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Redbeacon Leverages Power of Social Networks with New Friendly Advice Feature


WEBWIRE

“Feature utilizes Facebook friends to get advice on choosing local services”

SAN MATEO, Calif.-March 10, 2010—Redbeacon, the 2009 TechCrunch50 winner, today announces the launch of its new Friendly Advice feature which will allow users to ask their Facebook friends for advice on which service professional to select for their job. With the launch of this feature, Redbeacon makes it easier than ever to utilize the opinions of friends and family members when choosing between local service professionals.

When users request local services, such as personal trainers, photographers, or handymen through Redbeacon, they are presented with a number of proposals from local businesses and freelancers, along with proposed appointment times for each. In order to make the selection process easier, Redbeacon users are now presented with the option to notify their friends on Facebook to give them advice on which service professional to use. Friends can vote whether they like or dislike an offer, and leave comments explaining why. Furthermore, for each service professional under consideration, Redbeacon indicates which professional associations and community groups endorse them, and shows ratings and reviews from many popular services, such as Yelp, Google, and Yahoo.

Combining the popularity of social networking with the usefulness of getting advice from trusted friends, the Friendly Advice makes booking local services a fun and interactive experience.

"The really exciting thing about our launch of Friendly Advice today is it brings Redbeacon into the social sphere. It’s no longer enough to simply show static information about a business, or ratings and reviews from complete strangers. People want to see opinions of those they know and trust, and we’re the first website to enable customers to invite their social network to help them choose the best professional to handle their local service need,” says Redbeacon co-founder Ethan Anderson.

The launch of Friendly Advice also marks a response to the general trend of using social media to gain advice from friends and family in all aspects of life. According to a recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 51 percent of questions posted to social networks are soliciting recommendations or opinions. This is just another indicator that social networks are increasingly becoming a key place to share advice and opinions.

Since its launch in October 2009, Redbeacon has offered a new way to find local services by showing users price quotes from service businesses and professionals in their area, and allowing them to book their appointments online.

“Our mission at Redbeacon is to help consumers find the best possible service professionals to handle their local service needs. Our announcement today moves us one step closer to our goal of providing customers with all of the information they need to make the right choice every time,” says Anderson.

About Redbeacon:
Redbeacon is a revolutionary new approach to finding local services through the Internet. At www.redbeacon.com, consumers request everyday services and receive price quotes from qualified local service professionals. After comparing price quotes, business profiles, credentials, ratings and reviews, consumers schedule appointments online with the service professional they like best. The product was created by three seasoned Internet veterans from Google, Ethan Anderson, Yaron Binur and Aaron Lee, who saw the need to improve online local search. Redbeacon launched at the prestigious TechCrunch50 Conference, where it took the top prize. Redbeacon opened its doors to consumers to request services in the Bay Area on October 14, 2009.



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