Whether you’re browsing ideas or just want to know who the next big startups are, here are some promising sites and trends to keep tabs on in the new year:
Startups
Happier – Users can build social communities by finding people with similar interests that can open the door for deals and special offers.
Fancy Hands – For those that need an assistant for everyday life, Fancy Hands has the answer. With over 800 features, the site streamlines productivity for practically anyone. Planning a wedding? Traveling? Need to find a dogwalker? Want quotes from 5 different moving companies? Take it off a “To-Do” list and use Fancy Hands instead.
SideTour – Find handpicked activities, tours, and memorable things to do that are all hosted by talented local people. SideTour is an online marketplace that sells experiences, rather than products. Users sign up, then specify the kind of activities and events that they’re looking for in a particular city. SideTour is an online marketplace for experiences that help people explore surrounding cities.
Storific – The “smart ordering companion” allows you to order from select restaurants via a simple mobile app, foregoing the need for live service. Place your food and drink orders ahead of time, whether while you’re on the road speeding towards a reservation, or at a moment’s notice. Speed up the least favorite part of your time and simply get what you want.
Trends
Due to tablets, smartphones and mobile platforms consumes of mobile and web products have more choices. This increases the opportunities available for new tech and online startups related to ecommerce and social sharing.
Rising Star: Mobile Payment
The number of merchants accepting mobile payments is increasing. Many are trying out mobile commerce for the first time. This is just the beginning. Key players like Apple, Google and Amazon are watching closely. eMarketer predicts that by 2020, the total transaction value of mobile payments in the U.S alone will hit $62.24 billion.
Hot Potato: Content Curation
The act of discovering and sharing digital content was popular among consumers and publishers in 2012. Instead of focusing on generating new content, curation focuses on combining content from a variety of sources and delivering it to readers in a visually appealing and organized way. Pinterest, Scoop.it, Storify and Paper.li have shown why content curation is still hot.
In 2012 Pinterest became the third most popular social network in the world. In January 2012, the site had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark and reportedly added 5 million more new users in February 2012 alone.
Still Truckin: Photo Sharing
Photo sharing is going nowhere and it’s only improving. With improved smartphone cameras, every smartphone user is now an amateur photographer. Hundreds of millions of photos are shared on social platforms each month. Mobile photography will get even better with the launch of Instagram web profiles. Popular brands will take advantage of mobile photography to get consumers to like their Instagram profiles.
All About CLOUD
Hundreds of new cloud apps will be launched in 2013, and popular ones will still be fighting hard for your loyalty.
The problem is, it is still difficult to access content across platforms. This is changing, as all of your content will be stored in the cloud and available on each of your devices — and you will be able to share them with friends. You will want to be able to watch a movie or play a game online on your tablet, go to your laptop and still find the movie or game in the same state you were just viewing on your tablet or smartphone.
Have an idea of your own?
iScripts can customize any software or even develop a system, app, platform based on any idea or yours from scratch. Give us a call or shoot us an email to discuss your idea and find out your options for development and implementation. Any idea is feasible with the iScripts team. Contact 1-(800)-569-5538 or sales@iscripts.com.
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