subject: How to use Yelp to promote your Small Business [print this page] How to use Yelp to promote your Small Business
If you are a small business owner who sells your services and products to individuals instead of businesses, then you should really get your company registered at Yelp.
Precisely what is Yelp?
It is one of several online directories that your potential clients may visit to enable them to select where to buy from. Using the ever growing army of smart phones available on the market, more and more people are using services like Yelp to find places to eat, drink, go shopping and be entertained. Yelp is pretty huge in the usa and is also quickly building pace in other countries around the globe.
What makes providers such as these so highly effective?
Perhaps the main reasons why services like Yelp are so effective is that they are driven by customer comments. Let's face the facts all of us like a little reassurance before we buy and it's this confidence that creates Yelp into an absolutely superb marketing device for your small business.
So first things first
If you are supplying customers then you absolutely must get your business registered on Yelp.
Ok, so now I've got that taken care of, how do you use this wonderful system to your best advantage and also make sure that you stand out from your competitors?
Easy tips on how to set-up your Small Business on Yelp
One of many other great things is that getting your company posted on Yelp is extremely easy and for a basic listing it's free of charge!
1. Once you list your company, you have to ensure you fill in all the available data within the administrative pages. This can genuinely have an effect on your results if your information is unfinished then the potential customer may just go on to your competition who has taken the time to fill out all of their details.
2. Make sure that you maintain all of your information current.
3. A extremely powerful part of Yelp is the advantage of having the ability to advertise or communicate offers or even special discounts to potential customers. If you use this service your announcement will appear in their Announcements and Offers directory thus providing you with an advantage over your competition. For instance for those who have a restaurant and it is looking a bit quiet one evening, you can simply send an announcement of perhaps a complimentary starter to any or all customers that come from Yelp and capture the eye of prospective customers who're passing through your area and fancy a bit to eat.
4. Needless to say whilst review sites may be powerful, they might at times draw negative feedback. Yelp not too long ago added a facility so that you can respond back to customers feedback. You definitely must use it! Don't be scared of making things worse, if you give a genuine and fair answer it may turn the matter around; your dissatisfied customers will often give you a second look should you communicate to these folks that you value their feedback and therefore are making changes to further improve your business.
5. Another handy little benefit is the fact that Yelp provides you with "badges" that you can add to your site or blog pages. Make sure that you embed them into your site as these badges give potential customers the impression that you have existing happy customers vouching for you therefore will be more prone to trust you with their business. The badges will link between your Yelp page and people can simply click to read reviews or get more info. Keep getting the news out and remember to use these badges on your printed marketing items also.
Keep in mind that Yelp will not only benefit your company, it'll increase new customers and perhaps most excitingly of all, is that if you are running a business anywhere outside the usa then you have a massive opportunity of being way ahead of your competition!
