To Yelp or not to Yelp!
Hi all... I am having trouble deciding if I should pay for a yelp ad or not? I want more users to find me however I am not sure I am ready to give away my money... does anyone else pay or not pay for a yelp ad? success or not? Is it really the best way to get people to notice you? Thanks all
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Emilie Spruill on
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I think that Yelp is a huge disappointment! Let me share my personal experience and hopefully it helps! I've had 7 (give or take, but I want to say 7) PAYING clients leave me a 5 star review on Yelp! These were not friends/fake profiles, etc, but true paying clients to my fairly new (at least at that time) independent skincare business on Yelp. ALL 7 reviews were "filtered"... they were still there but it looks like I have ZERO reviews--you have to scroll down to the bottom and there's a teeny tiny link that says "read filtered reviews"... I was so confused because they would write them, and then soon after they would disappear!
I even created a yelp offer, which by the way, nobody took advantage of so it gave me no new business, and then Yelp reps had the nerve to call me and try to SELL me advertising! I explained that all 7 of my reviews had been filtered, to which they replied the computer automatically does that at times and they're sorry but they have no control over it. So I refused to pay them for any kind of ad space. It's so frustrating! They blamed it on my clients not being "active" enough on Yelp! The funny thing is that the active Yelpers find new businesses via Yelp... so if it looks like I have no reviews, why would an active Yelper choose to try me out?!Hope that helps you with your decision! I've also done a bloomspot (like a boutique version of living social, much smaller), and I had decent results. I'm not a huge advocate, but if you are just starting out it is a good way to get people through the door. Unfortunately it does devalue your service and it basically just attracts deal-hunters.
Best wishes to you!
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Permalink Reply by NBSkinCare on
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I have to second Emilie's reply.
I have 5 or 6 paying, real customers and all of their reviews have been filtered. That's all of my reviews!
The problem is, it really has nothing to do with my rating... I'm upset that my clients took the time to write a heartfelt review and YELP decides to filter it. Their reasoning/computer filtering is flawed.
They also tried to get me to sign up and I told them no because of their filtering system.
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I'm so glad that you agree! I was given the exact same answer! It's flawed, for certain, and it makes me wonder if they only don't filter reviews if and when you pay them to advertise? I use it to rate other businesses, not often, but on occasion, because I want to help other small business owners, and I do like it to look for restaurants in a new area, for example. But they just infuriate me as a business owner, myself! Very frustrating!
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Well, they'll, of course, say that the computer decides and it has nothing to do with whether it's a paid account or not.... But!
My reviews got filtered the day after I said I didn't want to do a paid account! After the reviews had been live for months, unfiltered.
Could be coincidence... But I don't think so.
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Infuriating!
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Permalink Reply by Carrie Patrick on
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I think their auto-filtering system is flawed but they definitely do NOT filter everybody who doesn't pay. In my previous job (not skin care related) we had Yelp reviews appearing on several of the company's different branches, both good and bad ones, and they didn't get filtered even though we didn't have any paid advertising going on. But then, we had never been asked and then turned it down as in Nicole's experience above ... being filtered immediately after that happened would make me very suspicious too.
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Permalink Reply by Tiffany Carmona on
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This has been eye opening. I think I am going to pass. I have built a nice following and i think if they keep talking to their friends it can only get better. Thanks so much for the sdvice. Now I have to call the rep back and tell her no... yikes!
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Carrie, that's what I've never understood--I do think there is some randomness to it. I have a favorite local yogurt shop and I love to support them. The owner is darling and it's an independent so I tell all of my friends (and it's amazing!). They have a ton of yelp reviews, but then again, on the door, they have a sticker that says "best of yelp", so I wonder if somehow she didn't maybe pay for yelp advertising at some point?! I'm told that my yelpers aren't active enough on yelp, but that being said, one of my yelpers wrote several other reviews at the same time as mine, and after a couple of weeks, her review was still filtered on my business. If yelpers are going to select a place, based on yelp reviews, then how can I ever get ahead when my business has 8 filtered 5 star reviews (yet it says "no reviews" and you have to scroll way to the bottom to find the hidden reviews). Like I said, just very frustrating!
Good for you, Tiffany. I definitely suggest doing referral bonuses for loyal customers who send friends!
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Permalink Reply by Cindy Greenwood on
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Nice to hear some experiences.
I ran a yelp deal one time with no takers.
A yelp rep has been trying to talk to me for the past week and I have been avoiding her, if I have time today or tomorrow I will give her a call back and pass for now.
Thnaks ladies!
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I passed yesterday and the rep was like "WHY? Don't you think it could help? So you don't want to make money?" I told her she was very pushy and although I understood her selling points I was not ready to commit. Then she asked me "what I planned to do in order to make money?" I told her I would make it work and it was not a problem thus far. So be prepared for a fight because they did not take no for an answer! After my 20 minute no thank you call she finally gave up... but geez. I told her maybe in the future but now no. Good luck with telling them no. Stand your ground!
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Good for you, Tiffany! That's really obnoxious of her to use scare tactics--how insulting! A for persistence, D- for tact! I am sure you will be successful. Glad you stood your ground!
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Permalink Reply by Denise Ivers on
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Hi Tiffany
Yelp is definately a great way to get people to notice you.
I've been running a Yelp Deal for a few months now and I have sold about 6 deals. Many clients see the deal, call me to get information about services and decide they don't want to go through Yelp and purchase directly from me. All of these customers have returned. I too have been pushed hard by Yelp sales reps and after refusing their 12 month committment advertising, they still call at least once a month. When I set up my deal I had a conversation with the sales rep and told him that if I generated enough income from the deals to cover the $350 monthly advertising package that I may consider it. Obviously I have not generated enough income with the sales of 6 deals to pay for the advertising (I'm not counting the clients that purchased through me directly). I do however have several great reviews showing from clients and 10 in filter, all unsolicited reviews. I'm still puzzled by their explanation for filtering reviews. A couple of my clients have over 35 reviews for other business so I don't entirely undertand why their's are in filter. The advantages for me in running this deal is that it has elevated my business to the top of the list when a search is done for business's running deals and other searches like "facials" "peels" in my area. Yelp is huge in the (Bay Area) and it's has really helped me gain more business.
If you haven't already you can set up you Yelp account and create your own deal.
Best,
Denise
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