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Top of the list – you can sign up for a free yell.com account, be aware you will get a call from them saying they want to confirm your identity and details, a disguise to sell you their services, to which I say, “thanks, I only signed up for the free service you offer” and I’m not interested in their paid for services, that’s the quid pro quo they give you a listing, but in return they get to call you and have a conversation.
Can you remember the last time you Google’d something and found anything relating to Yell in the search results?
In this man’s humble opinion Yell has had its day as a stand-alone force that helps the man in the street connect with Local Business, but that doesn’t rule out its usefulness to small businesses.
Getting reviews on Yell.com is one of those little known gems you should know about.
For me, a review is an evaluation of something that I have experienced that I want to share to share with others, be it good or bad.
My reviews are usually about books I’ve read, stuff I’ve bought on Amazon or eBay, places I have eaten at or bad service that I have experienced first hand.
Other than Amazon or eBay, few businesses ask me for a review, and even if they do, I either forget or find it difficult to find their review page, then I tend to put it off till later, and then it slips my mind and the opportunity is gone.
I would split this into 3 parts.
Online reviews become a major factor in a business’s reputation and 84% of people trust online reviews as much if not more than personal recommendations.
If you ever shop online, do you check out the reviews, what other people have to say about the product your just about to purchase, I know I do, I look at the bad reviews as well to try to see if those problems could be relevant to me.
Reviews are social proof and companies like TripAdvisor, Trivago and Trustpilot shout from the rooftop…check our reviews.
Businesses like Checkatrade, Trust a Trader and Rated People charge £100 per month just so people can see their reviews.
But you don’t need to spend that money trying to get people to see how good you are, for you it can be free.
So, given that Yell isn’t a force any more, the question still remains – why do you need reviews on Yell.com?
Recently Yell became a Google partner, and now when you look for a local business on Google, there is an additional section in the Google My Business Listing called ‘Reviews from the web’. Here you get more social proof of how good or not a product or service is.
So this is additional evidence that you are as good as you say you are.
Let’s not forget a review’s aim is, “to help other users make an informed purchase decision”.
Let’s not forget, negative reviews, unfortunately, are part of everyday life.
Negative reviews can also have a detrimental effect and damage a business’s reputation.
We’ve all heard the expression “It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only a minute to destroy it”.
Reviews have the power to do that, so much so a new industry called “Reputation Mangement” has emerged.
Reputation Managment is where companies attempt to bury or hide poor reviews. The purpose being so that more favourable content can be found online.
With some luck, and I’m not the greatest writer, I have persuaded you that Reviews on Yell.com do have some worth, especially if you have a Google My Business listing.
You can sign up for your free Yell listing by clicking here.
The expression “If you don’t ask you won’t get…” comes to mind.
And if there is one thing many, many small business people struggle with it promoting there skills and services online.
Review cards and review postcards help enormously with this.
Review cards are business cards which have been designed with one thing in mind, to help people and businesses get reviews.
Use them to get the 5-star reviews you deserve. Present one to a client upon the successful completion of a job, or when presenting your bill at a restaurant.
If your a Florist or a Hairdresser use them when people are just about to pay and ask them. “Have they have been happy with the service they have received would they mind leaving you a review?
Now give them the review card that contains a unique short link and QR code. Both go directly to your review page which makes it easy for them to review you.
Google’s goal has always been to give its users the best experience.
The Google Search algorithm includes User reviews to give a better user experience.
So now is the time to get in and act, start getting reviews, and don’t stop.
Getting reviews isn’t a “pay and forget” advertising solution, it’s an ongoing process.
Why would a customer choose a business with 5 reviews over one that has 500 reviews.
With the help of Review Cards this is highly achievable. Oddly enough the more reviews you have, the higher you will rank on Google. So what’s there not to like about this.
If you want to get some Review Cards for your own business, for Google, Facebook, Tripadvisor or Yell click on the appropriate link.
If you have questions use the chat facility at the bottom of the page, we’re alsways happy to help.