You might be of the opinion that the time of Yelp has passed, and it’s no longer useful anymore. You’d be wrong.

Yelp is still not merely relevant but also essential for small business in this time of instant social signals blasting your reputation across the Web. To illustrate this further we thought we would share a boatload of reasons why your small business should still care about Yelp. This ought to enlighten you about the opportunity that Yelp still presents.

10 reasons to use Yelp even more than ever!

• 90 percent of Yelp users say that positive reviews affect their buying choices, and the majority of those reviews are written ones.
• 93 percent of people that conduct research on review sites typically make purchases at the businesses they search.
• There is an $8,000 average improvement in annual revenue for small businesses that use Yelp for their business.
• There is a $23,000 average increase in revenues for those who chose to advertise on Yelp.
• 77 percent of Yelp users report an improved concentration on customer service after using Yelp.
• Despite all this, 87 percent of small businesses still haven’t embraced Yelp in a meaningful way.
• Reviewers that praise your “customer service”: are more likely to provide 5 star reviews.
• Each star earned generates a 5-9% jump in revenues earned.
• Yelp favors small businesses over large chains.
• Yelp’s new “Call to Action” button will bring customers straight from your Yelp page to your website where a transaction can happen.

Review sites like Yelp offer a enormous opportunity for small business. With so many consumers using online reviews and basing their shopping and purchasing decisions so heavily on them, it would be smart to get the most from such an obvious outlet for positive feedback about your site. In addition to that, the chance to promote, solidify, and engage about your brand is priceless.

You may have heard that Yelp was yesterday’s news, and that it wasn’t important to your small business today. That’s likely your competition talking!

If you have a local business, Yelp is more important than ever before for the reputation and marketing of your business, and if you don’t believe us, just ask your competitors! We would like to present you with a load of reasons why your business should concern yourself with Yelp. We hope it opens up your eyes about the opportunity that is still on Yelp. Here goes!

A ton of reasons to use Yelp

• 90 percent of Yelp users state that positive reviews influence their buying choices, and the majority of those reviews are written ones.
• 93 percent of those who conduct research on review sites typically buy things at the businesses for which they search.
• There is an $8,000 average improvement in annual revenue for small businesses that use Yelp for their business.
• There is a $23,000 average improvement in revenues for businesses that advertise on Yelp.
• 77 percent of Yelp users report an improved focus on customer service after using Yelp.
• Despite all of this, 87 percent of small businesses still haven’t embraced Yelp in a meaningful way.
• Reviewers that praise your “customer service”: are more likely to offer 5 star reviews.
• Each star earned results in a 5-9% jump in revenues earned.
• Yelp favors small businesses over large chains.
• Yelp’s new “Call to Action” button will bring customers directly from your Yelp page to your website where a transaction can take place.

Yelp is far from history the online review space. It still provides a tremendous opportunity for small business. As many online shoppers investigate online reviews and base their buying decisions on them, it is fiscally careless to not use such a fantastic site for positive feedback about your brand. Yelp also offers you the chance to engage with the public you seek to attract in a substantive and palpable way.

You might be of the opinion that Yelp has passed it’s time, and it’s not relevant any longer. You would be wrong.

Yelp is still not simply relevant but also essential for small business in this day and age of instant social signals blasting your reputation across the Web. To illustrate this even more we decided to share a ton of the reasons why your small business should still care about Yelp. This ought to enlighten you about the opportunity that Yelp still presents.

10 good reasons to use Yelp more than before!

• 90 percent of Yelp users state that positive reviews affect their buying choices, and most of those reviews are written ones.
• 93 percent of people who conduct research on review sites typically buy things at the businesses they search.
• There is an $8,000 average improvement in annual revenues for small businesses that use Yelp for their business.
• There is a $23,000 average surge in revenues for businesses that chose to advertise on Yelp.
• 77 percent of Yelp users report an improved concentration on customer service after using Yelp.
• Despite all this, 87 percent of small businesses still haven’t embraced Yelp in a significant way.
• Reviewers that praise your “customer service”: are more inclined to provide 5 star reviews.
• Each star earned results in a 5-9% jump in revenues earned.
• Yelp favors small businesses over large chains.
• Yelp’s new “Call to Action” button can bring customers directly from your Yelp page to your site where a transaction can take place.

Review sites like Yelp offer a enormous opportunity for small business. Because of so many consumers using online reviews and basing their shopping and purchasing decisions so heavily on them, it would be smart to make the most of such an obvious outlet for positive feedback concerning your site. Not only that, the chance to promote, solidify, and engage about your brand is invaluable.

One of Google’s latest creations is the introduction of Google Business Photos. This is the virtual presentation of your place of business in a panoramic 360 degree picture located in search, your Google+ page or in Maps. You also have the option of embedding it on your site or social media properties.

How does Google Business Photos benefit you?

Google Business Photos is a great way to invite searchers inside your business virtually. They can see and get a feel for what you do, and begin to learn how you can help them. But, the best part about these photos is they really separate your listings from the rest. The panoramic view of your pictures, when compared to regular text search results right next to you makes it nearly impossible for the searcher not to click on your website. Yet another major benefit is that by implementing this program, you are further cementing your place as the authority for this brand. This can help in a number of ways, among them search rankings and reputation management.

How do you get these photos made?

While you may be all fired up and want to grab your phone and start snapping shots, you need to know that at this time, Google requires business owners to utilize a Google Business Photos Trusted Photographer. These photographers have undergone training by Google in exactly how to not only create the pictures, but how to best enhance them. After you locate one, (a Google search – Google Business Photos Trusted Photographer + Your City) should suffice; you make an appointment. You’ll be given tips on how to best stage and prepare your business for the shoot, which takes approximately one hour. Since this is about showing off your establishment, you don’t need to be in the pictures. In fact, Google wants as few humans as possible in them.

If this seems like a great way to enhance your Google+ Local listing, then you need to get the ball rolling today!

A new option to make your Google+ Local listings stand out from the crowd has recently been introduced, and it’s called Google Business Photos. This is a series of photos of your place of business, taken in a panoramic style and attached to your search, Google+ page, and Maps entries. You will also have the option of placing it on your site and Facebook or other social media accounts.

How does Google Business Photos benefit you?

Google Business Photos is a fantastic way to invite searchers inside your business virtually. They can see and get a feel for what you do, and begin to learn how you can help them. But, the best part about these photos is they really separate your listings from the others. The panoramic view of your pictures, when compared to regular text search results next to you makes it nearly impossible for the searcher not to click on your website. Yet another major benefit is that by implementing this program, you are further cementing your place as the authority for your brand. This will help in a number of ways, among them search rankings and reputation management.

How do you get started with Google Business Photos?

While you may be all fired up and want to grab your phone and start snapping shots, you need to know that currently, Google requires business owners to utilize a Google Business Photos Trusted Photographer. These photographers have undergone training by Google in exactly how to not only create the pictures, but how to best enhance them. After you find one, (a Google search – Google Business Photos Trusted Photographer + Your City) should suffice; you make an appointment. You’ll get tips on how to best stage and prepare your business for the shoot, which takes approximately one hour. Since this is about showing off your establishment, you don’t have to be in the pictures. In fact, Google wants as few humans as possible in them.

If this sounds like a great way to enhance your Google+ Local listing, then you need to get the ball rolling today!

One of Google’s latest creations is the introduction of Google Business Photos. It is a virtual presentation of your place of business in a panoramic 360 degree picture found in search, your Google+ page or in Maps. You also have the option of embedding it on your site or social media properties.

Why is Google Business Photos a good idea?

Google Business Photos is a fantastic way to invite searchers into your business virtually. They can see and get a feel for what you do, and start to understand how you may be able to help them. However, the best part about these photos is they really separate your listings from the others. The panoramic view of your pictures, when compared to regular text search results right next to you makes it nearly impossible for the searcher not to click on yours. Another major benefit is that by implementing this program, you are further cementing your place as the authority for this brand. This can help in a number of ways, among them search rankings and reputation management.

How do you get started with Google Business Photos?

It’s tempting to run right out and start snapping away with your camera, but you ought to know that Google requires these images to be made by a Google Business Photos Trusted Photographer. That’s mouthful to say that these professional photographers are trained in how to create these for Google. You need to hire one on your own, but it’s worth the cost, as they know how to present your business in a way that will work well on Google. You set the appointment, and then plan on “staging” your shoot. It usually takes about an hour, and Google wants to see as few humans in them as is possible, we’re talking ambience and atmosphere, minus people here.

If this looks like a great way to enhance your Google+ Local listing, then you need to get the ball rolling today!

Social media is a fantastic tool. It can enable you to reach thousands of people with the click of a mouse. It can also be a tsunami of bad news in the event you fail to monitor your social channels on a daily basis. Making sure you are knowledgeable of the conversations happening about you and your brand online is or needs to be regular part of your online reputation management. This could have a beneficial effect on both keeping a lid on brewing problems as well as boosting the chances for conversions. The issue always is how you can do this without having to spend hours online. The good thing is that it can be accomplished quickly and efficiently, as outlined by HubSpot.

How to maintain your social media online

• Social media monitoring tools like TweetDeck or HootSuite are invaluable on the subject of saving time, and viewing most if not all of your social media in one location. They are easy to use, have free versions, and can make it easy to get into the habit of checking on your social media daily.
• Google Reader and Google Alerts have been very useful tools to marketers that were focused on monitoring the buzz around their products or brands. Nonetheless, recently Google has decided to end Reader, and Alerts seems to be broken. Many have been wondering where to find a useable alternative. Here are a couple you might look into: NewsBlur, AOL Reader, or Flipboard for mobile. For Google Alerts try TalkWalker or Social Mention.
• Scan for questions or comments on your blog, social networks, videos, and your Facebook pages. Answer anything pressing, particularly those that seem to be unhappy or confused about your products or services. This can head off scads of trouble!

Monitoring your social media world doesn’t have to take hours or anything special other than diligence. The key is getting and staying organized, and making use of the tools out there to make this task less burdensome. The benefits far outweigh the trouble!

Social media is a fantastic tool. It can allow you to reach thousands of people with the click of a mouse. It can also be a tsunami of bad news should you fail to monitor your social channels on a daily basis. Ensuring that you are knowledgeable of the conversations happening in regards to you and your brand online is or ought to be regular part of your online reputation management. This can have a very beneficial effect on both keeping a lid on brewing problems in addition to boosting the chances for conversions. The issue always is how you can do this without having to spend hours online. The good thing is it can be done quickly and efficiently, as outlined by HubSpot.

How to keep track your social media conversations

• Use available tools like TweetDeck or HootSuite to monitor social media mentions of on several platforms. These are very easy to configure, and allow you to see at a glance a broad summary of what’s happening across your social channels.
• Since Google has recently decided to end Google Reader and Google Alerts seems to be broken, marketers who have depended on these useful services have been left scrambling to find viable alternatives to get and read newsfeeds. A few you can consider are NewsBlur, AOL Reader and for mobile, Flipboard. For Google Alerts try TalkWalker or Social Mention.
• Make sure you take a look at blogs, social networks, videos, and your Facebook pages for questions or concerns. Answering and dealing with these at the early stages can help you avoid trouble and also lead to greater sales and conversions.

Monitoring your social media world doesn’t have to take hours or anything special other than attentiveness. The key is getting and staying organized, and using the tools available to make this task less burdensome. The rewards far outweigh the trouble!

Social media happens in the wink of an eye. Word travels so quickly that you may hit the sack feeling wonderful and wake up to a firestorm. This can be most certainly apt to be true if you are not in the practice of routinely monitoring your social media channels. Monitoring the conversations about you and/or your brand online could be much more than a reputation management best practice. Attention given to those in search of information early in the sales process could lead to a significant increase in conversions. Primarily, however, this is about creating a firewall between trouble and you. Cutting the bad news off at the pass is the objective here, and there are a handful of very simple methods to manage this, which of course is everyone’s fear. It doesn’t need to take all day, as shown in this HubSpot article.

How to keep track your social media conversations

• Social media monitoring tools like TweetDeck or HootSuite are invaluable on the subject of saving time, and seeing most if not all of your social media in one place. They are simple to use, have free versions, and can make it easy to get into the habit of checking on your social media daily.
• Google Reader and Google Alerts have long been very useful tools in the hands of marketers who were intent on monitoring the buzz around their products or brands. However, recently Google has decided to end Reader, and Alerts seems to be broken. Many are wondering how to find a useable alternative. Here are a couple you might check out: NewsBlur, AOL Reader, or Flipboard for mobile. For Google Alerts try TalkWalker or Social Mention.
• Scan for questions or comments on your blog, social networks, videos, and your Facebook pages. Answer anything urgent, especially those that are unhappy or confused about your products or services. This can head off loads of trouble!

However you decide to do it, make sure you actually make the time in your busy schedule to make this happen daily. Unhappy customers and unresolved issues will fester and turn into major headaches if you let them. Moreover, this sort of problem will often take on a life of its own, magnifying what started out as a small fire into a big conflagration! Don’t allowed this to happen to you!

If you’re searching for new ways to increase your revenues, then you need look no further than your current customer base! You would be hard pressed to identify a better way to market your company than through the words and actions of your current and former customers extolling your virtues! And the best part is, most of the time it won’t cost you a dime!

Here are 5 tips to get your customers raving about you and your brand.

1. Be remarkable - Easy to say, hard to do. Make it your mission to give till it hurts, to help customers not only find the best of your services and products they can, but in addition point out others that they might like that aren’t your own. This goodwill goes far.
2. Connect with social media - Your customer base is using social media to talk about you, you should probably get into the conversation. (In a good way!) Consistently appear with useful and helpful comments, and take every chance to cultivate relationships. This can pay off in so many ways.
3. Deal with troubles like you mean it - One of the best ways to show your business as a stand-up establishment is by handling the occasional challenge with professionalism, honesty, generosity, and above all swiftness. The word gets around that you backup your products and services like a rockstar, and this is gold!
4. Encourage and reward reviews - Having a system whereby your customers can post reviews is the right way to go. Incentivizing this is even better! Aim for reviews and testimonials not just on your site, but additionally on the social reviews sites like Yelp, Merchant Circle and more.
5. Treat your customers like friends - Ask for their opinions, clue them in on great information you discover, offer deals and rewards for no reason at all, except to foster goodwill. Create a community, and they’ll not only stick to you like glue, but also increase your reach many fold!