New Yelp Feature Emphasizes Need for Local Businesses to Control Their Online Identity

Review Site Now Sees More than 120 Million Unique Visitors Each Month

Yelp is one of the most visited review sites because of users who contribute rich and colorful details about their consumer experiences. Not only will they write extensive reviews, but they often upload photos that provide a visual element to their accounts. Yelp contains more than 30 million reviews, making it a vital element of a business’s online reputation.

A new feature developed by Yelp will present more useful information about a business than ever before. The photos of Yelp users will now appear directly next to their review text. The feature is now available at yelp.com and on the Yelp mobile site. Notably, 50 percent of photos on Yelp are uploaded from a Yelp mobile app.

Yelp matches reviews and photos contributed by the same user for the same business. Then, these items will be displayed together on the business’s Yelp page.

The photo feature is one of several improvements that Yelp has made for those who might be on the cusp of making a purchase. This photographic proof offers a convenient visual that will likely stimulate sales for local businesses.

Yelp Users Are Drawn to Photos….

Since its inception in 2004, Yelp has hosted a sprawling structure for online communities to communicate about their consumer experiences.  Yelp focuses on long-form reviews as opposed to the short one-liners found on most sites. This gives customers the benefit of an in-depth review answering a variety of questions. Auto-repair shops, restaurants, dentists, doctors and other places of businesses are all featured on this consumer-friendly service.

Yelp contains millions of photos that display how a business looks, favorite dishes, weekly discounts and interesting facts and figures. Various studies have shown that visual elements play an important role for consumers when making a decision. In fact, people spend two-and-a-half times more time on a business page that contains photo compared to one without.

….And Take Action as a Result

Yelp has more than 100 million unique visitors on a monthly basis. In the past year, mobile devices with Yelp’s application installed grew nearly 60 percent. A recent Nielsen study revealed some interesting customer habits that could alter how local businesses approach their operations.

A whopping 93 percent of those surveyed said that visited Yelp directly led to a purchase. Plus, 82 percent of users replied that they visited Yelp with the intention of purchasing a product or service. Eighty-nine percent indicate that they generally make a purchase within one of week of looking up businesses on Yelp.

More fascinating tidbits: If a Yelp user referred to good customer service, the user was more than 5 times as likely to offer a 5-star review than a 1-star review. Nearly 70 percent of bad customer experiences were given a 1-star review, compared to 5 percent receiving a 5-star review.

Businesses Have the Power to Control Their Yelp Profiles

Given the quick spread of information online, businesses will be more likely to work with staff members to address any concerns noted in the reviews. Yelp encourages local businesses to post photos of staff members, as well as renovations, installation and before and after shots. Online reputation management companies will agree that the most effective method is for businesses to claim their space on Yelp and control the message distributed to online users.

If you’re aware of concerns or complaints about your business, fix them immediately. You may encounter negative ratings or reviews at some point so be committed to addressing them. Optimize this Yelp listing by filling out the profile completely. Owners of local businesses are also encouraged to post photos of staff members, as well as renovations, installation and before and after shots. A well-rounded gallery of images to enhance your information will only strengthen the online presence of your business.

Google prefers fresh web content from popular online sources, and this includes rating and review sites such as Yelp. As a business owner, monitor your Yelp listing on a regular basis to stay aware of any changes. Yelp’s extensive structure of both written content with photos could serve as a benefit for your business when used properly.

Blake Jonathan Boldt is a content strategist for Reputation Advocate. He provides writing, editing, social media and content strategy services for both domestic and international clients. His articles have been featured in numerous magazines, newspapers and digital media outlets.