Last week I was asked if I would be into testing out a new Miller website, itsmillertimeuk.com Basically what Miller have done is come up with a hub that intergrates with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, allowing the user to pre-check into venues on their site and then invite their friends for a pint. Basically it’s an online way of getting your mates together in a pub.
When you first log into the site, you are given the opportunity to login in with Facebook and also Foursquare and Twitter. Once you choose Dublin as your city, you are given a map with some circles. These circles indicate how many locations are within that area. When you zoom in and click on a particular venue, the hub gives you an option to check in, and tell your friends where you’re going that night.
When you do check in and invite your friends, you do this through Facebook, clicking on their profile pictures as with any invite for Facebook. It also gives you the option of emailing your friends with a note saying where you’re off to that night. I didn’t like this, I’ve already given some Facebook details and passwords to use the hub. The last thing I then want to hand over is the password to my email account thanks.
Locations, other than what’s already on the map can be added through Foursquare. Also venues can add their Facebook page link to the location page on the Miller hub.
When I first checked in to the website, there were a few comments I had, I told the guys at Miller these and they actually took notice and the things changed. They were just little techy things. When I tried to invite friends to a pub through Facebook, the page was hanging and didn’t move on, they fixed it. There was a link that when clicked left the website entirely instead of opening a new page, they fixed it.
As it stands it’s ok. As I mentioned to the Miller team, it really does need smartphone apps to take off, which they told me were on the way. At the moment it’s a little restricting because it’s only a desktop application. When the mobile apps are launched, this should work a lot better and be a lot more interactive as you should be able to see where you’re friends are going, where they are now and what venue most people are going to on that particular night, while you’re out and about
I think the biggest thing that the Miller site needs to do is show why you need to use their site rather than using Facebook places or Foursquare and that will depend on how many people actually decide to use it.
To be totally transparent, the Miller Team have compensated me for my time.
