Yelp reviews can be a critical part of any business’s reputation management strategy. These reviews help local businesses to be found online and can also connect them with potential customers. Unfortunately, a single negative review can make or break your reputation and can hurt your bottom line. Here are some tips and tricks to help you manage your Yelp reviews.
Review Requests Early
Asking for reviews from your customers and existing customers is one way to make your yelp business more visible. This will make your business stand out and give you an opportunity to transform a negative review into something positive.
You can also encourage customers to leave reviews on Yelp by sending them an email or other marketing material. This way, they'll be more likely to leave a review of their own and will have a better understanding of how you do business.
Take advantage of Deals and Certificates
Another way to increase the number of reviews you have on Yelp is to take advantage of the deals and certificates that are offered by the site. These vouchers can be used to get a discount at your company. They're not only a great way to boost your reviews, but they'll also help you generate more revenue!
Avoid Spam Review Filters
Yelp has developed a system of filters to block reviews that are too short, vague or negative. This means that customers who are asked to write reviews should ensure that it is of medium length and includes a photo.
Finally, ask for reviews only when they are available. Your profile may be deleted if you violate the yelp Terms of Service.
Keep in mind that the algorithm is not perfect and it can be hard to get a genuine 5-star review filtered out of the system. The good news is that there are lots of options available for managing your Yelp reviews. And if you do get a review that's not genuine, there are ways to remove it.
Respond to Negative Yelp Reviews
Every yelp owner must know how to handle negative reviews, regardless of whether they are 5-stars or 1-star reviews. These responses are crucial as they can affect a customer’s rating from 1-star to 5-star, win back an unhappy customer, and demonstrate to future customers that your business is willing to resolve issues.
1. Address the reviewer with a name.
It is important to address customers who leave negative reviews by calling them by their names and not using a codename or username. This makes them feel like they're communicating with a real person, which can go a long way toward proving you care about their experience and that you want to fix their problem.