Social networking giant, Facebook, has launched local business search service for every user. The Yelp-like feature is already available to everyone and allows one to find local businesses.
About Facebook’s Yelp-like Feature
With this feature, Facebook brings a direct competition with similar services from Yelp and Angie’s List. The feature helps users to find local businesses based on customer reviews. Users can search by firm and location for professional services. The webpage for the new feature reads as ‘Find local businesses with the best Facebook reviews and ratings’ can be accessed at www.facebook.com/services.
Yelp and Angie’s List are known for offering similar services by allowing users to find and rate a variety of businesses.
Need for this feature
As many small businesses use Facebook as their primary web presence, a Yelp-like feature makes a lot of sense. Though Facebook has not made a public announcement of the feature but it is live and can be accessed. The service is operational on the social networking website and is available globally. It can also be accessed even without a Facebook account.
Highlight Area Service Providers
Facebook allows businesses to create pages and a section in those pages allows users to post and read reviews. The page seems to highlight area service providers such as spas, automotive services, pet services and many more featured as thumbnail images above the directory of professional services. Facebook lists more than 80 business types linked in this directly and more are also available via the search box. You can search for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, hotels, tours or sightseeing. In short, it includes all nearby businesses related to your search that has a Facebook page.
Using Yelp-like feature
On performing a search, you will get business information from Facebook Pages including details such as description, phone number, locations, ratings, reviews and more. The search results page also shows where the businesses are located on a map. Facebook Services site is not only limited to US but users in Asia, Europe and elsewhere can also make use of it.
Do you find this Yelp-like feature of Facebook useful? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
