We recently needed to get our carpets cleaned and turned to Yelp for guidance.
We called Better Call Tony, who was incredibly responsive, professional and competitively priced. Driven by hundreds of 5-star reviews, we hired him, adding our comments to the chorus of admirers.
Yelp, of course, is a crowdsourced platform where users discover, review and rate local businesses such as restaurants, shops, salons and services. It recognizes that word-of-mouth is arguably the best marketing tool, and this platform takes it to the next level.
Rather than relying strictly on comments from people you know, Yelp lets you access opinions from total strangers posting photos, ratings and feedback, with little to gain personally.
As we’ve found when seeking countless restaurants, products and services, Yelp helps you make informed decisions. Businesses use Yelp to manage their profiles, respond to reviews and attract local customers.
Reviews and testimonials on Yelp can be among the most powerful marketing tools for businesses of all kinds. Some of the biggest benefits include:
- Builds trust quickly, because people trust other customers more than advertising.
- Creates “social proof.” When others praise a business, prospective customers assume it is reliable and popular.
- Improves local visibility, since more reviews and stronger ratings lift a business higher in online searches.
- Helps customers make decisions, making hesitant customers feel more comfortable.
- Encourages word-of-mouth marketing by spreading awareness beyond the reach of traditional advertising.
- Highlights specific strengths, with customers mentioning stuff you don’t advertise (value, staff, service, etc.).
- Helps you compete. Good reviews cost nothing and can level the playing field for you.
- Provides useful feedback, helping owners understand what’s good and what needs improvement.
- Increases conversion rates, with positive testimonials leading to more reservations, performances and purchases.
- Creates long-term value. Good reviews work 24/7 and become a permanent marketing asset.
Here’s the bottom line: You’ve got competition, regardless of what you sell. Having a positive Yelp review can only help your sales in the long run.
Oh, and don’t worry about the occasional negative review (it’ll happen). Respond quickly, fix the problem and recognize that even a guy like Tony doesn’t get all 5-star reviews.
Which is probably a good thing. If everything were perfect, my cynical side would undoubtedly have wondered if he was legit.
With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.
Send your marketing thoughts to www.askmrmarketing.com.
