Many local business owners rely on Yelp and other community and local directory websites to introduce their business to customers.  Now more than ever, it’s important for small businesses to monitor online review sites and address customer comments, paying close attention to negative mentions as well as positive feedback.  Yelp is one of the most popular destinations on the Web, with 71 million visitors monthly.  Google gives consistently high visibility to Yelp results (Google almost bought the site a couple of years ago) and it is likely one of the top results that appear when someone is searching for your business.

Every business can have an “off” day, but if you see a lot of negative or defamatory Yelp reviews, it’s time for some reputation management.  Read on to find out how to improve your Yelp rating and protect your business online. [Read more…]