As the likes Yelp continue to grow in popularity, the effect that bad reviews can have on a small business, continue to increase. Though there are many ways to protect yourself from bad reviews on such sites, the easiest way of doing so is to simply get plenty of positive ones. Here are six simple tips for getting your customers to show their support for your business online.
Ask for Them
The first step towards getting more positive reviews is to simply ask for them. When you feel like you’ve provided a good service, simply ask the customer in question whether or not they have a Yelp account. Provided they have one, you might be surprised by how easy it is to get people to leave a few sentences praising your company.
Include a Quick Note
Though verbal requests are by far the most effective, a quick message on a piece of paper can also work wonders. Include a short request on all of your receipts. And if you happen to sell a physical product, consider including a quick note with every purchase. Neither of these steps are exactly expensive but they been proven effective, time and time again.
Use Social Media
If you’re worried about your online reputation, chances are you’ve already established yourself on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. If a customer is willing to like you on Facebook, or follow you on Twitter, it makes sense that they’d be open to leaving a positive review for you on Yelp too.
Uploading a post on Facebook, or sending a tweet on Twitter, only takes a few minutes but if you have enough fans, you might be surprised by how many positive reviews you can garner in return.
Start an Email Campaign
Most tech savvy small business owners are well aware of the importance of building an email list full of past customers. Such a list is not only beneficial for broadcasting your latest promotions, it can be a valuable tool for getting more positive Yelp reviews. Develop an email campaign to request positive reviews. Make the process as easy to understand as possible and don’t forget to thank them for their custom.
Use Your Website
If your business has its own website, which it certainly should, you’ve probably spent quite a bit of time encouraging people to go there. Make the most of this traffic by encouraging everyone that visits your site to leave your business a positive review. Include a link to Yelp in a prominent location on your site.
Offer an Incentive
Finally, regardless of which of the above steps you plan on using to get more positive Yelp reviews, the effectiveness of your efforts can be greatly increased by providing your customers with an incentive.
The perfect incentive to offer your customers is an entry to a modest prize draw. Offering a greater incentive than this is not generally advisable as it may give the impression that you are attempting to purchase positive reviews.
About the Author: Richard Stone is a part of the association of steinpag commercial lawyers. He is a commercial lawyer by profession. He is retired as of now.
