According to the Harvard Business Review, negative Yelp reviews can severely hurt the bottom line of your business. Restaurant’s seem to be among the most susceptible to the reputation management problems that come with poor reviews. Here are some of the ways that a negative Yelp review can affect your business for the worst.
Fewer Patrons
Negative Yelp reviews mean that fewer people will want to visit a given business, and many will be turned off immediately. Yelp reviews do carry some influence on social media, and users will be able to see the star rating immediately on the site itself. In addition, Google snippets may include information about a restaurant’s reviews, which are visible when a user searches for your brand.
In short, negative reviews cause a lot of image problems. Users will see these reviews and some will conclude your business isn’t up to their standards.
Less Revenue
Fewer patrons means less revenue. Negative Yelp reviews are a lot like leaving money on the table. You should do your best to try and read these reviews for critical feedback. If you change your customer service, users may leave positive reviews or take down their negative reviews.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you carefully read the terms of service for Yelp. They do not allow business owners to provide incentives for better reviews, and your site can be cited if you attempt to buy reviews online.
