MetroMela is a city based listing service and is currently available in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mysore, Vizag and Cochin.
What’s different about MetroMela?
The city-based service space is already crowded with too many players and MetroMela is attempting to find a niche by targeting few verticals.
As per Barkha Shah, co-founder of MetroMela:
MetroMela is primarily about helping users find information, share reviews and get deals. The information that MetroMela provides is across three sections – Shopping, Food & Entertainment, Health & Wellness and Family & Kids. So what we typically do is give out vendor listings (unlike Yellow Pages we list out selected vendors that we think would cater to the needs of our target audience) and write reviews on those vendors.
Users of the site can also suggest vendors, notify MetroMela about neighbourhood deals and share their own experience. MetroMela has a strong founding team (Sateesh Andra, serial entrepreneur and Venture Partner @ DFJ) and is planning to expand to other cities across the country.
MetroMela plans to monetize by charging businesses for listings (sponsored link section on the right side) and is also offering users incentives (i.e. reward points) to participate.
In my opinion,the idea seems to be interesting – vertical/niche services have a higher probability of success (look at burrp), and I am a strong believer in content cleanup (and showing relevant content to site visitors). But at the same time, I expect the site to not rely on UGC and instead hunt for city deals on it’s own.
What I like about MetroMela is it’s focus towards a few specific areas (which actually constitutes approx 80% of your city specific needs). Having said that, the site in it’s current avatar seems to be just scratching the surface (and doesn’t have very relevant content for Bangalore)
Only time will tell how MetroMela fares in the crowded market. What’s your take?
tags: metromela
Hi Ashish
What do you mean by UGC?
UGC > User Generated Content
Normally referring to content which are dynamically published by the users on the site.
One good thing about the site, as you mentioned, is limited content. This will allow them to remain updated and keep track about the content. But there was hardly anything in Pune, that I could not find elsewhere or by simple googline.
No exclusive information.
Yes Raseel! And that’s why I also mentioned “the site in it’s current avatar seems to be just scratching the surface (and doesn’t have very relevant content for Bangalore)” – The intent is good, but it all depends on the execution
Look at our guides section under “our views” for cities. You will find lot of interesting and original articles such as activity clubs in pune. This is a section where we publish guides for doing interesting stuff in the city.
Site looks good..Content is limited and very relevent..not bombarded with too many altoo faltoo listing… especially in Bangalore.
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