Yelp reviews play a crucial role in any company's reputation management strategy. They can help local businesses be discovered online and provide a great way for potential customers to get in touch with them. Unfortunately, a single negative review can make or break your reputation and can hurt your bottom line. If you're not sure how to respond to a review, or want to manage your yelp reviews better, here are some helpful tips for getting started:
Ask for reviews early
Asking existing and potential customers to review your business on Yelp is one the most important things you can do. This will help you to make your business more visible and will give you the chance to turn negative reviews into positive ones that are a win for your company.
It's also a good idea to encourage your existing customers to write reviews on Yelp by sending them a special shout-out via email or other marketing materials. By doing this, customers will be more likely leave reviews of your business and will also have a better idea of what you do.
Use Deals and Certificates
Yelp offers a variety of deals and certificates to help you increase your reviews. These vouchers are redeemable for discounts at your business and come in many types. These vouchers can be used to boost your business reviews as well as generate more revenue.
Avoid Spam Review Filters
Yelp has developed a system of filters to block reviews that are too short, vague or negative. If you ask customers to review your business, ensure that they write at least a medium-length post and include a photo.
Don't ask for reviews unless they are open to it. If you do not, you will be violating the yelp terms and may see your profile deleted.
The algorithm isn't perfect, and it can sometimes be difficult to get a 5-star review removed from the system. You have many options to manage your yelp ratings. There are also ways to remove reviews that aren't genuine.
Negative Yelp reviews should be addressed
Each yelp business should be able to respond to negative reviews. These responses are critical as they can impact a customer’s rating, change their opinion from one star to five stars, or win back disgruntled clients.
1. Address the reviewer by his/her name.
It is important to address customers by their actual names when they leave negative reviews. This allows them to feel they're talking to someone, and it can also help prove that you care about their experience.