We are already living in a world that is driven by data, and data is ubiquitous. The technological advancements in the past few decades have given rise to new devices that are capable of interconnectivity and data generation — something that revolutionised the shared world of internet.
Today data is an omnipresent force, which serves as the soul for many organizations. Every computer, mobile and other devices in the world today are capable of generating and sharing data in a blink. This article was inspired by “How hyper-local data could change the internet as we know it” by Anna Johansson.
What Is Hyper Local Data And How Is It Different From Local Data?
Most of the businesses that provide location services use local data to locate a subject or area on the map. For example, your state, city or zip code is regarded as local data. Almost all digital maps today are capable of accessing and sharing local data. Whereas, hyper-local data refers to the data that is more specific and relates to a smaller geographical area than ‘local’ data. If postal code is local data then hyper-local data can be the street or block or the exact address where you live. Simply hyper-local data is the data about a smaller and more defined area.
The Impacts of Hyper-Local Data
1. Search Engine Optimisation
The infusion of hyperlocal Data with the internet could considerably change the way how location data services work today. Hyper-local data would give organisations an edge in local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) which will help them in marketing their businesses more strategically and effectively.
For example, the ‘near me’ feature in Google Map that enables users to find local businesses near their location. With hyper-local data, businesses will be able to show their local presence more precisely.
2. Faster and Dynamic Updates
Services such as Google Maps would hugely benefit with hyper-local data. The traffic updates in Google Maps could become more dynamic and fast with hyper-local data. Google Maps makes use of both historical data and location tracking services to provide a precise update on traffic and driving conditions of the road from the behavioural patterns of drivers. Other services that depend on location data like the food delivery chains or taxi services such as Zomato, Swiggy, Ola, Uber among others will also hugely benefit from hyper-local data.
3. Super-targeted Advertisements
The local data already provides a close to precise advertisement which ought to get more precise with the infusion of hyper-local data. Remember the last time you got an advertisement on your phone for exciting offers at a Supermarket that you passed by? With hyper-local data, businesses can target customers more precisely by providing advertisements more precisely and dynamically.
4. Better Insights
Businesses that benefit from foot-traffic rather than internet traffic also gets to have a bite of the advantages of hyper-local data. With the right data gathering devices and strategies, retail stores or restaurants with less internet presence can dig insights on customer behaviour with the help of hyper-local data thus redefining the customer experience.
5. New Devices and Free Internet
Hyper-local data could lead to a new generation of IoT devices that are more precise on generating location data. On-the-go IoT devices will grow in popularity and would enable a dynamic hyper-location sharing. Also, businesses such as local stores or restaurants would strategize by providing free internet through wifi as this would give them access to more information from the devices connected to a network that they have control over.
Outlook
Hyper-local data promises to bring in a lot to the table including a better, more refined user experience. Although, with constant pressure over the concern of growing data and the ways to deal with it, hyper-local added to it can become a possible threat, not to mention the privacy concerns associated with it.
