Cross-Platform Social Network for Hyperlocal Discounts
Launching the first free-to-use discount directory in the U.S. through a robust web marketplace and native mobile application suite.
Client
A leading California-based provider of interactive wireless business application services for cross-device and cross-OS support.
Problem Statement
The client sought to disrupt the paid discount model by creating a zero-cost marketplace where businesses could promote offers and shoppers could find deals without individual subscriptions.
Industry
Quick Summary
QBurst designed and developed a comprehensive digital ecosystem consisting of a JSP-based web application and native mobile apps for all major platforms. The solution enables traders to list promotions for free while allowing consumers to discover and redeem coupons based on their real-time physical location.
- Market Disruption: Successfully realized the client's vision as the first free social discount network in the United States, eliminating entry barriers for SMEs.
- Hyperlocal Engagement: Integrated advanced Google Maps and Bing Maps APIs to provide users with turn-by-turn directions to local business storefronts.
Client Profile
The client specializes in high-end wireless business applications, focusing on solutions that bridge the gap between various operating systems and wireless carriers. Their expertise lies in creating interactive online environments that support a seamless "any-device" user experience.
Challenges: Architectural Rigidity and Search Complexity
Moving from a traditional subscription-based discount model to a free, high-volume social network required overcoming significant technical hurdles.
- Suboptimal Legacy Architecture: The client's initial architecture and UI design conflicted with modern UX standards, threatening to hinder product adoption.
- Complex Data Querying: Implementing a search engine that could handle multifaceted queries—filtering by vendor, zip code, area code, and geolocation—was a primary technical bottleneck.
- Real-time Synchronization: There was a critical need to automatically identify three distinct user groups (Admin, Business, Consumer) and serve unique, real-time functionality to each upon login.
- Cross-OS Fragmentation: Ensuring a consistent "redeem-at-store" experience across iOS and Android requires deep native expertise to avoid performance lags.
QBurst Solution: Scalable Web and Native Mobile Ecosystem
We redesigned the architecture to resolve backend complications and revamped the UI for better adoption. The resulting solution is a highly responsive marketplace prioritizing high-speed search and secure OAuth-based authorization.
- Web Application:
- Displays location-based discounts using latitude/longitude values.
- Automatically identifies user groups (Business, Consumer, Admin) upon login to present relevant functions.
- Business Owner Features: Users can create business profiles, enter discount details (expiry, category, location), and verify addresses via Google Maps.
- Consumer Features: Shoppers can search the directory, redeem coupons via printed copies or mobile screens, and share deals on Facebook and Twitter.
- Administrator Features: Centralized management of accounts, banning users, verifying discounts/locations, and managing ad tags and categories.
- Mobile Application Suite:
- Native apps for iPhone and Android with automatic location detection.
- Features categorized discounts, map-based directions to stores, and user review submission.
Development
We developed the web application using JSP Servlets, Apache Tomcat, and MySQL, implementing complex search functions through optimized SQL queries. We integrated the Google Maps API to automatically generate coordinates from business addresses.
The web application provides a central API for all mobile apps with OAuth for secure authorization, with data hosted on the client’s emotion server. We utilized native SDKs for all mobile platforms to ensure peak performance. During development, we modified the client's original UI and architecture to meet modern UX standards and resolve technical complications.
Impact
- Market First-Mover: The platform went live and secured the client's position as the first free discount social network in the United States.
- Lowered SME Overhead: Local traders gained a high-visibility promotional platform at zero cost, significantly increasing their marketing reach.
- Streamlined Consumer Savings: Shoppers benefited from a consolidated directory, removing the friction of subscribing to individual business websites.
Client Profile
Challenges
QBurst Solution
Development
Impact