Foursquare debuts venue pages to share with non-members
The check-in social network adds yet another feature that puts it in competition with recommendation sites such as Yelp.
Foursquare launched its shareable mobile venue pages for non-members today, as it continues down the path of becoming less of a social network and more of a recommendation search engine -- a la Yelp.
"Foursquare has tons of helpful information about places, like photos, menu items, and great tips from insiders and local experts," the company wrote in a blog post today. "When you Tweet, post to Facebook, email or text about a place with friends who don't have Foursquare on their phones, they'll be linked to a shiny new page showing all the most important info about it."
The shareable venue pages highlight user tips and photos; they also have essential information like the address and hours of the store, restaurant, park, or other spot. To share a page with friends -- including non-Foursquare members -- users just tap the "share" button while in the social network's mobile app.
Foursquare has been continuing to morph from a check-in social network to a more comprehensive location search engine -- putting it in direct competition with other recommendation and rating services, such as Yelp.
In November, the company launched its 10-point scoring system for local business and in October it launched its new Web site, which is open to nonmembers and has a prominent search box. The company has also been in the process of adding more specific information to its listings, like when a place is open and prices.