Local businesses must understand just how much consumers depend on reviews! 8 out of 10 consumers look at reviews when looking for a local business, and in general people look at 3–10 different sites before making a buying decision. Consumers want and need social proof.
Yelp’s John Carroll explores this topic and more in his keynote at Rocks Digital 2017. Here’s the highlights of his presentation.
How to Make the Most of Yelp for a Business
Consumers look at a brand’s website with skepticism because you can say whatever you want about your business. When they look at review sites and look for social proof they want to know this – “How well do you fulfill the brand promises that you’ve made?”
It’s important to remember that Yelp is a community, not just a review platform. A typical Yelper is over 35, college educated and makes over $100,000 a year.
82% of people who use Yelp intend to buy and 93% of those purchase within a week.
So, How Does a Business Make the Most of Yelp?
- Find and Claim your business on Yelp.
- Be sure to respond to people who write reviews. It really does make a difference. A public response doesn’t just address the person who wrote the review, it speaks to everyone who reads the review in the future.
- Integrate Yelp into your business.
- Do not ask for or solicit reviews.
- Focus on great customer service. Yelp is word-of-mouth online
- Be sure to complete your listing.
Remember, people want to see how you shine through adversity, not just how you handle things when it’s all going well. Harness the power of the Yelp community and make your business shine.
