Independent review sites are a great move for any business, providing that is, you manage your presence online and garner a following that helps your business to be pushed up the rankings.

Yelp, along with other search-service websites, has revolutionized the way customers search and interact with businesses. From restaurants to cafes, to car mechanics and artisan food producers, Yelp can be a fantastic marketing tool for businesses in San Diego, and indeed, anywhere else in the world.

With 130 million unique visits a month, it pays to understand how harnessing the power of Yelp will help your business.

#1 Quality speaks

Quality service is something that we all look for in a business and when this exceeds what we were expecting as customers, we are usually more than happy to tell others.

Of course, just as people love what you do, there will be some customers who don’t love what you do.

This customer review culture may appear scary, but it can be the catalyst for reviewing and improving the services and products that you have on offer. We also have to remember that customers are intelligent creatures and they can see through ‘one person having a gripe’ as opposed to the whole business being bad.

Having said that, if the complaints are about the same thing, maybe there is something that you need to change.

#2 Create a fantastic Yelp profile

How many business profiles have you created for apps and third-party websites? And here we are, asking for another one on Yelp.

However, if you are serious about harnessing the power of Yelp for San Diego business visibility – remember those 130 million unique searches a month! – then creating an interesting business profile on the website is fairly critical.

This says a lot to potential customers too. The platform gives you plenty of tools and suggestions on how to create a business profile that shines the best spotlight on what you do.

#3 Encourage your customers to use Yelp

Just like we see suggestions in store to like what a business does on other platforms, like Facebook, you should be encouraging people to leave a review on Yelp.

There are occasional scandals with brands paying customers or writers to leave reviews so that it pushes up their review score. While this is dancing on the edge of moral and legal responsibility, there is nothing wrong with encouraging reviews from genuine customers.

#4 Getting the balance

We mentioned earlier that not everyone will love what you do. Giving a business in San Diego a good bashing is all in a day’s work for some customers, therefore, it is no surprise that many businesses have concerns about ratings and reviews on third-party review sites and other platforms.

Here’s the kicker – the more positive reviews you have, the less of an impact an occasional bad review will make. Let’s be honest – stuff happens – and sometimes, people don’t get the best.

The important thing is understanding how to handle this at the time but also how to handle a poor review online. But like we said, if you have plenty of genuine, good reviews, your rating won’t plummet to the bottom of the cliff if someone leaves a poor review of your business.

#5 Don’t be tempted to buy reviews

The temptation is strong but you must resist simply because Yelp has an algorithm that detects fake reviews for San Diego businesses. In fact, one in five reviews is detected as fake, although this algorithm is not perfect. Genuine reviews have been filtered out of the search.

Yelp is also looking at other ways of detecting fake reviewers and although you may want to build your reputation on Yelp, fake or bought reviews is NOT a worthwhile strategy.

#6 Engage and connect with customers

The thing with reviews is that many, many customers take the time to leave a review expecting nothing to happen.

However, we all see the outcome when someone leaves a bad review and the business responds with kind or hilarious reply. But what about when customers leave a complimentary review? What happens?

Yelp and other similar platforms are built on interaction and that means that every San Diego business needs to interact with their customers on the platform. Effectively, you can encourage people to use yelp in San Diego and your business can use it as an open forum for discussion.

As well as reviews so other customers can assess whether they want to buy from you or not, Yelp is a great listening tool as well. What is it that customers are asking for or expecting? Can you change your business to answer their need? Do your products or services need updating?

#7 Use the platform to its full advantage

Yelp offers businesses a range of features that once you understand how they work, you can use to your full advantage.

For example, Yelp Deals is a prepaid voucher system that gives customers discounts off your products and services. For example, a customer may buy a voucher for $10 but the customer redeems it for $20.

Yelp Reservations is another tool that can help restaurants and cafes, ideal for easy reservation services for customers.

More Information On Getting Yelp Reviews For Your Business

Word of mouth is an effective marketing tool and always has been, hard to believe in the digital age. However, platforms like Yelp are transforming this word of mouth into something that can be harnessed online.

Review sites can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you can use your happy customers to spread the word about who you are and what you do. But on the other, a poor review or a series of bad reviews can create difficult conditions in which to trade.

That said, a business with a forward-thinking attitude will look at these reviews objectively, using them as a platform from which to grow their business.

Getting it right also means engaging and connecting with customers. From responding to a poor review to entering into discussion with fans and followers, Yelp is just one platform you can use to push your business forward in the online world.

Speak With Above The Fold Agency Today

If you are looking for a digital marketing agency in San Diego to help you increase your online presence, the team at Above The Fold Agency is here to help.  Contact us today to receive a free consultation.