A well-known mapping system could help drive more business to local retailers hoping to increase foot traffic.
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Waze Local, a new local feature built into the mobile mapping system owned by Google, allows small businesses and retailers to purchase advertising that will show up on the maps as a branded pin, encouraging drivers to stop in at the physical locations on their way to or from a destination.
With Waze Local, business owners will also be able to promote listings in the search results section of the app and can purchase banner ads that show up at the top of a users mobile screen, TechCrunch reports.
Waze Local is still being beta-tested but if things work as planned it could help brick-and-mortar retailers increase business by 20%. One tea company involved in the testing process, called Kung Fu Tea, received an additional 5,500 customers over a period of three months thanks to users noticing the tea company's branded pin on the app, according to TechCrunch.
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