The Importance of Being Listed: Yelp and Qype
Web guru Robert Scoble has suggested that Facebook should buy web directory Yelp… and we have to agree.
We’ve long suggested in our workshops that the rapidly growing Qype web site is an important place for businesses to be listed and monitor. It’s a place where everything from Plumbers to Restaurants (and 4TM!) can be listed and, more importantly, reviewed by real customers.
Facebook and Twitter are important for most businesses, but they’re about brand and relationship building. When someone, on the spur of the moment and without market knowledge, needs a web designer or an accountant, they are most likely to look on an online directory.
In the past, when faced with the choice in the paper based Yellow Pages, being Aardvark Accountants was probably an advantage, enabling you to be top of the list on name alone. Now, its your ratings and reviews that matter, which is why it’s so powerful. Choosing between service and product providers is no longer arbitrary. It’s based on the experiences of past customers.
Yelp, the service Scoble refers to, has now launched in the UK, providing a very similar sevice to Qype: Its strapline? “Real People, Real Reviews”.
That content is why Scoble feels they’re so darn important.
TestRelated posts:
- Two More Five Star Reviews We’re delighted to receive two more 5 star reviews following...
- The decade in travel: Technology and terrorism Good article at the The Associated Press on the changes...
- PicFog Connects Twitter Users With Pictures PicFog has just been highlighted by Mashable, which should drive...
- The importance of a good web presence to DMOs An important article covering an interview with Shelli Johnson, Chief...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Great post. Ratings and Reviews are really helpful. But, did you know that they are also a bit of a trick.
Have a read of this blog post:
ratings and reviews lie
Charlie, thanks for your comments and the points you make in your blog post important. There’s no doubt that reviews need to be read in context. There’s also no doubt that consumers increasingly rely on them, so they’re important for businesses to take notice of.
Thanks again!