PoiLabs is a tech start-up that provides location-based services such as indoor analytics, proximity marketing and indoor navigation. According to the latest Proxi Report, PoiLabs is amongst the top 15 out of 400 proximity indoor wayfinding solution providers around the world.
PoiLabs provides indoor navigation and proximity marketing solutions for the biggest retailers in Turkey. Poilabs technology not only enables indoor navigation but allows customers to withdraw cash with QR scanning (thanks to their custom-designed ibeacons) and helps people find their parking spot easily in the large venues.
We spoke with İlayda Çakar, Business Development Associate at PoiLabs, to learn more about their mission. “We also collaborate with museums to create customized audio museum tours in real time as the visitors move around the museum. Poilabs also offers indoor navigation for the visually impaired in large venues as part of our social impact mission. We partner with Wayfindr to improve indoor navigation for the visually impaired globally.”
What are the main pain points PoiLabs addresses and where can we typically expect to see it being used?
The main service areas would be anywhere that indoor navigation is needed. We offer customized location-based campaigns and customer behavior analysis mainly for the retail stores and shopping malls. We offer navigation services to detect the car park spots; which can be used anywhere where there is a parking lot. Also, as part of our social impact mission, we help the visually impaired community to navigate in any indoor venue independently with our technology.
How is PoiLabs designed to help the visually disabled?
Wayfinding is a challenge in large complex areas like malls, hospitals, museums and it’s much more challenging for the visually disabled. We have created indoor positioning service and provide audio navigation inside those venues. Visually disabled customers do not need additional devices, the system works from their smartphones. They can find out more about nearby stores/places and navigate to their selected places. During the navigation constant route information is provided.
What insights can PoiLabs provide to help businesses improve?
Customer data is perhaps the most essential element for a venue owner. According to McKinsey’s study advanced analytics can boost malls’ revenue by 20%. We collect the users’ indoor location data and provide insights to the venue owners of all scales. The data includes store performances, crowded places, frequency of visit, visitor’s route inside the venue, most searched stores and more. With these insights, venue owners can restructure their rents, redesign their campaigns and rethink about existing shop-mix.
Why is indoor navigation particularly relevant in the time of Covid-19?
Customer behavior is deeply affected with the Covid-19 process. Today people do not want to spend time in indoor places like malls and they want to get what they need as soon as possible. With the help of indoor navigation, users can find the stores in a venue easily without having to contact anyone.
How could PoiLabs be used in malls and venues during the outbreak?
PoiLabs helps users to easily navigate inside large venues which would decrease the spread of Covid-19 virus. We also provide insights about customers’ behavior during the pandemic and help venues to understand the new needs and act quickly.