The new Whatser application allows for overall better interaction between friends and fellow app users. Users can follow what friends are doing through an activity stream, provide suggestions and reviews, and upload photos.

“Users can now see what’s happening within their city in real time,” said Michiel Verberg, cofounder at Whatser, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Better with friends
The idea behind the upgraded Whatser application is that users want to better connect with individuals in the same city, and people they actually know. By assuming that friends like the same places, users can discover new places to eat, shop or hang out where they live.

With the new version, users add favorite locations to their collections, upload photos either within the application or from a smartphone’s existing photo library, make suggestions and write reviews. When friends start to follow each other, the other user’s updates show up in an activity stream, which is updated in real time.

“With Whatser, users are always in the know about their city and they can share and discover places throughout the city with their friends,” Mr. Verberg said.

The scoop on advertising
There is no price on placement, as far as how well a location ranks among Whatser users. Advertisers cannot pay premium rates to ensure higher placement in activity streams.

However, brands can reach out to Whatser and add tags to the locations where their brand is available. To find a specific brand, users search for these brands and the results that appear will be suggestions from friends that recommend nearby places that happen to carry that particular brand.

“In the next few weeks, Whatser will roll out a marketing portal for local merchants, brands and publishers to connect with consumers by providing contextual coupons, promotions and updates,” Mr. Verberg said. “Companies will be able to use the Whatser platform to create mobile communities, improve findability and extend their brands on mobile.

“They can increase their findability, reach out to new potential customers, improve their overall appearance and receive advanced analytics that can be used to improve overall customer satisfaction, ultimately leading to more suggestions,” he said.

Final take
Watch this video to learn how Whatser works

Whatser – New Design from Whatser on Vimeo.