Facebook Launches Local-Services Site
Facebook Inc. is joining an increasingly crowded market for local services.
The move pits Facebook against Yelp Inc. and Angie’s List Inc., as well as tech giants Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and LinkedIn Corp., and startups including Thumbtack Inc. and Pro.com.
The social network quietly launched a new site that connects users with “local businesses and organizations with the best Facebook reviews and ratings.” Facebook’s portal includes a broad range of businesses, akin to Yelp, including auto dealers, accountants and psychics.
Each listing comes with a star rating, based on Facebook users’ reviews, as well as the number of reviews. Listings also include a short description, hours of operation, phone number and address.
“We’re in the early stages of testing a way for people to easily find more pages for the services they’re interested in,” a Facebook spokesman said.
Facebook’s efforts dovetail with its campaign this year to persuade small businesses to beef up their Facebook pages.