"When devices and programs are connected to the Internet, applications are no longer software artifacts, they are ongoing services. This has significant impact on the entire software development and delivery process. Therefore, don’t package up new features into monolithic releases, but instead add features on a regular basis as part of the normal user experience. Engage your users to be real-time testers, and structure the service to reveal how people use your product." (Web 2.0 - Principles and Best Practice by John Musser with Tim O’Reilly & the O’Reilly Radar Team)
Facebook is changing the world… again.
By now you’ve probably heard of Facebook Places, the application that allows you to ‘Check In’ to places you’re visiting, alerting all of your Friends where you are (a bit like Foursquare).
Starting yesterday, businesses can also now offer customers special deals when they ‘Check In’ to their place on Facebook (again, a bit like Foursquare but with the functionality to manage the entire process). And it’s known as Facebook Deals.
At first the “BETA” Facebook Deals started in U.S but now its slowly spreading to other places like Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. It’s coming real soon to Australia too. “Finally in a boon for local businesses Facebook has confirmed the new Facebook Deals service which shows special deals available at local businesses within the users immediate vicinity will become available in Australia in “early 2011″, with the company currently adapting the service for Australia and New Zealand. When it eventually goes live, users will be able to access the service through the Facebook website, or through the company’s iPhone application.” (2010 ITechReport) Facebook Deals "BETA" have slowly evolved after its long research on the famous social buying giant "Groupon" and the deals from foursquare too. Below will be videos to let you know more about Facebook Deals,
Here’s how it works. Firstly, look for yellow or green tickets when you check in to places in those countries.
Everyone likes getting a good deal, but it's not always easy to find the right one at the moment you could use one. Imagine that while you're looking for a new place to try for lunch, you could see offers from restaurants nearby on your phone. On the other hand, I already love Brother Espresso at Brisbane City, so imagine if I were rewarded for coming back this place every week with my friends.
Starting today, local businesses will be able to offer you with deals when you check in to their place on Facebook. Deals will be rolling out over the next few days and will only be available in the United States at this time.
We launched Places to let you share where you are with your friends and see who's nearby. Now with Deals, you also can see what offers are nearby and share those deals with your friends.
Finding deals near you is easy. On mobile web site or the latest version of Facebook App on iPhone, touch "Places" and then touch "Check In."
Below I will be showing some of the screen shots of how the Facebook Deals work.
These deals come from merchants, not Facebook, so check with your local stores for additional details, such as when they're running, how many of the offers are available, and whether a deal is just for you or also for your friends.
You'll see a few different types of Deals: individual deals for a discount, free merchandise or other reward; friend deals where you and your friends claim an offer together; loyalty deals for being a frequent visitor to a place; and charity deals where businesses pledge to donate to a cause when you check in.
References
Web 2.0 - Principles and Best Practice by John Musser with Tim O’Reilly & the O’Reilly Radar Team: http://oreilly.com/catalog/web2report/chapter/web20_report_excerpt.pdf
Groupon Wiki:
Foursquare Wiki:
Facebook App:
After reading this article and watching these videos, I am planning to buy a smartphone in order to use Facebook Deals ASAP. It's an incredibly useful application for consumers. Thanks for sharing.
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