37
PRO INSTALLER AUGUST 2014
FROM THE INSIDE
@proinstaller1
How to go from
toddler to teenager
in online marketing
Elliot Adams, Communications Manager at Yelp explains the best way small
businesses can use their online profile to attract and maintain customers.
Elliot joined Yelp in
2011 as their Senior
European PR Manager,
helping the Yelp community in its continued
expansion across the
EMEA region.
Take advantage of
positive reviews
Positive reviews are marketing gold dust. If someone, without being prompted, has decided to sing the
praises of your business,
you need to share it. Include links to reviews on
your website, add quotes
to your sales materials, and
write it up on boards in
your premises. Endorsement from like-minded
customers will help build
trust in your business.
Creating a full website
may not always be right for
every business, but maximising social media and
review sites really goes a
long way in building online
awareness. A business with
an effective online presence is far more likely to
get customers through the
door. In turn, a business
that gives its customers a
voice will get them through
the door and ensure they
return time and time again.
Your online identity says a
lot about your business, so
make the most of it with
these top tips.
Claim your page
More businesses have
entries on review websites
than you may think, but
haven’t taken the time to
do simple things like add
their address or even put
up a picture. Our research
shows that people searching on Yelp spend two
and a half times longer on
a business page that has
photos compared to one
without any images. Any
online profile for your
Acknowledge those
negative reviews
and respond
straight away
business must include
updated contact details at
the very least. Additionally, include information
on other aspects such as
pricing, business hours
and the nearest public
transport links as this will
help answer consumer
queries ahead of time.
Respond
Everyone likes to know
that there’s a real person
behind a business, not
some faceless company.
So if somebody takes the
time to write about you,
they need to be thanked
at the very least. Taking
the time to show your
appreciation is a great
way to do this and also
helps to build a rapport.
Also, when responding to
customers, try to resist the
urge to use the opportunity to upsell or plug other
products, as it may annoy
them.
Not all reviews will be
positive, and business
owners should accept that
negative reviews are part
of running a business and
have a strategy in place to
manage these effectively.
It’s so important to
respond to a customer
complaint as quickly and
as thoughtfully as possible,
that way you’ll minimise
any potential damage and
show customers that you
care and take their loyalty
seriously. Your customers
are always connected,
so the longer it takes to
respond to a negative or
false representation of your
business the more time it
Ticks all the boxes for a better business
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‘Communicating via email or
phone helps to make things
feel more personal’
has to spread. In cases of
negative reviews, time is of
the essence and a day is a
long time in the world of
social media.
Take the
conversation
off-line
Communicating via email
or phone helps to make
things feel more personal,
speeds up the resolution
process and protects a
customer’s privacy. This approach can also help take
the heat out of the situation and calm things down
more quickly.
Take action
Every business owner
knows that listening to
customers is important, but
customers expect you to
take action in response to
their comments. If they’re
telling you something is
good, do more of it. If
something is upsetting
customers, address it. There
may be times when you
don’t agree with a customer’s review, but giving
the Impression that their
comments have fallen on
deaf ears will only lose you
favour.
About Yelp
Yelp was set up in 2004
with the sole aim to connect people to great local
businesses and acquired
Qype in October 2012, becoming the biggest European review platform.
Approximately 61 million
unique visitors visited Yelp
via their mobile device on
a monthly average basis
during Q1 2014.
You can access Yelp online and via the free apps
on iPhone, iPad, Android
and BlackBerry.
www.yelp.co.uk