The Internet has changed the way everyone does business. A lot of companies that used to rely on professional reviews and/or word of mouth to spread news about their business now have to deal with online reviews. Multiple sites exist for consumers to post reviews of just about any business and Yelp is one of the most popular review sites.
These sites make it easy for consumers looking to try a new restaurant, hotel, gym, etc., especially consumers who are new to the area. All they have to do is perform a quick search of local businesses on Yelp and the site will provide the average rating users have given that business. Users can then scroll through to see individual ratings and what each reviewer had to say about the business.
These reviews have proven problematic for many companies, since most consumers only take the time to post a review if they’ve had a really great experience or a really bad experience, which can skew the results of the average review. Despite the issues this has caused for many businesses, some have handled it better than others. Continue reading ›