Go Forth Stirling have unveiled a brand new app called IN Stirling. This aims to consolidate all the different businesses, events, and venues across the city.
It allows Stirling goers one singular platform to find information to help plan their days out, evening plans, or any other excursions.
While IN Stirling is designed for customers, it also offers businesses a streamlined platform to advertise their cafes, restaurants, charities and much more. Businesses are able to update their profile with changing information about seasonal offers.
The app was announced during BBC Radio 2 in the Park at the end of September and so far has been successful.
Adam Binnie, the co-founder of Stirling restaurant Fletcher’s finds the app a great way to showcase his businesses. “It’s early days, but we’re finding it’s really helping us promote what we do to people who live and work in Stirling and really streamline our messaging to a more targeted audience.
“It’s a fantastic resource for Stirling’s business community and it’s very easy to use and add offers, photos and information to.”
Binnie urges customers and businesses alike to download the app: “The more people who use it the better it will be.”
Go Forth Stirling’s hope for IN Stirling is that it will offer the city a digital platform to call home; a space that people can trust and rely on for information about their areas. Danielle McRorie-Smith, the Project Director for Go Forth, said: “Our ambition is for IN Stirling to become the first App people open when they’re planning a visit, looking for something to do or searching for a local business.
“…for residents and visitors, it means having everything going on in Stirling available in the palm of their hand.”
Go Forth are also planning to introduce a Stirling Gift Card feature in an attempt to encourage people to shop in local businesses and improve Stirling’s economy. You will be able to buy a digital gift card and spend it in any of the participating businesses.
This will be launched later in the year, and business owners are being contacted about this now.
Brig tried out the app to see what it was like.
When you first download the app it asks if it can use your location always, when using the app, or never. It then asks you to either make an account or sign in, with a photo of the iconic Athenaeum glowing in the background (below left).
It then asks you to select what kind of things you are interested in from a list to attempt to personalise your app (above right).
The hub home page offers a suggestion based on the weather in your area at the top of the screen, before getting into announcements and notifications and then the day’s events, local tours and guides, nearby offers, and the day’s news from The Courier (below). Events and offers both have their own sections outwith the hub for more information.
There is also a directory page where you can search for specific businesses, or browse different places with or without the refining filters which include transport, entertainment, and food and drink (below).
When you choose a location it shows you a selection of photos, tells you how far away it is, the address, opening hours, an overview of the business, and offers directions (above).
So, if you love a good discount, want to explore more of Stirling but don’t know where to start, or just want to keep up to date – this might be the app for you!
Image Credit: @instirling.app on Instagram.
Student journalist and Secretary for Brig Newspaper
