More and more consumers are using platforms like Yelp and Foursquare to make purchasing decisions, whether it’s looking for the best Thai restaurant in the area or an amazing hair stylist. And like everything that becomes popular Facebook has announced their take on it.
Facebook Local is an updated version of the Events app that allows users to search for places nearby. Places that your Facebook friends have visited or reviewed will show in results, which can be viewed by categories, ratings, price and distance.
This update couldn’t come at a more opportune time with Yelp struggling with solicited reviews which are slowly starting to fill up the website. Having issued vendors warnings about such reviews, Yelp users may begin straying away from the platform with its potentially false content.
Local businesses could also potentially benefit from this app with local search becoming increasingly prevalent amongst consumers. It’s still unclear if there will be advertisements or if vendors may be charged costs for additional benefits, but if Facebook is following their usual model there will be some form of monetisation involved.
Will Facebook Local stand a chance against the giants or is this app set to fizzle?