Big word; hyperlocalization or "hyper-local". For those not familiar with it, essentially it means the Web being highly local, right down to what's happening on your street. It's not there yet. At least, not on a scale that has much relevance to big brands or local, small businesses. Once it has an economic impact, then it will really get relevant.
Google, along with specialized search engines, like Halifax's promising GenieKnows, are trying. And they're doing a fairly good job. Here are the three challenges I see that has been around a while and is changing, but slowly.
1. Local relevance = Enough Factor
2. User input
3. Invisible Technology
1. Local Relevance:
Does a barber, shoe cobbler, muffler repair centre, plumber need to have a website. There is an argument that they do. I wrote an article about a shoe
cobbler over a year ago who see's no need for a website; and he's right. He has enough business. He's making enough money and doesn't need more, he's 2nd generation and the stores been there about 30+ years.
Most small business owners in trades such as plumbing and electrics might have a website. But for them it's just a glorified ad. They see no need to add much to their website because the Yellow Pages are working (online and in print) and well, most have enough business. There is very little motivation to extend their online presence.
It's the "enough" factor. They don't want more than the 10 or so employees they have or the headaches of expansion, capitalizing that growth and then all the issues that go with feeding a larger set of operating costs. They have "enough."
2. User/Data Input
This goes directly to user input. A
Search Engine, no matter who good the algorithms are is useless unless someone is creating content to be found. I can't count the number of sites I've been on that content (locally) is well over a year old. That kind of content is stale. It takes people to input the content for the engines to search. That is, fresh, relevant content locally.
3. Invisible Technology
Which goes to the third point; it has to be mindnumbingly easy to input the content. It's not yet. It has to be as easy and as accessible as the standard landline telephone - pick it up (dial-tone) and dial. Done. But it's not. You need to have someone with the ability to run a PC or use a Smart Phone app (if you're in the biz you're snickering at me how easy it is. Take yourself out of your skill-set and be a shoe cobbler who uses a very basic POS and rarely goes online if at all...see my point?)
Localization is getting better. There are some
services that have launched that are enabling people to easily input data right down to potholes on their street. Getting citizens to regularly update data still requires some knowledge.
Over the next 5-10 years this will change dramatically. In fact, it's the next logical step and I suspect we'll see some interesting models develop. As more and more people from developed nations (the Western World) get online and the technology becomes pervasive (it's still only ubiquitous) localization must get better - as must the way we input data and interact with the Web. But localization remains a dream for now. Whoever figures out a good model is set to make some serious cash.
What do you think? What am I missing? What tools are changing this? Is Twitter?