LBS entrepreneur Platform Nuggets: small apps for big opportunities

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Editor's note/imitate Foursquare website pattern, there have been more than 200 lbs companies in China. But to this day, most companies have been closed with the "NetEase plus". At the same time, some forces have continued to emerge and even to invest. For example, the stranger has been a Jingwei venture, Alibaba and other investment; open a comment on access to Qualcomm, new venture investment and other investments, road passenger network access to Macan and the fund investment, a meal net to obtain Xiaoping investment. In addition, some internet giant companies are also starting to layout the LBS market. Giant admission, for LBS developers, is the spring or the end of the crisis? In fact, when the market pattern begins to change, only the fittest can survive.

November 7, operating two years of "NetEase plus" outage, once again let lbs (location-based services) industry's prospects become the focus of industry attention. At present, the LBS industry is a double day of ice fire. While some small and medium-sized companies have fallen, the internet giants have entered the field. What will happen to the future market pattern of lbs? What form will new market opportunities take?

"Big Platform + small Application"

LBS most developers will play a small application role, do a good job in service.

The LBS company, which was established two years ago, did not survive, mainly because the timing was wrong. A person in the industry said that the domestic mobile hardware and network are inferior to foreign countries, including the formation of location-based consumption habits of cultivation, still need some time.

Not long ago, Tencent is ready to open all the friends of QQ users, based on the micro-credit social circle, the application is developed on the basis of a large number of user groups, and the opportunity for development and application is provided to the developer, while the Baidu map provides a package of services for developers, from the map API, to the storage and even the big data calculations. Analysts say. The introduction of these services will greatly reduce the threshold for developers.

For the mobile internet Age map Imagination, Innovation Workshop chairman Lee Kai-Fu said on Weibo, Baidu and Google, Microsoft, Baidu will map, around, lbs integration, the intention to create a geographical location of the O2O advertising platform.

However, the developers surveyed believe that the entry of large companies is good for developers and will accelerate the development of the industry. Lu Passenger Network co-founder Wang Light that the large platform for developers to provide some maps and positioning, developers just do a good job behind the service can be. Cool News Wireless general manager Chen also said, because these big player's entry, the map and the localization in the technology does not have the question, the developer needs to ponder is: In the service domain, oneself actually has the superiority.

Suzhou Bedouin Technology Co., Ltd. marketing vice President Lo Yuomin said, Baidu Tencent such large players to enter, for the improvement of the entire ecological chain benefits. It is understood that the Bedouin technology itself has a provision of positioning services, "Dr. Donkey" products, its lbs "open comment" application does not need to use other companies positioning services.

An obvious trend is: the future lbs industry will form a "big platform + small application" pattern. Qiming Venture Partner Donshau the lbs industry analogy to the current electricity quotient pattern, the platform enterprise may only have two or three, most is sells the thing on the platform the Merchant. In the same way, most developers of lbs will also be playing a good role in the small application, doing well in service work.

Chang, co-founder of the Takeaway, says: "There are areas of life that can be optimized and perfected, especially in China, where there are opportunities for small players who can offer unique value." "Before the street to open their own platform, but recently said:" They are now positioning to do a good job.

The core of lbs is "location", and the position behind it is "user, traffic, purchasing power, and marketing and trading opportunities." In fact, the current Baidu map, the gold map, Tencent micro-letter and China Telecom and other big players in happy enclosure, have opened the platform to attract more developers to enter, and many developers also began to choose some of their own platform for the settled or cooperation.

Good service to make money

For developers, to the homeopathy, should not educate consumers, but to adapt to the needs of users.

Philharmonic CEO Cai that life service information must be the core of lbs most important application, the user's demand is also very strong, you can see different entrepreneurs from different point of view to do. such as group purchase website, Life information website. The Philharmonic emphasizes depth information, which is a richer and more accurate message.

In fact, eating and drinking and basic necessities such as the division has a greater potential for development. Zhang, founder of lbs viewing platform, believes that developers should be more user-friendly to help users solve practical problems. For example, the elderly and children's positioning service function, their position beyond a certain range will be automatic alarm and so are relatively good ideas.

Experts also pointed out that location and positioning is not the key, the key lies in services, the difference is also in service. This is also the first thing developers should consider, what you can provide users with the service, what you are good at, this is the key.

"Big bed shake" is cool news recently developed a LBS application. Cool News Wireless general manager Chen said: "We only do our own good part, we put the existing 200,000 hotel information into the, if the user check in, we have agreement with the hotel, there will be some return." ”

However, for LBS developers, it is possible to make money by making a service. At present, many lbs developers have explored some ways to make money.

Mode one is as a media platform to earn advertising revenue. For example, open a comment, the street and other advertising revenue, but a lot of the use of advertising revenue is not high, there are such as a network of such as the list to collect promotional fees. However, Zhang that advertising volatility is relatively large, it will be difficult to support a business, especially start-up enterprises, completely rely on the advertising model is not very reliable.

Mode two is to obtain transaction commission in O2O mode. According to Wang Light introduction, road passenger network before doing shopping for users of the application, but also recommend some coupons or group buy site to users, and from the purchase or coupon site to get the share of the transaction, but the purchase itself is not high profit, divided into less. Only the site to talk about the business can be higher, and a home to talk about, these businesses need to spend a high cost.

Mode three is that developers themselves provide services to users and charge fees. Nanjing Love Grapefruit Network Technology Co., Ltd. Technology director Wei Wei said that their company developed a location-based "I love Postcard" application, users choose to print and commissioned by mail, users will be charged.

For the above model, Analysys International Vice President Yi that, for developers, should not try to educate consumers, but to adapt to the needs of users, while developers should focus on, do not do all-inclusive applications, to do more focused things, in addition, developers in the operation. Also learn to borrow force, more rely on the platform to achieve the development of borrowing.

Platform to do service is the key

Whether on the Internet or in the mobile Internet, platform-type companies are emerging. In the LBS industry is no exception, the current target of the LBS platform has Baidu map, a gold map, Tencent micro-letter and China Telecom and other large companies.

For the field of lbs, Baidu has set up a professional department of lbs to create a lbs platform. It is understood that Baidu lbs department and Baidu Mobile Cloud Division Two-pronged approach to form a cloud + end of the mobile strategic layout. Innovation Factory Chairman Kai-Fu Lee believes that Baidu will create a O2O advertising model based on geographical location.

According to the speculation of Kai-Fu Lee, Baidu lbs division head Shen said, Baidu lbs future how to build business model, Baidu is still not sure, now is only the stage of investment. According to Baidu Vice President Wang Mengqiu, lbs in the mobile Internet entrance effect of strengthening, with the user value and business value links, the advantages of the platform will be released in the future.

Analysys International analyst Jung Snow that the current Internet map profit model is difficult to transplant to mobile phones, whether it is the penetration of smartphones or the user size and experience, it is difficult to achieve profitability standards.

In fact, the platform how to make money do not worry too much, Taobao massive trading in the platform, the profit is naturally not a problem. The key to doing the platform is how to make a huge deal happen on the platform. Yi, Vice president of Analysys International, believes it is the platform's value to help lbs application developers make money on the industry chain. In her view, the platform in addition to its own core resources ability to build, it is very important to the entire industry's service capabilities.

Data show that up to 70% of mobile Internet developers are still at a loss. Therefore, Baidu to do lbs platform, can provide developers with what will become the key. And developers will only be able to develop more and better applications, but also to more effectively sticky users. Lu Passenger Network co-founder Wang Light, Baidu platform open for developers have two good: first, geography and the surrounding basic information will be more accurate, two can be occasion popularized.

A typical example is the Art dragon. Art Dragon Vice President Bai Zhiwei said, Art Dragon and Baidu in the LBS platform to try to do the cooperation. The data including hotel information and user points, service import to Baidu lbs platform, to Baidu map for the entrance of some users to do some business travel services, but also for the art of a new addition to the Dragon some users.

Donshau: Small applications have great opportunities

Although many lbs developers are still exploring business models, Donshau, a partner of Qiming Ventures, believes the outbreak of the LBS industry has been a long awaited event.

As early as a few years ago, Qiming Venture has invested in the public comments, Philharmonic live, millet and other companies. Donshau that the future pattern of lbs is "big platform + small application", the big platform is Baidu map, micro-letter and so on, small developers in the fields such as eating and drinking, basic necessities and so on, but they will be some small and beautiful company.

"China Business newspaper": With Baidu set up LBS division, Tencent Open to build a micro-letter-centric lbs biosphere, the admission of these big players, the lbs industry will bring what impact?

Donshau: LBS Industry in the future will form a "big platform + small application" pattern, Baidu Map upgrade and open, micro-letter opening for small developers is both pros and cons. If these platforms can be completely open like Facebook, then it's good for developers.

And if a big company wants to do everything on its own, it may not do well, and it will also bring competition to developers. If Tencent recently said that the open QQ friendship is true, then developers can fully use such an opportunity. Of course, the stranger to do social networking is also worthy of attention, Ali department is most likely from the search, Baidu is a potential competitor. LBS future most hope to make big platform is also these 3 companies, as they increase investment, this is positive for the development of the industry. I predict that the next 3 years will form a closed-loop lbs ecosystem from application and payment to service consumption.

"China Business newspaper": Two years ago, there have been a number of lbs start-up companies active, many of them have been the Angel and VC investment, but unfortunately there are many companies in the shutdown. In terms of investment, are there any investment opportunities?

Donshau: Many investment companies have already been in the layout, such as Qiming Venture has invested a few years ago, the public comments, Philharmonic live, millet and other companies. We are optimistic about this industry, there are a lot of peer bullish on the market, but platform-type companies have no investment opportunities, and some small development companies to find suitable investment companies, but also more difficult, because good companies have investment companies in the investment. However, if there is "Baidu + Where to go" this mode, vertical platform companies have the opportunity.

"China Business Daily": In your opinion, some developers of small applications still have the opportunity? Like a meal net, take-away network, etc. for the sale of lbs company, with the public comments network will certainly form a competitive relationship, you on these up-and-comer prospects how to see?

Donshau: To be sure: this kind of small company will live more and more hard. However, there are still a lot of opportunities for small developers, such as around the daily life, developers can in the fields such as eating and drinking, basic necessities, such as the daily consumption of the field will have some opportunities. As a service, from the industry to do more opportunities, need to integrate a lot of business to do services, these developers will survive very well. However, VC investment is difficult to say, because the future of the pattern of lbs will be like the current electricity quotient pattern: There are many small sellers on Taobao platform, as sellers you do your business well, many also live very moist.