A SOCIAL media app designed to help visitors explore a location before they arrive could help boost footfall to Teesdale and help tourism.
Jockey-turned-tech-wizard Andrew Bartlett, from Ovington, spent five years developing his Roam app, before launching it last year.
The app has won awards from business groups which recognised the benefits it can provide to independent shops.
Mr Bartlett says it gives them an online presence where customers use a virtual “word of mouth” experience to promote their favourite places.
Mr Bartlett, 24, said: “When I was racing I spent a lot of time in towns and cities across the UK and found that once I was at my hotel I didn’t know where the best places were.”
It was after securing a job with equestrian legend Harvey Smith that he found himself at a remote property near Leeds and used his time mapping out his idea for Roam, teaching himself complex coding language to create websites.
He added: “I’m of a generation that everything is online, but I also have great experiences going to high streets in towns and it made sense to me to create a platform which helps build an online community that promotes local businesses on a massive level.” One of the app’s taglines is “become a local in every location” and encourages individual users to share their favourite locations, clubs, cafes and pubs.
Mr Bartlett added: “It is social media but it is about building an online community from an existing one.”
Businesses can “claim” their venue and customers and residents can help promote them on the app, helping visitors get a local perspective of a town before they have
arrived.
Businesses can build up a following, send out regular newsletters, give updates and notify customers of special events as well as offer loyalty rewards.
He said: “There is strength in numbers and making your customer your biggest advocate will help and I think now, in a post-Covid-19 world this is really important for a lot of small businesses.
“For myself growing up in the online era when it's so easy to buy things online through the likes of Amazon, I wanted to make something that local businesses can benefit from.
“I think Covid-19 has been a real learning curve for many businesses and in the post lockdown world, Roam will help encourage loyalty, increase footfall and shine a spotlight on some of the great local businesses that need as much help as possible at the moment.”
He added individuals can share recommendations, offer suggestions of where to go to eat, drink as well as finding the best gym to use.
Mr Bartlett added: “Businesses can also sell using the app and create a delivery service similar to Just Eat, but unlike them we don’t charge for this.
“It’s all about sharing experiences and building a community to find out where to go and what to do directly from locals.”
To find out more about the Roam app visit www.roam-everywhere.com
