The Ultimate Guide to Making Money With Yelp for Business in 2024
Did you know that 97% of consumers searched online for local businesses in 2023, and 90% read online reviews before visiting a business? What‘s more, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family. The takeaway is clear—if you run a local business in 2024, building a stellar reputation on online review sites is crucial to your success.
While Google, Facebook and other platforms have their place, Yelp remains the leader when it comes to online reviews. With over 220 million reviews and counting, Yelp is often the first place potential customers go to scope out a new business.
So how do you harness the power of Yelp to get more customers and make more money? Follow this comprehensive, step-by-step guide to learn everything you need to know about Yelp for Business in 2024.
How to Get Started with Yelp for Business
First things first, you need to set up and claim your Yelp Business Page. Here‘s how:
- Go to the Yelp for Business homepage and click the "Manage my free listing" button.
- Search for your business. If it‘s already listed, click "Claim this business." If not, click "Add your business to Yelp."
- Fill out your business information, including name, address, phone number, website, hours, and up to 3 relevant business categories. Be as accurate and detailed as possible.
- Verify your account via phone or email to confirm you are an authorized representative of the business.
That‘s it! Your Yelp Business Page is now live. But don‘t stop there—it‘s time to optimize your page to attract maximum customer views and leads.
6 Ways to Optimize Your Yelp Page for More Exposure
Think of your Yelp page as a virtual storefront. Just like an inviting window display draws in foot traffic, an eye-catching, information-rich Yelp page will pull in potential customers. Optimize your page with these tips:
- Upload high-quality photos. Businesses with at least 1 photo receive 5x more views and customer leads on average. Show off your space, products, staff at work, and happy customers.
- Fully complete your profile. Businesses with complete profiles (hours, location, website, etc.) average 36% more views and 42% more leads. Don‘t leave any fields blank!
- Get detailed in your "From the business" section. Tell the story behind your business, what makes you unique, and why customers love you. Paint a picture that entices people to visit.
- Enable messaging. Letting customers message you directly on your Yelp page is an easy way to capture more leads. Be sure to respond promptly to all inquiries.
- Consider paid features. While the basic listing is free, paid features like adding a CTA button, removing competitor ads, and creating custom photo slideshows can give you a leg up.
- Download the mobile app. Use Yelp‘s free iOS or Android app to easily manage your page, view metrics, and respond to customers in real-time from your phone.
An optimized Yelp page is a powerful asset for any local business. But you can‘t stop there. Generating a steady stream of glowing reviews is the real key to Yelp success.
How to Get More Positive Yelp Reviews
A Harvard Business School study found that a 1-star increase on Yelp leads to a 5-9% revenue increase for a restaurant. Reviews matter! While you can‘t outright ask for reviews on Yelp, you can take steps to encourage happy customers to spread the word:
- Place a "Find us on Yelp" window cling at your location (request one for free from Yelp)
- Link to your Yelp page on your website, email signature, business card, and other touchpoints
- Share positive reviews on your social media pages to showcase happy customers
- Train your staff to provide a stellar in-person experience that customers will want to rave about online
- Give out Yelp "Find us on Yelp" business cards or postcards to make it easy for customers to remember to review you
When the positive reviews do come in, be sure to thank the customer and let them know how much you appreciate their support. A little acknowledgement goes a long way!
Handling Negative Reviews with Grace
Negative reviews can feel like a punch to the gut, but they don‘t have to tank your Yelp rating. In fact, responding to negative feedback thoughtfully and professionally can actually build trust. Here‘s how:
- Acknowledge the person‘s poor experience and apologize sincerely (even if you don‘t feel it‘s warranted). Show that you care about making things right.
- Be genuine, not defensive. Getting attacked on Yelp hurts, but resist the urge to lash out or place blame. Take the high road.
- Offer to make amends. A full refund, hefty discount on their next purchase, or free add-on can turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal fan.
- Take the conversation offline. Provide direct contact information so you can resolve the issue one-on-one and minimize further public back-and-forth.
- Know when enough is enough. If a negative reviewer refuses to engage constructively after 2-3 professional responses, let it go. Other readers will see you made a real effort.
The key is to view negative reviews as an opportunity to showcase your commitment to customer satisfaction. Perfection is impossible—how you handle slip-ups is what matters.
Keep Your Yelp Page Fresh to Increase Leads
An optimized page and a collection of great reviews is a good start, but consistent activity is what will make your business stand out on Yelp. Some ways to engage:
- Post Yelp Deals and gift certificates to attract new customers or bring back existing fans with special offers. Yelp found that businesses with Deals average 30% more views.
- Share updates and announcements about new offerings, seasonal specials, events, and more. This keeps your page relevant and provides fresh content for users.
- Respond to reviews to demonstrate that you value customer feedback and regularly engage with your audience. Both positive and negative reviews merit a thoughtful response.
- Upload new photos on a regular basis. Behind-the-scenes shots, new products, and customer photos add visual interest and keep your page from looking stagnant.
Plan to spend a few minutes every week actively managing and adding to your Yelp page. A page that looks neglected signals a business that may not be thriving.
Real Results: Yelp Success Stories
Don‘t just take my word for it—check out these real examples of small businesses that used Yelp to dramatically increase revenue and customer engagement:
- San Francisco restaurant Mozzeria saw a 20% increase in sales after focusing on getting more Yelp reviews and optimizing their page.
- Austin jewelry store Eliza Page generated over $18,000 in revenue from a single Yelp Deal promotion.
- Seattle hair salon Adele Beauty increased customer bookings by 50% after actively engaging with reviewers and regularly posting updates on their page.
Across industries and locations, Yelp has proven to be a powerful tool to connect with customers and boost the bottom line. In an increasingly digital world, your Yelp presence is often a deciding factor in whether people choose to do business with you.
Go Beyond Reviews: More Ways to Leverage Yelp
Reviews and page engagement are core features, but there are even more ways Yelp can work for you:
- Yelp Waitlist lets customers put their name in line remotely, while you manage your waitlist and view valuable data like wait time and party size.
- Yelp Reservations allows customers to reserve a table directly from your page. You can manage bookings and send confirmations via email or text.
- Yelp Connect enables you to reach Yelp users beyond your page with targeted local ads. Track your ads‘ performance and only pay for recorded user views.
- Yelp Knowledge provides powerful analytics on your business, customers and competition. See how you stack up and identify opportunities.
From driving reservations to increasing brand awareness, Yelp‘s suite of tools offers something for every business type.
With both free and paid options available, you can customize your approach to fit your budget and goals.
Make Yelp Work for You in 2024 and Beyond
Consumer demand for online information about local businesses is only going to keep growing. Don‘t leave your Yelp presence to chance! With a strategic, proactive approach, you can capitalize on this immense opportunity.
To recap, here are the key steps to Yelp success:
- Claim and fully build out your page
- Develop a system to generate more positive reviews
- Respond professionally to all feedback, both good and bad
- Keep your page active with frequent updates, deals and photos
- Explore Yelp‘s full suite of tools to support your business growth
Put in the effort to maintain a stellar Yelp presence and watch your customer engagement and revenue reach new heights. In 2024 and beyond, Yelp will remain a vital tool to help your business connect with more customers and make more money.
For more tips on growing your small business, check out the [Your Company] blog. Our easy-to-use [Your Product] can also help you manage all your business tasks in one simple platform. [Link to Your Product]
