This NY Times article discusses how Yelp will now strike back at people who purchase fake reviews for their site. Businesses found engaging in this shady practice will now be stamped with Yelp’s own version of the Scarlet Letter, a red badge that reads “We caught someone red-handed trying to buy reviews for this business.“
Many of our clients start out with mixed feelings about Yelp and other online review sites. Bad reviews are discouraging, and it’s tempting to want to ignore online reviews altogether. The really, really good news is that your competition is working within the same system. Our team can work with you to manage online reviews better than your competitors. We will help you turn the review sites into a powerful ally that delivers new clients to your business every month.
How do we do this? It’s not always simple, but it works. In order to turn Yelp (or any other review site) into an asset that continually refers new clients to your business, you’ll need to follow these simple steps:
- Make sure you comply with their terms of service. Don’t try to beat the system by purchasing reviews.
- Ensure you deliver a consistently excellent service to your clients, from the first phone call through followup after a visit.
- When you do follow up with a client, make sure that they know that their experience is important to you, and that your reputation as an excellent provider is important.
- Make it easy for your happy clients to leave you a positive review by making links to the proper review sites easily accessible.
When you work with our team, we’ll be there for you step by step for this entire process. The positive reviews will slowly accumulate. Eventually, the rest of the world will be able to see the evidence that you run a business with skilled providers, a friendly staff, and a culture that focuses on customer satisfaction. New clients will begin to beat a path to your door.
Are you interesting in working with us to improve your online reputation? Contact us for more information.
