[an interview with Yelp Canada’s Community Manager, Crystal Henrickson]
Perhaps before 2004, to be “Yelped” was nothing to be happy about. But ever since the review company was launched, many small and medium sized businesses have received a boost because of the social networking/review site Yelp. Founded by former PayPal employees Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons, Yelp encourages users to rate and write reviews about anything and everything under the sun (though mostly they stick with local businesses like restaurants, salons, florists, etc.)
Businesses are also encouraged to maintain their own page, where they can upload photos and information, and even respond to member’s comments. Though they initially began with San Francisco, they quickly expanded into 40 other cities (including cities in Canada and the UK), and they have over 26 million page views per month.
We had a chance to chat with Crystal Henrickson at Yelp’s local Vancouver office. We wanted to get the real scoop on how any business can take advantage of Yelp’s features and give your business that “Yelp” edge.
Q: How can businesses maximize their presence on Yelp?
Businesses can jump in on the conversation by unlocking their free business account. From there, they can roam around– upload their own pictures, write a catchy description about themselves and even post specials that will show up on their profiles and in search results.
Q: Do you encourage business owners to reach out to their customers (individually or as a group), such as those who have given negative reviews?
All the time! The more business voices on Yelp, the better! Once a biz “unlocks” their Yelp page, they can send messages privately or publicly. A simple private message of acknowledgment really goes a long way. And if there’s something to address, like a negative comment, this is a great place to learn from some honest feedback. There’s also a public response feature where helpful comments can be added.
Q: How do you ensure the integrity of reviews (such as preventing business owners from posting fake reviews or disgruntled people from giving bad ratings in retaliation)?
We take review integrity very seriously. Yelpers can “flag” reviews that they feel are coming from an untrustworthy source and Yelp has an auto review filter that’s helps catch the small number of reviews that might be malicious or possibly planted.
Q: What types of people post reviews on Yelp?
I love this question: People on Yelp love to talk about their favourite local places. 85% of the reviews on Yelp are 3 stars or higher. Yelpers come from all sorts of backgrounds, but generally speaking, I’d say we’re part social, talkative, trendsetting, curious, and of course, we love to share our opinions!
Q: What do you do to encourage new reviewers to sign up for Yelp and review more businesses?
Once you start reviewing, it can be hard to stop ☺! Not to mention, the site is bustling with local insights and inspirations for where to shop, eat and play in the city.
Q: How do you encourage business owners to sign up for Yelp?
If you’ve seen “People Love Us On Yelp” decals in business windows, it means that the business has been given a recognition award for having great reviews. There are many business tools that are free on Yelp and it only takes a couple of minutes to set up an account. I will also be starting a series of “Learn to Yelp” seminars for Business owners in the coming months with an aim to help businesses use their Yelp tools more effectively.
Q: What is Yelp doing to improve their site and over-all customer (business and reviewer) experience?
We’re always encouraging businesses and reviewers to send ideas to feedback@yelp.com. From voting on images and a bigger search bar (yay!) to our mobile applications, Yelp’s always working on something new to improve the experience online. This past week, for example, we launched the 4th version of the Yelp iPhone app, complete with “check ins,” adding another fun layer of interaction.
Does Yelp really make a difference?
When Lisa Hewlett, owner of the Wallflower Modern Diner in Vancouver was looking for a way to promote her business, she turned to Yelp. The site threw a party for their “Elite Squad” (the top reviewers on the site) at the diner, and was an instant success! According to Crystal, “ When she [Hewlett] looks back she tells me that the party was a turning point for her business. Lots of people, not just those that were at the party, have mentioned they found The Wallflower through Yelp and have since become repeat clients.”
Of course, you don’t need to throw a Yelp party just to increase your business. As Crystal mentioned, taking ownership of your business page is the first and key step. Next, treat it as you would any interaction with your customers – greet them, talk to them and answer any questions or concerns they may have. Finally, promote, promote, promote! You can post a “Find Us on Yelp” badge on your website or even use Yelp to post announcements or special offers.
So go and check out Yelp today and claim your business page!
Tags: Branding, Marketing, Online Advertising, Online Marketing, Online Marketing Strategy, Online PR Management, Optimization, Promotional Ideas, Self Promotion, Social Media, Viral Marketing, Web Site Accessibility
Just tried to sign up and couldn’t… redirect upon clicking the activation email didn’t open.
Hi Shelly,
I’m not sure what’s happening with the activation email. You should be verifying your business with either a phone call or credit card verification. Here’s the “unlocking business page” link:http://www.yelp.ca/business/unlocking
If you’re still experiencing any challenges, feel free to email me at vancouver@yelp.com