“What’s the secret to getting more Yelp reviews?”
It’s one of the most common questions we receive from business owners. Enter Ashley Duchene of Ashley Duchene Photography in San Diego. Check out her top five tips for getting Yelp reviews organically.
1. Prioritize your Yelp presence
“When I started my business, I was a little hesitant about Yelp. I felt that drawing attention to it might make me vulnerable to negative reviews. Over time my commitment to excellent customer service started to pay off. The 5-star reviews started coming in. I decided to make Yelp a priority, by making updates to my Yelp page a regular part of my weekly workflow—uploading photos, responding to messages and reviews as soon as they come in. My strong presence on Yelp has spilled over into higher rankings on Google and other channels.”
2. 5-star reviews start when you’re discovered
“The review starts the second someone views your Yelp page. Your page’s completeness, the photos you upload, how quickly you respond, and what you say about yourself all help set expectations. For me, this means that my photo captions and business description convey a friendly, approachable, and experienced business owner. It’s attention to details like this that make your Yelp presence professional and memorable to help you stand out from the newer and greener competition.”
3. Build your brand around good reviews
“From sharing my reviews on Facebook and touting my great Yelp reputation on LinkedIn to the testimonials page of my website, clients know that I value their input. In such a competitive industry, I’ve found that word of mouth, referrals, and my reputation are some of the most powerful marketing tools that I have. When I share a new 5-star Yelp review on my Facebook page, a nice perk is that clients seem to love getting a ‘shout-out’ on my social media. It’s my way of letting them know that I appreciate them spreading the word about me and my services.”
4. Know your clients
“I get between 2-10 client inquiries a day from Yelp. I now have the luxury of booking the clients that I’ll really enjoy working with. With new clients, I always ask questions like, “How did you find me?” When I hear Yelp, I always express my love of Yelp and tell people how important it is for my business. Then they see a link to Yelp in my email signature, reviews posted on my website and Facebook—it reinforces the importance of Yelp. It’s a great way to organically encourage them ultimately writing a review about me—it’s like wrapping our experience together up with a bow!”
5. Turn great clients into great reviews
“By the end of the session, my clients probably know the value of Yelp to me. Often times they will offer to write me a review. If they do, I always respond with a huge thank you and encourage them to follow through with it. Positive reviews are such a feel-good thing. To me, it’s way better than receiving a thank you card in the mail, it’s my clients helping my business grow.”
Hear more from Ashley:
The information above is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice and may not be suitable for your circumstances. Unless stated otherwise, references to third-party links, services, or products do not constitute endorsement by Yelp.