Yelp is one of the most popular customer review apps used by consumers on the go. Travelers use it often but even locals will jump on Yelp to decide where to grab a bite to eat, check out the ratings for a local store or find the closest dry cleaner. There may be a few other facts about Yelp that you'll find surprising.
Yelp released the following statistics in April of 2014: (yes, we're waiting on an update too!)

•  Cumulative reviews grew 46% year over year to approximately 57 million
•  Average monthly unique visitors grew 30% year over year to approximately 132 million* and average monthly mobile unique visitors grew 52% year over year to approximately 61 million**
•  Active local business accounts grew 65% year over year to approximately 74 thousand 

Did you notice that desktop/laptop visitors are actually double that of mobile users. 132 million vs 61 million. Surprised? Clearly, Yelp gets its fair share of computer traffic. It's not just a mobile app and most importantly, its used heavily by consumers. Don't be left out.

Yelp can be somewhat difficult for business owners to understand but your Yelp listing should be carefully managed. Yelp has very strict guidelines about how their site is used and a violation of those terms can land a business in a tough spot. The most important thing you should know is that Yelp forbids a business from asking their customers to review them. You can direct customers to "Find Us on Yelp" or "Check us out on Yelp" but a direct request for a review is a big no-no. Keep that in mind when you determine your plan for improving your Yelp presence and you'll be in good shape. Consider adding a link to your Yelp listing on your website and post a sign near your cash register inviting customers to "check you out" on Yelp. But first, get your listing right...

Get Started managing Your Yelp Listing! To get started, you need to claim and customize your Yelp listing. It's pretty likely that your business is already listed. If you're not sure, go to www.yelp.com right now and search for your business.  When you find it, claim it!. Once you claim your free listing you can add photos of your business and products, add your business hours, include a detailed description, verify your address and contact information and more. You can even offer special deals to Yelp users or participate in Yelp's (optional) paid advertsining program. After you claim and optimize your listing you'll be able to track new customers and user views, respond to customer reviews and create Yelp deals or mobile check-in offers to help convert Yelp visitors to paying customers if you choose to.
It's a great platform and managed properly, can be a stand out tool in your marketing tool chest.

Here are some links that should prove helpful in managing your Yelp listing

• Claim your listing
  Important Note: When you prepare to claim your business listing, you will need to be able to receive a call on your business phone line and enter a code provided by yelp. If you can't do that, wait until you can to claim your listing.
• Don't ask for reviews
• Review guidelines

If you're still unsure what direction to take and would prefer to have some help getting  started, we offer consultation, review site setup and review management plans.