After just a few weeks of work,
Roadtrippers is one of the first Cincinnati startups with an app for the Apple Watch.
The startup's engineering wizards developed a fully functioning app to supplement their roadtrip planning tools for web, iOS and Android. The app operates independently of the mobile app and was
officially released last week.
After
unveiling their mobile app last Thanksgiving, Roadtripper's primary focus has been to expand their network of visit-worthy places. Currently, users have access to over three million points of interest, but the company has directed their resources toward gathering additional data to augment the user experience.
The result? Even more options for Watch wearers on the road.
"We have built up a crazy taxonomy of categories," says Natalie Akers, chief of staff for Roadtrippers. "We're more than just food and drink now. We want to add context to where you are."
The Apple Watch app features the Roadtrippers Concierge as the home screen, immediately offering a number of suggestions based on location as well as the time of day. For example, if a user opens the app on the Watch in the morning, Roadtrippers will offer the user a hand-curated list of options for breakfast or a morning walk based on existing user ratings. The app will then redirect you to your desired navigation tool (Apple Maps, Google Maps) to make sure you find your way.
"Roadtrippers is headed toward a presentation that is intrinsically linked to you as a person," Akers says. "The Apple Watch is bringing us closer to that."
Roadtrippers timed the release of the Apple Watch app to both highlight the Over-the-Rhine company's growth and development and demonstrate that Roadtrippers is keeping up with tech trends.
"This is also a low key way to remind our consumers that our app is awesome," Akers says.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.