Thursday, January 26, 2012

Foursquare’s Revamped Website Could Challenge Yelp

http://mashable.com/2011/11/15/foursquares-revamped-website-could-challenge-y...

Foursquare announced it roll out a redesigned website on Tuesday that could challenge local review sites such as Yelp, Urbanspoon and Zagat.

The company’s website has historically followed the functions and layout of its checkin-service mobile apps, but now will feature its own discovery features.

“As Foursquare has evolved, the focus has turned from simply ‘checking in’ to sharing our experiences and expertise, unlocking rewards and deals, and exploring the world around us,” reads a post on Foursquare’s blogannouncing the changes. “And, though we spend a lot of time improving the app for your phone, we know that sometimes the best place to do those things is when you’re visiting the website from your computer.”

Foursquare’s new website will feature a large map customized to show users nearby friends, places that are trending, places that are popular and places on their lists. The map will be accompanied by a list of recommendations for where to go at the moment.

“Load it up at 11:30 and we’ll start suggesting great lunch spots nearby, and in the early evening we’ll switch to places for dinner,” Foursquare’s blog post explains. “On Saturday afternoon, we’ll show you some great weekend activities.”

In addition, Foursquare added a list search feature, Foursquare places pages got a “total facelift,” and the entire site introduces “an entirely new visual language.”

While the site hasn’t rolled out yet, from what we can tell the redesign makes Foursquare’s website a good place to search and browse for local businesses — something its check-in focused predecessor cold not boast. Yelp became more like Foursquare by adding check-ins last November. Now it looks like it’s Foursquare’s turn to become a little bit more like Yelp.

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