Overview:
Foursqaure is a location-based app for mobile devices and tablets that allows users to check-in and leave reviews about the location where they currently are. The service was created in 2009 and, by the end of 2012, had more than 20 million registered users who were checking into locations millions of times per day.
Price:
Basic profiles for businesses and users are free. Business owners can also access vairous tools with their free profile. Foursquare also sells premium services and advertising on the platform.
Advantages:
Besides the obvious advantage of letting customers share with their friends when they are at a venue, Fourquare has variety of features that add extra fun to visiting a location. For example, the person who visits the venue the most becomes the Mayor, regular visitors can get badges, and more. Businesses can also set up specials that are available specifically for Foursqaure users. Foursquare also greatly reduces the risk of fake reviews, since all reviews must come from someone who is checked-in to the location.
Disadvantages:
Foursquare builds profiles for businesses based on user reviews and third-party data. So a business may be listed on Foursquare and the owners not be aware of it. Also, because customers may know a business by multiple names, their is a possiblility of there being duplicate listings for a venue.