We are a locally owned, small business that has built a pretty solid reputation online with the help of several review platforms. Our biggest accomplishments are wth the online review site Yelp. We have been fortunate enough to have received over 340 great reviews. Our team leader has done testimonials for Yelp, written blog content for Yelp, served on the Yelp Small Business Advisory Council, and we are current members of the Yelp Biz Allstar team.
That’s us!
All that said, no one is perfect and we have had our pitfalls along the way! But we are proud that with such an incredible number of reviews, we still have a 4.5 star rating. We work super hard to be the best we can be for you off and online.
We read and reply personally to every review. We make public comments when it is advisable or helpful to our potential customers. We thank guests for their feedback even if it is negative. Often, we share our great reviews on our social media.
You may have left a Yelp review on a business’s site in the past only to see it disappear after time has passed. What happens to that review? Well, this is due to an algorithm used by the platform. It is for the protection of Yelp, the consumer and the business. You see, Yelp is a social-driven site and there are safeguards to ensure that reviewers are legitimate.
To keep your review where everyone can see it, here are a few tricks that will help. First, use a picture on your Yelp profile. It does not have to be a picture of you; it could be of, say, your cat. Next, make some friends on Yelp. This shows the platform that you are a real person. Then, share the love. Write more than one good review. This will keep your favorite local businesses benefiting from your reviews.
Lastly, did you have a not so great situation that upset you enough to write a bad review? We seriously recommend telling the owner before you write a bad review. In our experience, your direct contact with the owner will often result in a frank discussion about what went wrong and how the owner can remedy your poor experience. A caring small business owner wants to know that you are not happy and will go the extra mile in hopes you will become a loyal fan for life. A negative review may be necessary in some circumstances but we view it as a last resort and true warning to others after the business has blown the chance to right their mistake.
Another reason to use Yelp is that it’s fun! You get to give praise to your favorite places and exercise your voice.
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