How to Help Yourself with Yelp

These days most customers are either reading and/or writing online reviews for just about every business out there. Before buying a car, they may research the dealership. Before hiring a mover, they may check for reviews online. And, believe me they are going online and posting reviews if they feel ripped off or cheated.

As a result, services such as Yelp have become an important factor in the decision making process of consumers. What does this mean for you? It means a few things, actually.

First, your business should be on Yelp. Yelp allows businesses to create listings with the information necessary for consumers to find you. You can 'claim' your business to add phone numbers, store hours, menus, product offerins, etc. I would advise claiming your business and adding as much information as possible so potential customers are able to easily find you.

Also, stay on top of what customers are saying about your business online. If a customer posts an irate review that is full of errors or false information, Yelp allows business owners to dispute a review. Be sure to keep tabs of what customers are saying about you, then use the information to better yourself. If the reviews are untrue, dispute them and have them removed. You ultimately need to tap into what your customers think of your business, and Yelp is one of the places where people are really talking.