2017 Predictions #11: The Case For Location Services

To give you a jump start on the new year, we asked industry experts about their predictions for the future of location, marketing, and technology in 2017. We'll be posting their responses over the next month here on the Yext blog. Follow us on Twitter @Yext for new posts, and tweet at us with your own predictions.

By Lauryn Chamberlain
Associate Editor, GeoMarketing.com

In 2017, I believe we can expect location marketers to deliver clearer utility to consumers in exchange for turning — or leaving – location services on. Pokémon Go mania this summer taught marketers and consumers an important lesson: Location-based apps can be about more than push notifications for sales or deals. Yes, relevant sales offers are still appealing, but we're already seeing a shift toward location as a baked-in component of the in-store and in-app experience — rather than just as a vehicle for determining if a shoppers is nearby "enough" to merit receiving a message or a coupon. This may take the form of more retailers developing augmented reality style games in the mold of Pokémon Go, or simply enhancing their indoor navigation capabilities, thereby inspiring shoppers to turn location services on in exchange for a truly immersive shopping journey.

This post is part of a series of 2017 predictions from industry experts.