At the very basic level, most business owners get the idea that their online reviews and overall star rating have a strong influence over potential customers. However, even the savviest business owner may not realize that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Yelp Tips, Google Questions and Photos are alternative ways consumers can share their experiences without the business owner ever even noticing. Let’s take a look at the unique features accessible to your customers and why business owners should be paying closer attention to them.
Yelp Tips
“Yelp Tips” are a way for consumers to provide useful tidbits of information about your business on their mobile device, without having to leave a lengthy review. This feature is targeted towards customers on the go, which accounts for 79% of your audience on Yelp. Consumer reviews, both positive and negative, that may be too short for the main review section of your listing can very well end up in Yelp Tips. The same user content guidelines apply, so any tip that contains fake or illegitimate content can and should be removed from your Yelp listing.
Google Questions And Answers
“Google Questions and Answers” is a feature on Google Maps that works as a public forum and allows consumers to ask any question about your business. The caveat is that it doesn’t have to be the Business Owner who answers these questions, leaving your business vulnerable not only to misleading information but also inappropriate content. Most business owners are either unaware or tend to ignore the Google Q&A section of their Google My Business Page when they should instead be engaging in the conversation. Be active in fielding these questions as a service to your customers, and be sure to report any comments that violate content guidelines.
Photos
While “Yelp Tips” and “Google Q&A” are features that are unique to their respective platforms, photos are highly regarded on both Google and Yelp as viable assets to your online presence. Google even offers analytics to your photo gallery to show Business Owners how your images are performing compared to your competitors. According to Yelp, people spend triple the amount of time on a business page with photos as opposed to one without. Chances are your photos are being viewed by potential customers before they even get to your reviews, especially on mobile devices, so check to make sure your images paint an accurate representation of your business.
In addition to your online reviews, Yelp Tips, Google Questions, Photos and Captions are all subject to fake and illegitimate content, and should be monitored regularly. While reviews and ratings are vastly important, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to your online reputation. Contact us to learn more about our all-in-one solution to help manage the entire spectrum of your online reputation.