ReviewInc surveyed 1,200 U.S. based consumers in March 2015 asking them where they have read or browsed business reviews. Much to our surprise, more consumers identified using Facebook with reading business reviews than Yelp reviews.
While so many businesses focus on improving their Yelp reviews, they may be missing an opportunity to enhance their online reputation with Facebook reviews. While Facebook has over 1.35 Billion users (as of October 2014), Yelp has a very small fraction of that (we estimate they have no more than 5 million to 10 million Yelpers). Of Facebook’s 1.35 Billion users, approximately two thirds are active DAILY users.
Facebook estimates that 5.5% to 11.2% are fake. Yelp doesn’t report the number of reviewers, however they do report the number of total reviews written on their site which by now surpassed 67 million. Yelp estimates that 20% to 25% of their reviews are fake, which still leaves approximately 50 million authentic reviews. In late 2013, Facebook entered the “business review” arena competing with Yelp, Google and hundreds of other review sites for consumer sentiments. In a March 2015 study, by ReviewInc, with 1,164 U.S. based consumers, 60% said they use Facebook daily. Nearly half of those, spent over 30 minutes a day on Facebook.
Both Yelp and Facebook create user-profiles and both allow businesses to create business profiles. Both combat fake user accounts. While Yelp gets approximately 26% of its traffic from search engines, Facebook gets less than 4% from search engines. However, with the number of users and the amount of time spent on Facebook daily, who needs search engine traffic? Also, Facebook’s customer and business engagement tools are far more attractive and compelling than Yelp’s.
A new documentary about Yelp, called Billion Dollar Bully, by filmmaker Kaylie, focuses on Yelp’s business practices. While it’s sure to stir up much controversy, there is still an important place for Yelp, and the good news is that it’s not the only choice. In the end, the new alternatives could be a blessing in disguise for Yelp because it might help them shed their negative persona.
ReviewInc can help your business get more reviews everywhere and enhance your reputation. For a no-obligation consultation call us at 877-9REVIEW or leave us a note here and we’ll contact you.
