Why Would Someone Download NAVU?
People already have apps for finding things. So the honest question is, what does NAVU give someone that other apps don't, and why would they keep opening it after the first week?
The answer is that NAVU is built for continuous planning, not for scrolling. Someone opens it because they want to shop or do something local.
People Can Follow Their Favorite Businesses
Regulars can follow your profile and get a notification whenever you add something new — "Sweetgrass Pottery just posted a new event." NAVU notifications say what you've added: new product, new event, new service, new menu item.
What Else Can Someone Do on NAVU?
Save favorites: Businesses, events, products. Anything worth coming back to gets saved and stays put.
Build a profile: Everyone builds their own profile on NAVU.
Follow friends: People can see which events their friends have saved and which businesses they love. A good recommendation usually comes from a friend anyway, so we built a place for it.
Create groups: Someone can start a group, add their friends, and drop in the businesses and events they want to hit. It works for a Saturday, a birthday weekend, or family visiting from out of town.
Change locations: Heading somewhere new, a person can switch their location and see the shops, makers, and events there.
So What's the Incentive?
People on NAVU get a calendar dedicated to local events they can actually attend, with reminders so they don't forget. A marketplace to buy from local makers without hunting across a dozen sites. Direct updates from their favorite businesses, straight from the businesses themselves. A way to do it all with friends, and make it an interactive experience.
What's happening around them, gathered in one place.
Your Regulars and Your Visitors Both Find You Here
There's an assumption we run into constantly: NAVU is for getting new customers, so if your customers already know where you are, what's the point?
NAVU is structured so new customers can find your business, see your events, services, menu items, and products. But it's also a way to keep your regulars notified of NEW events, services, menu items, and products.
What Does NAVU Do for Your Regulars?
The people who've been coming to you for years are the ones most likely to follow your profile. Once they do, they hear from you whenever there's something new:
You add a product: Your followers get a notification, and it goes up on the marketplace.
You post an event: They save it, it lands on their calendar, and we remind them twice.
You add a service or menu item: They know about it that day.
Why Does This Change How You Build Your Profile?
Because a half-finished profile serves neither group.
A profile with a name and an address tells a visitor where you are and nothing else. And it gives your regulars nothing to follow and nothing to hear about.
A profile with your photos, your description, your products, your services or menu, and your events gives both of them something real. A visitor can see what you actually do before deciding to make the drive, and your regulars get a reason to keep their notifications turned on.
We recommend filling out your profile as completely as you can. This keeps it an interactive and pleasant experience for new customers and regulars alike.
