Jody Raines

  • Web MarCom
  • About
  • Blog

August 20, 2013 By Jody Raines Leave a Comment

Mobile App Recommendation: WAZE Is A Great GPS Alternative

Google maps, waze appTraveling in a mobile society has it’s advantages.   Using a GPS or Global Positioning System for navigation information makes traveling so much easier.  With so many ways to get from point A to point B,  todays mobile society has more than a GPS as an option.   Google Maps, Apple Maps (although greatly criticized), Yahoo maps, Yelp Directories, and even Mapquest are all excellent solutions.

Although for some navigation, a paper map is still useful, for the most part, a GPS can determine a route to get you pretty much anywhere these days.

But with most of the mobile solutions, there are some limitations – for example, most GPS’s need to be updated periodically.  These are not built to contend with real-time, real-life ongoing challenges.  They are accurate to a point, and if you do not get a GPS that offers lifetime map updating, you may be working with bad information which can result in wrong turns and travel delays.

My last vehicle had an in-dash GPS which I thought was super cool at the time.  It was, to a point.  At the end of the two year period, I would have to pay a few hundred dollars to get a CD with new maps.  I was unwilling to do that, so I just dealt with the inconsistencies that had developed over the last two years.

My next GPS was a small Garmin, which I then upgraded to a top-of-the-line Zumo, which coud be used either in the car or on my motorcycle.  The Zumo is water resistant, programmable and can be operated in either motorcycle mode or car mode.  The touch screen can be manipulated even if I am wearting gloves. I can swap routes with my friends and can download points of interest that appeal to me.  I have all the Roadside America attractions set to alert me when I am near by.   Pretty darn neat. right?  I thought so, until recently…

I didn’t realize how limited my Garmin GPS was until this past weekend when I downloaded and started using the WAZE app.  Yes, the GPS is still clearer and generally more reliable but WAZE (which was recently acquired by Google) brings a brilliant solution of crowdsourcing that has the edge when it comes to real-time reporting of road conditions.

Waze, navigation app, mobile appThe WAZE app was actually recommended to me by friend Brad Chasenore during a TechWebCast podcast. It was also recommended to me by Chris Voss of the Chris Voss Show, on another podcast.  I was reluctant to get involved with another location based application because I just don’t want people to know where I am.  But this past week, I was visiting my 88  year old mom who is taking classes on how to get the most out of her iPad, when she asked me if I heard about WAZE, and whether I had used it.  Frankly, Mom knew more about the app than I did, which was a tad embarrassing… (I’m fessing up here!).   As with any app I was skeptical and at first, I was concerned about an app that has a cute interface that represented me with a pink blob that looked a bit like an old “ABC” piece of chewing gum.

I had the opportunity to “road test” the app on a recent 1,000 mile trip along the East Coast.  Real life experience using the app has made me a believer and here’s why:

  • Waze is used by thousands of other drivers who are reporting real time information such as
    • Location of police officers along the route.
    • Location of construction hazards.
    • Location of debris on the road.
    • Issues like abandoned vehicles or animals on the roadway.

Waze is a social community for reporting driving hazards and conditions that is refreshingly simple to use and has crowdsourced real-time road conditions.  And it’s free!

Recently purchased by Google, Waze recently started integrating Google Maps with the Waze Map reports, hopefully to create a newer, more powerful interface.  Although they are currently under examination by the FTC, there is hopefully a strong opportunity for this powerful little app to have the benefit of a cash injection from Google.

Some of the reasons I love Waze is because it truly helps you get where you are going faster.  Recently I avoided a serious headache when my little Waze app told me to go around an accident scene before I could even see that there would be traffic on my route.  I use the app each morning, and it does evaluate which route will be fastest that day – one day it’s one way and the next day it sends me a different way. I am not 100% trusting the app yet, but it’s proving itself to be very reliable.

In addition, there is a cool gamification aspect that will keep you signing in more and more.   Each time you report a hazard or a traffic jam, you are awarded points.  Sometimes you are thanked by other drivers who you helped.  The points accumulate and you “earn” different avatars.  I am proud to report that in my first fifteen days, I’ve advanced to a Waze Warrior!  But that’s not all.  You can integrate the app with Facebook and Twitter and then compare your score to your friends score.   You can compare your score to the leaders in the state as well.  If that’s not enough, you can Facebook post or Tweet to let others know what is going on with the road.

Downsides to the app – it makes my phone heat up.  It depletes the battery – I go from 100% charged to no battery – shutoff in about an hour even with no other apps running.  Other friends who use the app have complained about cell phone quality dropping and even being unable to make calls while using the Waze app.

Plus, we don’t know yet what Google will do with the Waze app.  Right now, I think it’s definitely worth having, especially if you are someone who commutes a distance or who drives alot.

Filed Under: Facebook, Gamification, Google+, Mobile Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Twitter, Waze Tagged With: GPS, mobile marketing, social media marketing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Internet Marketing Insights

Smart marketing goals

What Is A Smart Marketing Goal? And How Do You Set Them?

September 11, 2013 By Jody Raines Leave a Comment

Internet marketing without goals, or traditional marketing without goals is a crapshoot.  It’s throwing stuff at the wall and hoping it sticks, without a guide or way to measure whether you are effective or not.   One of my favorite expressions is the definition of insanity – you know doing the same thing over and […]

How To Add Video For Search Engine Optimization

May 10, 2013 By Jody Raines Leave a Comment

Video can be a powerful tool for website search engine optimization.  Understanding what keywords you want to optimize and how you want to be found begins with understanding your customer and what they are seeking. As part of an initiative to optimize for “Jody Raines” and “WebMarCom”, I created a series of motivational and inspirational […]

Jody Raines, social media management

Social Media Tips: How Much Time Should I Spend on Social Media?

April 23, 2016 By Jody Raines 1 Comment

Clients who have accepted the fact that Twitter and Facebook and Linkedin are great for business, have asked me how much time they should devote to social media marketing.  It’s a valid question, and one that has more than one answer. It depends on what your goals are and what you hope to achieve.  Keep […]

Jody Raines Blogger

Should You DIY Your Website? Tips For Better User Experience And Design

February 26, 2018 By Jody Raines Leave a Comment

A friend recently posted on Facebook that her new ‘business website’ has launched. She proudly asked for all of her friends to come and visit and share what they thought. The well-meaning friends who complimented her on the site fueled her enthusiastic response that she created the site herself using a free service. She then […]

Ruger Belgian Malinois

Fly Eagles? Fly Dogs! How Social Media Changed A Mascot

February 6, 2018 By Jody Raines Leave a Comment

The Eagles WON the Super Bowl.  Social Media is abuzz with burning questions regarding the team mascot:  Is it a bird?  Is it a German Shepherd? Or a is it a Belgian Malinois? Some fans may have been puzzled that the Eagles, whose mascot, by the way IS an Eagle, were wearing dog masks.  Most […]

  • Fly Eagles? Fly Dogs! How Social Media Changed A Mascot
  • QR Codes Are Dead? Long Live The QR Code!

Recent Posts

  • Social Media And Social Networking: Best Practices And Big Mistakes For LinkedIn
  • How To Develop An Online Brand
  • 3 Key Tips For Internet Branding
856.504.6066 Voorhees, NJ 08043

Copyright © 2023 Jody Raines | WebMaster· All For The Love Of Dogs