This is a very small and simple suggestion but I've thought it would be quite good for the low level players still advancing through the story and perhaps even more interesting once the once more gyms/raids are implemented.
In every Gym in Kanto, there are two Pillars at the entrance which display the victors of the Gym. It always shows your rival and then also displays your name once you have completed the Gym.
Now here's my suggestion; wouldn't it be interesting to be able to read the plaques and have it display which of your friends have completed that Gym? It would be cool to see how far your fellow players have advanced and this will be especially good when the Raids/Dungeons are implemented in the far future as it will be able to tell you who has completed that area! It's a very minor suggestion, but I think it would at least add SOME use to those pillars.