Yet another OzBargain app...

zzyss on 18/08/2015 - 22:38

I know there are already a bunch of OzBargain apps out there, but just wondering if there would be any interest in one that could potentially let you know what bargains are nearby?

Threw together this quick mockup:
http://i9codb.axshare.com/loading.html

It's super-lacking right now… just a single flow (through the search). How the app will create the list of results remains my secret sauce for now, but anybody with half a brain could probably figure it out (cough Google cough).

scotty, once it gets down to the deal page, the intent is to just show the OzBargain page through a webview, so I'm not screwing you over on ad views (also: not scraping). However, it would be super helpful if there's any possibility of being able to get access to the site taxonomy - at least the stores.

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Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 19/08/2015 - 00:42
    +4

    Aren't most bargains online anyway?

    • zzyss on 19/08/2015 - 09:59

      Yes, the app would require internet access. The value add is really being able to see bargains matching stores in your immediate vicinity.

      • [Deactivated] on 20/08/2015 - 19:51

        I mean, most deals are online only and not in-store.

        • zzyss on 21/08/2015 - 09:04

          Right, gotcha. Considering Neil's comments below, maybe one of the things we can work on is making it easier to submit bargains while "out in the field", which might help to change that.

        • [Deactivated] on 21/08/2015 - 11:19

          @zzyss:
          What about deals from stores that have many locations?

          Say like Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Coles, will it show all locations? What if not all locations have the deal?

        • zzyss on 21/08/2015 - 15:31

          @Drew22:

          That's a problem we will have to solve with the help of the community (also see my reply to Neil, below).

  • DealzEddy123 on 19/08/2015 - 09:34
    -1

    personally, if im out and about, i'd be too occupied to browse ozbargain

    im usually on ozbargain when im sitting at a desk

    • zzyss on 19/08/2015 - 10:00

      That's good feedback. Will see if more people chime in with similar sentiments.

  • marquise on 19/08/2015 - 11:56

    I think this is a great idea if executed well.

    • zzyss on 19/08/2015 - 14:39

      I'd love to hear your thoughts on what you think "executed well" looks like. I've tried following Google Maps / Material design patterns as closely as possible but I'm thinking you're more interested in stuff like how closely the app is able to match actual bargains at your location?

      The trick is really being able to cross reference two sources of information: the Google business listings of the shops near where you are, against whether OzBargain has any matches for deals for those places.

      • marquise on 19/08/2015 - 14:44

        It was more about how practical it would be to encourage usage. So yeah actually seeing accurate locations of places relating to deals.

  • iridiumstem on 19/08/2015 - 14:51

    I am assuming that this will be on Android (from you talking about Material design). Please don't make it run on background and constantly ask for location, causing battery drain issues.

    Other than that concern, I think it's an interesting idea.

    • zzyss on 19/08/2015 - 14:55

      Well Android first, definitely, but Material Design isn't any impediment to iOS (see Google's own apps).

      App will definitely not run in the background. As far as the implementation is concerned I don't think it will actually add any benefit to the end-user anyway (you'd still have to load the map on opening the app, even if you already know the location).

  • neil on 19/08/2015 - 14:56

    I should preface that Scott is probably better suited to answer this..

    However, I did write about this 3 years ago. One of the best implementations of an app like this is the Retailmenot app. The app goes one further than what you proposed and actually notifies you if there is a deal nearby (usually at a shopping mall). The HotUKDeals app supposedly has similar functionality.

    In order to do anything like this, we need to add location data to deals. The way you have done it makes sense however there are also deals that apply to only one store so that's something that needs to be taken into account. There are also many posts that don't necessarily match up with the store. E.G. [World Square, Sydney, NSW] Free Rush Iced Coffee. The URL rush.com.au doesn't make sense from a location point of view so we have tagged that deal with World Square. This has a GPS location attached to it.

    The other big exception is online only sales. E.G. Dick Smith, wouldn't be applicable in being shown on a map.

    So in order for all of these things to work, you need consistent data which will either involved the submitter to do it (unlikely) or a mod/power user to add location data (likely). So this adds a bit of extra manual labour on our side.

    I'll be curiously watching what you come up with. OzBargain Notify has been quite a neat app to use.

    • zzyss on 19/08/2015 - 22:19

      Appreciate the extensive comments!

      Right now, I absolutely guarantee you that we won't get it right first go. As you point out there will be a lot of cases where deals get listed that don't belong, but it's a gradual process and over time either we get better at working out some algorithmic way of dealing with this, or else users find the value in geotagging and the community itself converges around a solution (e.g. off the top of my head, adding a "local only" or similar tag to one-site-only deals…)

      Lastly, on your blog post you mentioned about using an app to simplify submitting deals. I noticed that the form handler accepts data via POST method: would there be any issue with me submitting directly to it, or will it only accept a referrer from the ozbargain.com.au domain as a security measure? (Like I think I know what I'm talking about… hahaha!)

      • neil on 19/08/2015 - 23:58

        Sounds good.

        I noticed that the form handler accepts data via POST method: would there be any issue with me submitting directly to it, or will it only accept a referrer from the ozbargain.com.au domain as a security measure?

        Not sure.

      • scotty on 20/08/2015 - 00:03

        POSTing directly won't work as it has a session-dependent form token / nonce that you need to submit as well, which require you to (1) scrap the form to get the form token (2) use the same session ID + the form token in the POST data.

  • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2015 - 03:04

    I didn't read all of the above - and what I did, I still know little of the coding effort required.

    However…

    A lot of supermarkets have free wifi. Many times I've been out and wondered if I'll be kicking myself when I get home, view the site, and see what I could have saved money on. So if I remember before I go out, I at least do a quick search in the Food & Grocery forum. The PDFs scans of receipts, on-screen barcodes, and shake-n-win type apps are some of the reasons I've just bought a smartphone.

    If entering data is a problem, there are other things already required when you post a bargain, that I'd be glad to do without, to have this app supported instead. e.g. When you post a competition, a link to Terms & conditions is required. If the current level of detail does not turn people off posting bargains, then I don't know why it would much more to put a few more clicks…

    e.g.

    If it's Australia-wide, that's one button - yes or no. If it's "yes", then the poster is already finished. If it's "no", then more buttons to click for which states it's avaiable: "QLD, VIC, NSW, etc." And if it's a few specific postcodes like the KFC shop dockets, then one field with 4-digit numbers, separated by a comma. e.g. 3000,3001,3002 and ENTER.

    If the deal location is more-complicated than what I'm forseeing, after requiring the first 2 clicks, and showing the postcode box, THEN give a: "Aw, I really couldn't be bothered" button (whatever it will be named).

    At the user end, each person sets the app on their phone to notify when a deal is within 1km, 2km, 3km, etc. Because for example: The supermarket in my area is about 15km away. I can leave my phone on using the home wifi, and there's free wifi in the supermarket. But inbetween those two locations few people have unlimited data. So we'd miss any bargains we drove past. Setting it to a 15km radius before I leave home, and bargains still currently available (obviously), means as I drive the app can use the GPS to pop up a notification as I approach Bunnings. If I tell it to remind me later, it notifies again on the way home.

    About most deals being online - ok, but a lot are click & collect too. So you visit a shopping area that has DSE. You keep forgetting to look up your inkjet model to buy ink while you're out. A $40 printer comes up on the app. You go to DSE, note it's going to be cheaper to get the new laser printer than it is to refill your clogging inkjet. You use the free shopping centre wifi to order, then walk up to the counter. (Yes, I know there's delays, but I'm simplifying. You still get to see the app notification, research a purchase in person while you're near DSE. Then come back later to pickup.)

    I've also done things in the past, like pricematch a Bunnings receipt someone posted here from say, WA. Printed it out, gone to my local Bunnings, and got things so cheap, that they've had to call the manager out - who walks away shaking his head after saying, "Just give it to him at that price."

    So an "Australia-wide" button folks have to click to enter the bargain, my phone updating the app at home, me then going out - would mean a Bunnings notification comes up in the app. I wait until I reach the supermarket, and via their free wifi, I go to the ozbargain page (if necessary), see what's on offer back at Bunnings… I download the PDF of someone's receipt. Show it at the Bunnings counter on the drive home.

    (If somehow Scotty misses out, then put an ad-click in the app - if that can be done - before you can view the bargain!? If it can be, it might make more revenue - not less.)

    As a new first-time user, I don't know much about Android. But I imagine there's a way to link out to some kind of scheduler in android!? So you could choose to tell it to remind you to visit Bunnings tomorrow… I don't know - just brainstorming a little.

    Maybe in the supermarket, you have both Coles & WW. The app might have buttons: "Groceries, Eat Out, Clothing, Homewares, etc." You click groceries. The app asks if you want all Coles & WW discounts… Kinds depends how far you want to take it, more than what we want - because everyone wants everything for nothing when someone else is doing the work. :-)

    • neil on 06/09/2015 - 11:27

      A lot of supermarkets have free wifi.

      Actually, that can be a sure fire trigger for showing store deals. Scan for wi-fi, if access point is Coles, show Coles deals, Target, Target deals etc. I know there are similar beacon technologies being applied in other apps.

      • [Deactivated] on 06/09/2015 - 23:54

        Hm… Maybe. But the supermarkets where I've seen free wifi, it's been provided centre-wide - by the centre.

        • neil on 07/09/2015 - 00:04

          I mean, the app doesn't actually have to connect to the wi-fi, just scan for wi-fi names. Lots of stores have internal wi-fi networks that you can't connect to but are visible to scanning. However, then you would need to build a list of wi-fi names to match to stores. May be easier to just use Googles location data.

    • zzyss on 07/09/2015 - 11:06

      Appreciate the feedback! That's a lot of stuff to go through, and some of it is probably a long way down the road if this even gets off the ground :-)

      I'd be interested to find out how many people prefer to be notified of nearby deals through the phone's notification system, vs. opening the app manually once you arrive at a destination (i.e. a shopping centre)? Another user commented that enabling GPS while the app is offline is a potential battery drain nightmare, and I'm inclined to agree. But if people want to be bugged about deals so that they don't miss out then it might be worth looking into how that could be done efficiently.

      • [Deactivated] on 07/09/2015 - 15:34

        I know little about smartphones, but learned the first day to turn off as much stuff as I could. I don't need to know how it works, but I don't see how notifications work without GPS on. Unless it works from entering the postcode. But then you need to keep changing your postcode manually to match your location.

        Then I see other problems, like I have a Bunnings nearby - but Masters is ~60km away. Limiting the radius means I don't see the Masters deals. But not limiting the radius means I get deals from all 10 WW/Coles inbetween.

        Not necessarily related to the above, and this is just a thought not a question. Is it possible to make an app turn itself/GPS on and off again, for a few seconds every 60/30/15 minutes? That would easily solve battery usage.

        Because I don't understand that side of it, having the option of one, or both, notifications and manually activated is desireable. But that could be because my understanding is lacking, and, it's not me doing the coding work is it. :-) If you don't need GPS to receive msgs, and there's no drawback to that (because I have a niggling feeling there is, I just don't know what it could be), then great.

        If I have time, I check the site before leaving home (mainly food/grocery deals). But turning an app on manually once I get to a shopping area is something I'd definitely do. Same as if a short trip turned into a long one - I'd check KFC/Dominos dockets, etc. Or you're in a new area, want something to eat, turn app on…

  • [Deactivated] on 07/09/2015 - 00:11

    Can I ask, where are the 'bunch of other ozbargain apps'?

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