-- fresh from the www.naviblog.jp website!
Two articles on page 11 of today's Nikkei Newspaper (Japan's equivalent of the Financial Times) focus on the growing importance of local searches on the Internet. The prominence of local searches has been given a boost by recent publicising of Google Local, Yahoo Local, MSN Local and other search engines' local search services. But unlike Naviblog's immediately-around-you searches, these services search huge continents or the entire world, from the level of outer space down to the street corner. But as they are search powerhouses, that is what they do best. Trying to offer a comprehensive service, to be everything to everyone who is searching for any info.
One of the articles focused on the trend towards localising search engine results closer to the user, and cited some examples such as the NTT-backed "Goo" search engine's Goo Local site that now offers localised search services near Tokyo station. However, these are not any more localised than services like naviwalk that exist already, nor do they use GPS to accurately plot your position. It is really just a localised rehash of their current content. To collect revenue, localised infoportals such as the QueenLand service in the Kobe area of Japan, offers stores a flat rate of 10,500yen (100USD) for setting up their store on their site and updating it with their own info by mobile phone. This is more or less the price asked by google when you sign up with their advertising service (+ a per-click advertising fee), but is still double the price the flat rate we charge at Naviblog. Other services put up a pay-per-click system of 21 yen per click, which totals nothing much if it is used sparingly, but if people start clicking, you have an advertising fee problem on your hands. The idea that it is cheap and it will remain that way because not many people will click it is an interesting way of seeing things, and does not take into account the reason why people put advertising up in the first place. Naviblog rotates business advertising banners related to the search category and within 200m of the user. Highly targeted, highly effective advertising to people who are actually searching for nearby info on the fly.
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At Naviblog, we go one step beyond and take the mobile environment seriously. We know that if people are looking for some location before they leave the home or office, they use their PCs or their MACs to print out a map and go. We also know that when people arrive at a location, they either know their destination already, or they pull out their PC/MAC printout, or they try looking for it on their mobile.
And finally, we know that when people want information on-the-fly, they are usually looking for the same types of information, but not necessarily the same information. With the availability of the Naviwalk on au phones, you can search for a store and let it plot you a path from a-to-b, and guide you to it. But their proposed car-navigation-on-the-phone never materialised because it's so hard to use.
Naviblog proposes a max of 3 clicks, with predetermined categories built-in, so you don't need to reinvent the wheel to find an Italian restaurant round the corner, and you don't need to wade through a sea of clicks. Just naviblogit. Our system allows you to toggle between info categories in one click. We are also currently working on a new system that will reduce the entire click process to less than 3 clicks. You think google is easy to use? Wait until you use this! A personalised navigation portal on your phone with no software downloads, virtually no clicking, no shoulder-shrugging. Looking for something nearby? Naviblogit.
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