Lauded for its innovation, criticised for its price tag and universally regarded as the technological machine’s latest and most evident gimmick, Apple’s new smart watch has been launched to mix reviews in its opening week. Whilst the actual usefulness of the device can be questioned, what cannot be is that people will buy them, and they will pave the way for new innovations in a brand new niche.

What makes the Apple Watches so intriguing are that they are the first breakthrough device of this kind, and whilst previous incarnations of ‘smart watches’ should not be disregarded ,it is undeniable that Apple will be the one who exposes the idea to the global market.

The reality that people will start using these innovative watches in their day-to-day living has created huge opportunities for businesses who market locally. The primary reason behind this actuality is that on-the-go consumers will now possess a smart-device which is in their visual periphery at all times, and as such marketers can now enjoy superior levels of geo-targeting that have a greater chance of reaching their audience.

One key trend that will likely occur is that the quantity of hyper-local searches will rise substantially, which will make it of paramount importance for marketing businesses to make sure that they are easily accessed and located by on-the-move consumers.

Moreover, Apple have identified that their new WatchKit tool set will enable developers to “”be able to easily create experiences designed specifically for Apple Watch”, creating an entirely new landscape and potentiality for businesses to market themselves and their product/service. Consider the hypothetical situation that companies feel compelled to have watch-specific campaigns; this could revolutionise the landscape of marketing and give them a new platform to interact with companies and attain high rankings in this area.

Apple watch holders will receive a multitude of benefits from their purchases, and will attain access to the Digital Crown, a complex and improved incarnation of the old watch knob which will enable them to zoom, navigate and use Siri. They will also be able to obtain a linear actuator that provides tactile feedback on different areas.

“Whenever you receive an alert or notification, or perform a function like turning the Digital Crown or pressing down on the display, you feel a tactile sensation that’s recognizably different for each kind of interaction,” the Apple Watch website says.

“Combined with subtle audio cues from the specially engineered speaker driver, the Taptic Engine creates a discreet, sophisticated, and nuanced experience by engaging more of your senses.”

Apple’s Vice President of Technology Kevin Lynch has outlined that the new feedback facility will enable apple watch users to search for different geographic areas through aural dictation and will be provided with reviews and directions to different businesses within a region.

Clearly, the importance for companies to ascend ahead of their potential customers is evident and Lisa Raehsler, the principal strategist at web-based marketing company Big Clock Co, has compounded on this notion, deliberating:

“With the small screen and portability a key feature, we can expect searches to be hyper-local in that users will be looking for business locations very close to them in a small radius of miles or even blocks. This will make it critical for businesses to have a complete profile on Google Maps via set up through the new Google My Business. Taking advantage of opportunities for digital coupons and offers that users can redeem when they are physically nearby will give those businesses a competitive edge in search.”

An early estimate by analysis organisation Canalys has forecasted that the Apply Watch will comprise the lion-share of wearable devices exported worldwide next year, illustrating just how important maximising their reach and their presence on these new devices is for businesses who want to attain maximum return on investment.