Yelp is simply an online directory of local businesses which features customer reviews. It is the largest and most popular consumer-based review website, with over 67 millions reviews in its repository and 139 million unique visitors in the third quarter of 2013.<\/p>\n
If you are completely web-based, Yelp may not be for you. Otherwise, if you are a local company who does business in a building, and receives customers, then you can benefit from using Yelp. You can:<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 instill confidence in potential customers by having positive reviews, thereby converting them into actual customers<\/p>\n
2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 increase your search engine ranking in Google by having a profile on Yelp with positive reviews<\/p>\n
In this new age of the internet, it is now expected when one searches for something that one gets all possible relevant and needed information, including reliable reviews, location, hours, phone numbers, product information, stock, etc.<\/p>\n
Google has taken note of this and has incorporated data from Yelp and other local directories in its Pigeon algorithm update. Therefore it behooves one to establish their business in Yelp so that they can rank well on local Google results, which typically take up the top half of the results page. If you don\u2019t, you will literally be pushed down and on to the second or third page of rankings.<\/p>\n
The remedy for this is simple. Search for your business on Yelp (it should already be there), \u2018claim it\u2019, complete your profile and encourage your customers to leave feedback.<\/p>\n
1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Despite the perception of most, Yelp is not only for restaurants
\n2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Customer Service Appears to Have the Strongest Effect on Reviews
\n3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Every Star in a Review Leads to a 5-9% Jump in Revenues
\n4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yelp Tends to Favor Independent Businesses Over Chains
\n5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Business Owners Can Dispute Reviews on Yelp<\/p>\n