Foursquare’s recent popularity has people using their app in droves. With that popularity, Foursquare has implemented a number of updates to help with the ever-changing needs of their application.
One of the recent changes was redesigned venue pages that randomized the users that have checked in at that venue. Another change they made was removing the venue link on the “unlocked badge” page for users that aren’t friends with the badge unlocker. One of the more controversial changes was omitting the ability to search for tags associated with venues, thus making badge unlocking infinitely more difficult.
Making a game more difficult or changing too many of the wrong things can have adverse effects. It could cause fans to lose interest in the game altogether. However, some changes could actually increase the fun of the game and continue to boost the Foursquare app into a solid mainstream social networking tool for businesses and public alike. Below we have outlined some changes that we would propose.
Badge Levels
A level system for appropriate badges would exponentially create more badges. A particular badge could start at level one and takes 10 checkins to unlock. Level two for that badge might take 25 checkins. This could be expanded to higher levels of achievement as well.
Examples: Gym Rat badge: Level 3, Pizziolo: Level 2
More Global Badges
Having more badges that aren’t tied to specific locations (NY) or time sensitive events allows a larger population of users to participate in the Foursquare gaming experience. Too much exclusivity alienates people.
Remove Region Restrictions
Badges that could be open to any region should have their restrictions removed. Zagat rated restaurants exist all over the US, but users are only able to unlock the badge in certain areas.
Examples: Zagat, Socialite, Gossip Girl
Create your own badge
This could be a controversial idea to some people, but allowing businesses to create their own badge would help them develop their brand within the social networking aspect of Foursquare, thus creating more value for businesses. Foursquare could charge a small fee for this which would generate more revenue for them.
Do Something with Points
There may have been an original intent to having points in the game, but the idea seems to have been shuffled to the back burner. Foursquare should remove the functionality or make it more engaging. Possibly use the idea of points to create unique badges.
Number of Checkins Per Venue
Displaying your number of checkins in the past 60 days at a specific venue would be incredibly helpful to those wishing to overtake the mayor of that location. This feature would be very useful across all application types: web, app, and mobile. Currently, Foursquare only shows the number of checkins in the last 60 days for the Mayor of that venue.
Location Specific Venues
Venues should be location specific not event specific. Conventions, parades, and events similar to these congest nearby “places” and also search results.
Venue Image
Creators of venues and business owners could add an image to the venue. Being able to add a logo would be useful for brand awareness of the business. Or they could provide a picture of the storefront helping users find their location.
Hours of Operation for Venues
Having hours of operation for venues editable by creators of venues, Super Users (SU’s), and Businesses would be useful for users wanting to visit that venue. These parameters should also be used to combat against users checking in to venues when the venue is truly not open.
Venue Ranking
Allowing users to rank venues will make it very helpful when looking at nearby “places” knowing if it is worth the travel. This would also benefit businesses as they could see how they are ranking in comparison to other local businesses.
If Foursquare were to implement any or all of these changes, they could expect to see a tremendous increase in user support and activity, thus cementing them as a true useful social media application.
Leave us a comment on your thoughts on the changes we have proposed or any ideas of your own.
I think the “create your own badge” suggestion is awesome. 4sq could start bringing in income, like they have been trying to find a way to do, as well as this could aid the biz owner. 4sq could charge a small fee for the biz to design, or a larger fee to design it for the biz.
Really good ideas here! I think there should be a way to communicate with other people that have checked-in at a location; I’m not sure if the “shout” functionality accomplishes that (haven’t used it really), but yea, I find it hard to communicate with the 4sq community
Levels with badges would be sick! Level 80 gym rat, here I come!
I think foursquare isn’t fully tapped into as yet.
It is a wonderful social media game for people to use, to meet up with friends etc – but it can also have more of a way to connect with business model –
like if you check in, you’ll get a discount, that’s exculsive for 4sq users?
Which builds customer loyalty for both 4sq and for whatever particular business?
Also, having 4sq events – so that 4sq becomes an online community in different cities? This became particularly valuable to me, as I’ve moved to the middle of nowhere – and it’s difficult to socialize/make friends outside of work.
I love all the ideas for the vendors – adding addresses – pictures – etc.
And you really need to do something with the point systems – make them redeemable for something – either badges, discounts or prizes?
Though I would be really careful with badges – making badges more common won’t make them “demandable”
Anyways, good luck guys! Awesome job!
how if i want to create my own badges for the business/ venue?
thanks
Currently Foursquare does not allow business owners/managers to create their own badges on their own. The only way you can get your own badge released is to work directly with the Foursquare team and pay them to integrate it for you.
I think 4sq needs a quicker, easier, more efficient way to connect “problems” with super users.
I find it frustrating the amount of multiple venues that need merging. Or venues that are improperly categorized, and only a SUser or the creator can fix.
I think an easier way to tag venues needing merging or correction would be a great improvement. Perhaps a little button next to the venue title, that when clicked, goes into super user queue for fixing.
I was recently traveling and would have gotten my jetsetter badge, but the airport was improperly categorized.
I want the warhol badge but it has to be categorized as gallery. the category of museum is sometimes used as gallery and vice versa. would be nice to allow for both.
I also think that there should be a better stats system in your online profile. A way to sort the history as well as to see how many of different categories (parks, galleries etc) that you have checked into
Hi Chaunce
I am a big fan of your site. You’ve always got great info. Anyway, I know that you are interested in Foursquare, so I thought you might like to check out the Foursquare app I’ve just built for Facebook and WordPress.
“My Foursquare makes it easy to show off your badges, mayorships and checkins on Facebook, your blog or your website”.
http://www.myfoursquare.net/
If you want more info I can send you a detailed blurb and screenshots etc. Thanks, and keep the good info coming!
Dave McKinney
My Foursquare
Thanks for the info Dave and more so for your support.
Your site looks great. We will try it out and probably do a review on it if that works for you.
I think that these are all excellent ideas, but I have reservations about foursquare at the moment. I’m an avid user of foursquare, but feel that new users of LSBN’s muck up what we’ve worked so hard to achieve, i.e. by registering venues that already exist. I also think that there needs to be a style guide for each country. For example, in the UK I think that counties should be abbreviated in Worcestershire would become Worcs. and major cities like London should not have the town as London and the state as Greater London, but it should be the area of London, i.e. Westminster and then the state as London.
If you’d like I could e-mail you over the post I was planning on publishing on my blog about this?
Otherwise, I think all of the aforementioned ideas in this blog post are brilliant. I’d to see them all come into fruition.
I wish there was a way to search/sort “tips” by city, in cases such as CNN and TLC etc.
http://foursquare.com/CNN