Yelp Reviews

Managing Yelp Reviews

 

Like it or not, your business is most likely already on Yelp.  More significant, customers are talking about you there, and your future customers are looking your business up.  Yelp, when utilized properly, can be a great way for entrepreneurs to promote their business. Since anyone can enter a business on Yelp, it’s a good idea for business owners to check out the site and see what’s there.

First, claim your business.  Anyone can enter a business on Yelp (it doesn’t require your permission as the owner of a business), and anyone can write a review about your business.   You confirm your ownership through a telephone verification.  When your initial listing is created, the listing will include the address and telephone number.  By that telephone number, the Yelp system will call and provide a code to verify ownership.  After claiming your business, you then receive e-mail alerts when your business is reviewed.  You can view how many users have viewed your business profile, and you can respond to reviewers in email.

Second, get set up on Yelp For Business Owners.  This service provides a tool set of interactivity that allows you to contact reviewers, both positive and negative.  Thank the positive ones.  For the negative reviews, it provides the opportunity to resolve the issue with an upset customer.

Third, private email reviewers.  The emails are a one-to-one flow.  To prevent pestering that bad reviewer, you can send one email to a reviewer, until the reviewer respond.  Then, you can send your reply, and so on, giving reviewers the power to decide the tempo of communication.  Reviewers can also black a business from emailing them, in case they care to write a reply to that business, but do no want to be contacted again.

Forth, manage reviews.  If a review violate guidelines, then report it.  You can’t flag a review just because you don’t like it.  Rather, common causes are the review contains spam, advertising, is sexually explicit, contains hate speech, or encourages the reader to another website.  Be specific.

Fifth, look at reviews in aggregate.  Just as users do, while one particular review from an upset customer may be hurtful, it doesn’t have to be dramatic.  Rather, what users look for, and you should too, is a common theme among the reviews.

Sixth, stay on top of Yelp itself.  Yelp has taken some well deserved heat for its sales staff offering to de-emphasize negative reviews in exchange for advertising.  Of course, Yelp denies the claims and says its simply a case of people not understanding its algorithm, but there is compelling cases of Yelp’s shenanigans.  If a Yelp advertiser reaches your business, keep track of what they promise.

Seventh, respond to the negative reviews.  Do so with courtesy and tact.  Don’t debate the reviewer’s perception of the issue, but only of your resolve to address that issue.