opportunity to reward them and possibly keep them coming back.  Remember we always tell our friends and family about a great deal we received.

Foursquare vs. Gowalla who will win the GPS battle?

Foursquare vs. Gowalla 

In both applications players use a GPS-enable smart phone to check in at places of interest, share their location with friends, and leave comments about their travels. They are credited for their efforts with a game-like achievement system that rewards visiting both common and unique locations with a variety of iconic stamps in Gowalla or badges in Foursquare.

Foursquare is appealing to business owners who can capitalize on promoting specials! Drawing new potential customers from competitors.

Gowalla for business not so much, yet.

Which do you prefer? Why?