Facebook Inc. continues on its quest to be the only app (or suite of apps) that you will ever need, and today the social media giant announced a new feature called Facebook Recommendations, which may have apps like Yelp and Foursquare worried about their futures.

Facebook Recommendations adds a number of new features to the Facebook app that are aimed at not only making it easier for users to find new restaurants and shops, but also for them to interact directly with those businesses through Facebook. This includes the ability to order food, schedule appointments, get price quotes and more. Facebook has said that it will also be revamping the Events tab to tag advantage of these new features and make it easier for users to find upcoming events that their friends are interested in attending.

Like most new features, Facebook Recommendations is not available to everyone just yet. The company says that many of the new features are rolling out across the US today, with the new Event tab arriving in the coming weeks. Facebook has not said when these features will be available outside of the US.

What’s new?

According to Facebook, many people turn to social media when they are looking for suggestions on new restaurants, a good hair stylist, a trustworthy auto shop and so on. Facebook Recommendations has added a more formalized way for friends and family to weigh in on their favorite businesses. To use this new feature, simply enable it on your Facebook post, either on the mobile app or at facebook.com/recommendations. You will be able to limit the recommendations to a certain geographic area, and your friend’s suggestions will automatically be added to your own personalized map.

The new update is also adding a number of ways for users to interact directly with businesses, including the ability to order food from restaurants right on their Facebook page. Facebook says that any restaurant that supports online ordering through Delivery.com or Slice will have a new “Start Order” button on their Facebook page.

For businesses that require an appointment, such as a spa or hair salons, users will can now view their full list of services on Facebook and schedule their visit. The business can then respond through Facebook Messenger to confirm or adjust the appointment. If a business’s prices vary, users can also now request a price quote through their Facebook page.

Finally, Facebook is also adding the ability to purchase tickets to a wide range of events thanks to its partnerships with Fandango, Eventbrite and Ticketmaster. With the upcoming revamp of Facebook’s Events page, users will soon be able to buy tickets to movies, concerts and more through Facebook.

Doing business on Facebook

While these new features are certainly handy for users, they could also have a big impact on businesses, especially smaller local companies who rely on word of mouth for customers. Apps like Yelp and Foursquare already offer some of the same benefits, but with a built in user base of around a quarter of the world’s population (no really), Facebook has a clear head start.

Facebook Recommendations also offers a number of useful features that companies would either need to develop themselves or purchase from a vendor, and something as simple as being able to schedule appointments and follow up with customers is a huge advantage over the less tech savvy Mom and Pop businesses. After all, who wants to call to make an appointment anymore?

Image courtesy of Facebook Inc.