5 Do's And Don���ts To Improve Your Yelp Reviews

When a potential new client is considering booking an appointment with you, one of the first things they are going to do is look you up on Yelp and check out your reviews. If you don’t have any reviews, or you don’t have overwhelmingly positive reviews, that client is going to book elsewhere.

Now, getting positive reviews is all up to you. Were you on time? Were you friendly? Do you work in a professional environment? Did they leave their treatment feeling good? Every interaction you have with your client is an opportunity to make a positive impression. So before you implement tactics to get more online reviews, make sure you have nailed the customer experience part first. Then, use the following tips to ensure you have a great presence on review sites:

1. Don’t: Post fake reviews
Not only can this get you into trouble with Yelp, but fake reviews are usually pretty easy to spot and leave a bad taste in the mouths of your potential clients. It makes it seem like you have something to hide, and no one is attracted to dishonesty.

2. Don’t: Provide an incentive for a positive review
It’s not uncommon for businesses to offer a discount to clients if they leave a review. However, this is against Yelp’s terms and they have become pretty good at detecting which reviews have been solicited and hiding them. Yelp wants clients to have the chance to provide honest, unsolicited reviews – the true measure of how good a business really is.

3. Do: Let you customers know you are on Yelp
Providing an incentive and letting your customers know you are on Yelp are two very different things. The low-pressure tactic of simply letting clients know they can leave a review is the type of awareness that Yelp really likes. Here are a few suggestions to let them know about your Yelp page:

• Put a Yelp badge on your website that links to your reviews.
• In your waiting area, put a “Check us out on Yelp” sign.
• Put a “Find us on Yelp” sticker on your front door.
• Add “Review us on Yelp” to the bottom of your receipts.
• Send a follow-up email to the client. Thank them for their business, and let them know they can leave feedback on Yelp.

4: Do: Take Ownership Of Your Yelp Page
Yelp values businesses that have filled out their entire profile. Pages with complete information often rank higher. Additionally, you should be responding to reviews. Not only do Yelp’s algorithms reward companies that are active, but potential new customers will be impressed with the attention that you give to your page and to your clients. Just be sure your responses are not copy/pasted, sound robotic, or are in any way marketing or sales oriented (like asking them to join a mailing list). Each response should be friendly and personalized. And never reply to a negative review while you are upset – come back to it later and maintain a friendly demeanor.

5: Do: Ask Your New Customers Where They Heard About You
If a client has left reviews on multiple businesses, their review of your business is more likely to be shown on your Yelp page (vs. someone who has only ever reviewed your business). Therefore, if you find that a new customer has found you through Yelp, they may be an active user of Yelp, and their review would then be considered more valuable. Pay special attention to these clients!

With these 5 simple do’s and don’ts you’ll be mastering your Yelp page and online reviews in no time. Just remember to always keep in mind that your amazing customer service is always primary – not only for your online reviews, but for success of your business.

This article was originally posted in Massage Magazine.