Since Groupon introduced the concept of online daily deals to the masses in 2008, scores of like-minded sites have entered what's now a multi-billion dollar industry.
So if you are thinking about joining the fray, understand that having killer mobile applications for the iPhone and Android is just as important as launching a website. Daily deal services in particular rely on impulse buys and the ability to capture potential customers in the exact time and location of their choosing. A happy hour, for example, is better promoted through a smartphone push notification when a prospect is passing a bar than it is via an email when they are sitting behind a desk in their office.
These Chicago-based companies excel at offering local deals to smartphones owners.
Groupon
It’s absurd to write a list like this without profiling the elephant in the arena. The company’s hope of raising billions in an IPO could hinge on the success of its Groupon Now service, available as iPhone andAndroidapplications. Groupon Now is all about location-based instant gratification, and consumers in Chicago and select markets across the country are taking advantage of multiple deals near them that are offered (and expire) at different times of the day.
Poggled
Of course, no new company can expect to capture Groupon’s lightning-in-a-bottle success. Being funded by the people behind Groupon, however, is still pretty good place to start. Poggled was able to raise $5.6 million from Groupon co-founders Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell because of its laser focus on one particular area: drink specials.
Local
While the website is nice, for most users it’s more practical to see a beer-tasting deal when walking by Fizz Bar and Grill on Lincoln or a discount on bottle service at The MID when in the West Loop. Poggled also has apps for theiPhone and Androidphones.
DealRadar
With new daily deal providers emerging seemingly everyday, smartphone owners need to determine the services that are best for them or risk messing up their screens with icons only used once or twice. DealRadar is a handy app and website that broadcasts deals from several providers that are happening near you. Currently, it’s only available as aniPhoneapp.
Dealavue
The developers behind Dealavue say they focus more on their mobile apps (currently only available on iPhone with an Android app coming), than their website. This allows them to have creative promotions like sending push notifications for cheaper cell phone options just as a customer walks into a rival store.
Brad Spirrison is the managing editor of Appolicious.com and AndroidApps.com, where consumers find mobile apps they'll love. The Appolicious family of sites (which also includes video review service AppVee.com) and mobile apps (for the iPhone and Android devices) are discovery tools to help consumers browse, search and share recommendations for the hundreds of thousands of apps available on the iOS and Android platforms. Spirrison, a longtime Chicago-based media and technology commentator, lives in Lakeview with his wife and young son.
