HopStop, an online source of transit and walking directions, has added 20 new cities to its market and updated its search tools. Now people from 57 metropolitan areas world-wide — including Moscow, Winnipeg, Las Vegas, and Charlotte — have the option to search for one-way, round-trip and multi-stop options and to obtain city-to-city directions via available rail services (including Amtrak).
As part of its expansion, HopStop added a series of strategic partners including Hertz and Limos.com, enabling users to book hourly car rentals or a limousine. The newly social site encourages users to share plans with friends via Facebook and Twitter and, thanks to partnerships with Yelp, Groupon, and Zvents, the site can post highly targeted local information. “HopStop has a very passionate customer base, and we’re dedicated to providing a scalable platform that helps them easily get from point A to point B,” said CEO Joe Meyer in a statement. “Advertisers will also have more ways to connect with HopStop’s active, savvy users through highly geo-targeted ad campaigns that contain locally relevant messages and offers based on their specific travel plans and whereabouts.” This is a key component of the expansion and, according to The New York Times, HopStop will receive revenue from Hertz and Limos.com based on clicks and bookings. The partnerships with Yelp, Groupon, and Zvents have “no financial component,” but HopStop hopes that these features will make the site more attractive to advertisers. Advertising is HopStop’s primary source of revenue, and Meyer told The Times that the company has been profitable since early 2010.
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