So, you’ve started your business, opened your doors, and told your friends and family, but you aren’t getting the traffic you need. Chances are, you aren’t reaching the right people. Your word-of-mouth references can only do so much for you. Instead of exhausting your budget on online and print ads, turn to Yelp. Yelp is an excellent tool for small businesses to get their name out there without breaking the bank. With thousands of businesses on Yelp, it can be hard to know where to start, and how to make your business stand out. Let’s take a look at some steps you should take as a business owner on Yelp.
1. Optimize Your Free Yelp Page
Optimizing your free Yelp page is essential for making the most out of the platform without spending a dime. Here are some tips we’ve compiled to make your page stand out:
Write Your Bio
Your bio gives you a chance to differentiate yourself from your competitors. It’s your opportunity to tell your story. Are you a self-made start-up? Have you had this dream since you were a kid? Did you see a flaw in the industry and want to try to fix it? This is your chance to tell your audience why you’re doing this in the first place. Personalizing yourself can build trust between you and your clientele.
Select Your Specialties
Your specialties section is where all your good SEO benefits come from. Use the keywords relevant to your business, and mention all your services and anything else that sets your business apart.
Add Your Business Highlights
Showcasing the small things that set you apart can make you more appealing to audiences that value those differences. In this section, you can show your potential customers that you are a local business, ADA accessible, family-owned, and more.
2. Upgrade Your Yelp Page for More Features
Yelp allows you to upgrade your account to include more features, which are unlocked through increased ad spending. These can be helpful for showcasing more skills, showing potential customers what you are up to, and eliminating competitors from showing up on your page.
Add Your Portfolios
Portfolios are a neat way to showcase your skills and projects. Particularly helpful for construction or service-based companies, portfolios allow you to organize your photos by project while giving you visual space to explain your services.
Remove Your Competitors’ Ads
No one wants their competitors to be able to advertise directly on their page. With the upgraded package, you can remove these recommendations, giving you a higher chance of keeping your clients on your page.
Showcase Your Logo
Unfortunately, it takes a certain amount of ad spend to be able to have your logo visible on your Yelp profile. However, we think it is well worth it. Having brand recognition, especially for a smaller or mid-sized brand is everything.
3. Hire a Marketing Agency to Run Local Ads
If you’re a small business owner, you likely don’t have time to manage all of your marketing. You may not even have time to handle Yelp. Even though Yelp is one of the more user-friendly platforms, it can still be challenging to know exactly how to run it. In addition, it takes market knowledge to know what kind of ad campaigns will work in which areas. A local marketing agency has all the know-how and all the time to do it. It might be easier to lighten your load and hire a local agency to run your Yelp ads.
4. Respond to Reviews
Lastly, a crucial element of running a successful Yelp page is staying engaged. Many business owners will create an account and never come back to it, update it, or respond to comments. Treat your Yelp like it’s social media for your company – post what you’re doing, interact with others, and respond to comments. Not only will this improve your credibility with potential customers, but it will register as more activity and could improve your ranking on search pages.
At iCatch, we specialize in helping small businesses optimize their Yelp and manage ad campaigns. We believe that you have enough on your plate as a small business owner. Let’s get in touch and talk about how we can bring you more customers through Yelp!
