If you haven’t seen it yet, Gowalla is a location-based iPhone app that allows you to check into spots & pick up or drop items that you collect. It’s recently become my second favorite iPhone app. I won’t go all into the details of the app here, but you can read my previous post comparing Gowalla and Foursquare.

Here are some tips or “best practices” that users can use to make Gowalla more enjoyable for everyone:

• When creating a new spot, it’s OK if you don’t spell it correctly, put it in the wrong correct category, or if the location is off a bit. Just log into the web site when you get home and make any corrections to the name of the spot, it’s category, and it’s location on the map. I know some people might try to mark new spots while driving by them. The GPS of your iPhone might not always be accurate. Editing the spot’s location will fix that easily.
• If the spot you’re creating is for a well known company or organization, don’t forget to spell it correctly. You can always go back & edit it if you didn’t.
• When selecting or correcting the category, make sure you select the category that best describes the spot. Each category will sometimes give other users that check into that spot a unique item that’s associated with the category.
• If check into a new spot that you haven’t checked into before, drop an item that’s not associated with the spot, if you have any items to drop.
• Once you go back to edit a spot that you’ve created, don’t forget to add an interesting description for the spot. If you don’t know of anything off the top of your head, see if the spot has a web site and see if there is any interesting info there. “Food” isn’t too interesting description for a grocery store. Pretty BORING if you ask me.
• If you are having problems, a great idea for something, or feedback, go to http://getsatisfaction.com/gowalla and say something. I have recently posted a few ideas on there. Like the Asian food should be split up into different sub-categories. Make places
  easier to identify. And there is no Caribbean food category. That was posted as an idea. Or maybe there is a spot that is spelled completely wrong and the creator can’t be gotten hold of, post a new topic with the info (get the URL of the spot from your web browser) and correct info and a Gowalla employee will fix it.
  
• Toll exits from highways and freeways don’t make good spots to check into. Driving while playing with Gowalla can be dangerous!
• If you have spare items, don’t forget to drop one off at spots you check into. Even swap out items at spots. Each spot can hold up to 10 items.
• If you need items, start checking into different spots.
• If you come across a spot that has been created, but not founded drop an item if you have any available.
• Not sure about what to categorize a spot, ask a fellow Gowalla user.
• Personally, I have a thing with privacy issues, so I wouldn’t recommend creating at spot for your house.

Some tips inspired from Gowalla:ProTips at bluwiki.com.

Web site – http://gowalla.com
Twitter – @gowalla

Look for updates to this post in the future!