Gogobot has released an Android version of their heretofore iOS-only app, clearly doubling down on their newly minted mobile-first strategy after seeing rapid adoption among its user base.
And with over 1 million new people using Android daily, the platform is growing quickly. The app, while reflective of much of the current iOS version, also has some new features, including:
- Internationalization: the app will now be supported in German, Japanese, Italian, Portugese and Hebrew, with other languages to be released in the coming weeks. This plays well into the widespread penetration of Android outside of North America.
- Street View: Android users will be able to
- Hotel bookings: Now users will be able to search real-time pricing on hotels nearby. This taps into the HotelTonight trend, while also encouraging users to think beyond simply using Gogobot to plan a long-term trip.
Many of these features were web-only options
recently announced by the company, so this is the first time mobile-wielding users will be able to use them.
Travis Katz, Gogobot CEO, says mobile has drastically impacted the direction of his company.
"This is a really big deal for us as a company, becuase we have seen mobile completely transform our business. When we launched Gogobot in 2010, we started as a pure-play web company.
"We've only been doing mobile for a year, but its completely changing the face of our business. Mobile is really leading our thinking as a company today."
The company reports that an impressive 40% of users access Gogobot via a mobile every day, with mobile accounting for 35 percent of all new Gogobot content (reviews, recommendations and photos) and 60% of all social interactions (such as liking or commenting).
Given these sorts of statistics, it becomes clear that a smartphone has become more than just a tool used on-the-go. The smartphone has essentially become an extension of everyday life.
Katz says:
"People are not just using mobiles when they are actually on vacation. A lot of people are actually using it in their hometowns to find things to do, and posting reviews/postcards from their homes as opposed to longer vacations. In some ways they are using it like some might use a Yelp rather than a TripAdvisor.
"We're rebuilding the concept of a guidebook or a review site for the mobile traveler."