There’s nothing easy about keeping a successful business up and running. Regardless of what industry you’re in, the marketplace is crowded with tons of competition. That’s why it’s so important to learn how to stand out.
Yelp is a tool that has become increasingly powerful in recent years. This online review database gives customers a way to offer direct input regarding their experience with a particular product or service that they want to share.
This article takes a look at how to get more Yelp reviews so that you can make the most of word-of-mouth advertising. Keep reading to discover the insider tips you’ve been looking for.
1. Create a Quality Yelp Profile
The first step is to take the time to create a great Yelp profile for your business. This is not something that you want to skim on. After all, this is your tool for enabling potential customers to find you as easily as possible.
In other words, your Yelp profile is the face of your company when people are searching for a place to eat or for some other particular service they need.
Keep in mind that this process doesn’t have to be tedious or expensive. The key is to use quality images and create a description provides the optimal amount of information for promoting what you have to offer.
“Free Tools” is a package of features on Yelp that you can utilize to set up your account that’s totally free of charge. It will allow you to upload photos and information about your business, converse with customers, and study business analytics regarding your customer reviews.
2. Educate Yourself About Yelp’s Advanced Features
Yelp has plenty of other features that will help you to attract potential customers. Thus the more you can educate yourself about how to navigate and utilize, the more power you will have for increasing traffic to your business.
For example, you can create prepaid vouchers, offer Yelp Deals, or even collect payments from customers. Just keep in mind that Yelp will take a small percentage of any sale for any advertising that they provide within the app.
3. Offer the Best Product or Service Possible
This one might sound a tad obvious, and yet it’s actually the key to operating a successful business and taking your profitability to the next level.
Simply put, the best way to maximize positive Yelp reviews is to offer the best possible products or services.
After all, it’s no secret that word of mouth is the single most powerful form of advertising. People get excited when they discover something they love, and then they will enthusiastically spread the word amount their family and friends.
When people have either a good experience or bad experience, they want to talk about it. Yelp has created the ideal tool for customers to share this type of information so that other people will know the businesses to support as well as the ones the should avoid.
4. Encourage Your Customers to Leave Yelp Reviews
Whenever you interact with your customers, never hesitate to encourage them to leave a positive review on Yelp. This is especially important when they tell you how much they love your product or service.
There’s no need to be pushy, but a friendly request to rate your business online is perfectly acceptable. Many businesses simply add a note on receipts, on their menus, with a sign on the wall, or by having the hostess or cashier mention leaving a review as the customer is being seated or completing a transaction.
This in-person interaction can have a huge impact on the number of Yelp reviews you receive, especially when you consider the fact that you’ll likely have hundreds of people passing through your place of business every day of the week.
5. Hire a Digital Marketing Agency
In recent years, more and more business owners have begun to understand the power of online search and social media for reaching new customers.
The key to maximizing your online advertising budget is to hire a digital marketing agency with the skills and expertise needed to reach your target audience.
They will use SEO to take full advantage of the power of search so that your business will rank as high as possible when a customer is looking for a particular type of product or service.
Social media marketing is literally one of the most powerful advertising tools ever created, and a digital marketing agency will understand how to harness that power and use it to your advantage.
6. Engage with Customers Online
Yelp also enables you to engage with customers online. Thus you are able to build relationships and friendships with faithful customers, and even get to know people who have yet to visit your business but plan to in the future.
Online interaction is a powerful tool that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Plus, it’s fun and gives you the chance to share upcoming events and to enjoy hearing about your customers’ positive experiences.
7. Never Pay for Reviews
You might be tempted to pay for positive reviews, but this is a really bad idea. It might seem like a quick and easy way to build the number of glowing reviews for your business, and yet Yelp readers can easily tell when something doesn’t smell right, thus this tactic often produces unfavorable results.
A Guide for How to Get More Yelp Reviews
Advertising is a tricky business. Fortunately, these tips for how to get more Yelp reviews will help grow your business organically.
Don’t forget to request your free marketing audit today!