4 Ways to Use Yelp to Grow Your Business

If you've been under the impression that Yelp is out of style in 2020, you're wrong! In this year alone, Yelp's app has been reached by over 32 million mobile devices. This high usership isn't decreasing anytime soon and doesn't even consider the millions of audiences that use Yelp on their laptops and computers.

What Sets Yelp Apart from Other Platforms?

Yelp is one of the most effective platforms for growing location-based business clientele and is primarily used for brick-and-mortar locations. This includes health, beauty, and fitness centers, anything in the dining industry, local stores, and much more! The beauty of Yelp's platform, unlike other popular social platforms, is that its number one focus is providing customers with the ability to share their business experiences.

Yelp gives consumers the space to drop their reviews, photos, and thoughts about an establishment without any filter. Positive customer testimonials are especially powerful in motivating new customers towards your business, for social proof is one of the most effective ways to build audience trust. In fact, almost half of consumers check Yelp reviews first before interacting with a business in the first place!

4 Ways to Capitalize on The Power of Yelp

With all the benefits that Yelp can bring your business, it is important to use the website to its greatest capabilities. Here are 4 of our top recommendations for making your Yelp page the best that it can be:

#1: Engage with Your Yelp Reviews

Whether it is a positive or negative Yelp review, responding to your comments and engaging with your audience can work wonders for building brand authenticity and trust. If someone writes a positive review, make sure to show your gratitude for their business! By taking the time to thank them for their review, you are displaying to your customers that you value their insights. And if customers feel valued, they're more likely to return to your establishment!

If someone writes a negative review, especially if it's particularly rude or one of your only reviews, your first instinct might be to go into defense mode. Before you let your emotions take over your typing, take a moment to collect your thoughts, and respond with maturity. It might be difficult, but a simple apology can go a long way. Plus, if you're not comfortable responding publicly, there is a great private message feature to speak more directly to an unhappy customer.

#2: Fully Complete Your Yelp Business Profile

Make sure that your profile is fully completed and contains the most relevant and up-to-date information. This will ensure that your business appears legitimate to consumers. The first step is claiming and verifying your business. If you haven't used Yelp before, there's a chance that your business has already been written about and reviewed on the platform, so make sure to claim the business as your own before anyone else does.

The next step is building your profile. It is crucial not to neglect any important logistics in your profile. Be sure to add your business address, contact information, city, and store hours. There's nothing worse than checking a store's hours on Yelp and realizing that they were wrong, so if anything with your operations changes, always reupdate your profile as soon as possible!

#3: Photos are a Must

Taking photos of your business can tremendously improve your Yelp's impression on consumers. Yelp found that businesses containing photos had 12 times more monthly connections than those without.

It is in our human nature to judge things based on appearance, so it is important to upload non-blurry photos and a profile picture that sheds your establishment in a positive light. If you have approachable employees willing to pose in photos, even better! Posting photos allow your consumers to understand the ambiance of your business and puts a face to your name.

#4: Enhance Your Profile

Since Yelp is totally free for creating and managing a business profile, it doesn't hurt to invest a few dollars into an enhanced version of the platform. With an enhanced profile, you could add features for individual fees. While this isn't an absolute necessity, it can boost your page's professional appearance immensely.

A few of these helpful features to choose from include:

• Call-to-action buttons
• The option to remove competitor ads
• The option to upload a company logo
• Site analytics
• Much more!

Join the Yelp Community Today

With all these ideas in mind, you are ready to launch a successful Yelp page. A professional Yelp profile is a great investment in your marketing strategy, and with one-star reviews making up just 17% of the ratings, there is little risk to your reputation by taking the plunge. Join Yelp today and watch your brand awareness and customer satisfaction skyrocket!