Scenario: A couple leaves the movie theater after seeing the latest release. They decide they want ice cream and pull out their phone to search Yelp for ice cream shops in the area. They have 3 options: the first restaurant has 6 reviews, the second has 100, and the third has 800. Which restaurant do they choose?
According to this infographic from Merchant Warehouse, customers trust the quantity of Yelp reviews more than reviews from their own friends and family. Chances are, they’re going to check out the ice cream shop with 800 reviews.
So aside from providing great service, how do you get your Yelp review count to 800 and beyond? Check out these 3 tips to increase your number of Yelp reviews (and also your rating)!
1. Promote your Yelp page
Setting up calls-to-action throughout your place of business is a great way to get customers posting. Usually when customers are dining, they won’t think to pull out their phone to leave a review. Advertising calls-to-action will remind them to share!
It’s also a good idea to recruit your employees to promote Yelp to customers. Yelp recently posted rules against offering discounts for reviews, but encouraging your employees to say “check us out on Yelp!” at the end of every transaction is an easy, friendly way to remind customers to leave a review.
2. Showcase your best reviews
Live social media walls (and, more specifically, Yelp walls) are a tech-savvy way to inform, persuade, and remind customers to share their own reviews. Customers will see that you care about their thoughts and will want to try and get their review on the big screen.
Enplug offers the easiest digital signage solutions for showcasing Yelp on your display. Simply plug the device into the back of your TV and use the mobile app to control what reviews get showcased!
3. Respond to customer posts
Responding to customers in the Yelp app will show that you care about their thoughts and want them to have the best experience possible.
Be sure to respond to both positive and negative reviews. Responding to positive feedback will help create brand evangelists and foster repeat business. Thank them for their review, and ask them to come back again! Responding to negative feedback with sincerity will increase the likelihood that customers will give you a second chance and maybe even leave a positive updated review. Apologize for the unpleasant experience (don’t be defensive!), and attempt to fix the situation.
Increasing your Yelp reviews may seem like an impossible task, especially if you’re just starting out, but with these three tips, you should see a big impact in no time. With small businesses, we’ve found that those who are willing to treat Yelp as a real revenue driver will see the rewards. And it’s an opportunity worth leveraging.