For any new business, online reviews may seem both baffling and difficult to control. But the reality of the modern day is that customers rely heavily on online reviews when making buying decisions. Studies show that 90% of American consumers report that they read reviews before making a purchase decision.
On the bright side, online reviews give new businesses lots of opportunities to increase exposure. Managing your online reviews is not only crucial to your business’s reputation, but also important for growing your business.
Read on for tips on how to get more Yelp reviews to increase the attention your business gets.
1. Friends and Family
One of the hardest things to do on Yelp is to get the ball rolling. You will find that once you can get a steady stream of generally positive reviews, the momentum will keep going.
If you need positive content on your business’ page, ask friends and family for some help. In most cases, your friends and family members are already your most loyal customers anyway. Ask them to leave some positive feedback and highlight specific aspects of your business that they love.
2. Loyal Customers
If your business has been running for a while, you will have likely built a relationship with some loyal customers. If these customers are consistently coming back, they are definitely a big fan of you and your work.
Ask them to post about their experience on your Yelp page. They are sure to leave some glowing reviews. Back before online review sites were popular, business owners would say to their customers: “tell your friends.” Yelp reviews in a lot of ways are just a modern take on the same idea. Instead of spreading reviews by word of mouth though, it is through the power of the internet.
3. Use the Yelp Symbol and Brand
Yelp does its part of helping businesses by having many internet friendly badges and programs that let the public know that your business is featured on Yelp. Yelp offers several badges that can be put on your website, which links to your Yelp business profile.
There is also a “People Love Us on Yelp” status that you can use on various marketing materials. “People Love Us on Yelp” is a program that acknowledges upstanding companies that can qualify based on their rating. If your business qualifies, you should definitely take advantage of using this status on your brochures, flyers, and website.
4. Link your Business to your Email Signature
Don’t forget to add a link to your business in your email signature. Businesses overlook the marketing value of an email signature, but it is a great way to get more Yelp reviews.
It is also a good idea to mention phrases such as: “Check us out on Yelp” to subtly encourage customers to click the link to your business listing.
5. Social Media
In today’s age where the power of social media is unrivaled, it’s crucial that you are sharing reviews on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Utilizing social media to your advantage is one of the best ways to get more Yelp reviews. Social media is also an important aspect of social monitoring, which is the tracking of a business’s internet reputation.
Ready to Get More Yelp Reviews?
Online reviews have become an important part of building and maintaining a business’s reputation. Yelp is a forerunner when it comes to an online review company.
Utilizing online reviews to your advantage is a great way of ensuring the success of your business.
Check us out for more ways on how to grow your business!
