We all like to be complimented for a job well done. It not only feels good, it also helps spur us on to continue performing. Best of all, compliments from satisfied customers are some of the best advertisements a business can hope for. What better way to let the world know how well the company is doing than by publicizing good compliments on our company website?
Testimonials about your company are good, yes, but when you really think about it, what company in their right mind would publish a negative comment on their company website? When you read other website testimonials, do you wonder if you’re only getting half of the story? This is where Yelp.com comes in – to help people find compliments and testimonials about businesses that they can trust.
What Yelp.com is: A website where people can review any business under the sun, be it their doctor, their favorite coffee shop, or the local dry cleaner. Apart from that, however, Yelp is also a social network where individuals can meet, exchange messages, and even compare reviews. Yelp originally gained popularity because it was a great source of restaurant reviews – today, it’s popular because it’s a great source of reviews. Period.
Why Yelp.com is important: Yelp is growing more popular with every second. QuantCast.com, which ranks website popularity, states that the site has almost doubled its traffic in the months between October 2008 and March 2009 (that’s 5.9 million visitors in March 2009 alone). Need I say more?
Why Yelp.com is successful: The social aspect of Yelp is, in my opinion, the key to the website’s success. Whenever I read a review on Yelp, I can quickly and easily check all of the reviews that person has left. This makes it easy for me to “judge” reviewers and decide if their opinions and perspectives are in keeping with my own. If I find a reviewer that leaves good reviews, I’m very likely to follow their advice and recommendations.
How Yelp.com can help your business: Many people are using Yelp to find places to do business, and you can add your business (including a link to your website) to Yelp’s directory free of charge. But free advertising is just the beginning – if your business listing on Yelp.com has some positive reviews, you can expect some new customers. Finally, you can link to your Yelp profile and show potential clients that you’ve earned some good reviews on an independent and reputable website.
How Yelp.com can hurt your business: Bad reviews. Yelp doesn’t moderate any of the reviews they receive. If an upset customer(s) leaves a bad review for your business, you have to live with it. Yelp will allow you to respond to bad comments (which is better than not responding), but once the bad review is placed the damage is done. When you respond to a bad review, the best course of action is to “kill them with kindness” and freely admit any mistakes you or your company may have made.
Now you know what Yelp is, why it’s important, and hopefully you’re excited about the possibilities that Yelp provides. Time to get Yelping!
Related Story:
