MyTown is currently the most popular of the location-based services that allows customers to check-in at your business using a mobile device. It provides you with limited information about your customers and offers an advertising opportunity.

• Before You Start: You have a business that relies on walk-in business.
• Learning Level: 2 | Getting Started
• Article Last Updated:  Sunday, December 4, 2011

MyTown Basics

MyTown is the newest and now the largest service that combines social networking and location-based services. Less than a year old, MyTown has surged to have over 1,000,000 users, putting it ahead of Foursquare and Gowalla.

MyTown is different from the other location-based services because of it’s game emphasis. While the other services have a game aspect, MyTown was developed as an augmented reality game, a game that attempts to blur the line between reality and the virtual world. MyTown is developed by the same team behind the popular online game, World of Warcraft, and turns your city into a virtual Monopoly game.

MyTown allows iPhone users to check-in when they arrive at your business. Customers can “buy” your business, upgrade the property, and collect rents from other customers based on the Monopoly game metaphor.

Your Business Details And Activity

You need a free MyTown account and an iPhone to access information about the check-ins at your business. Of the location-based services reviewed so far, MyTown offers the least amount of information and support for business owners. The most valuable information here are the check-ins that show you the number of people who have checked in at your business and the names of these users. These are their game names, and usually are not their real life names, making this information less helpful to you than the other similar services.

If your business isn’t listed in MyTown, you need a free account to add it. If you want to check-in at your business and it isn’t listed, you can add it. The new business form is simple and  collects basic location information. When someone adds your business to the game, MyTown links to Citysearch to provide your business address, phone number, link to a map, and access to reviews about your business.

As a business owner, you can participate in promotions to bring more MyTown customers to your business. Contact Booyah, the company behind MyTown, by email: merchants at booyah dot com.

Your turn: Have you been monitoring customer check-ins at your business through MyTown? Have you used their promotion service? Share your experience.

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