In business, reputation is everything.
When it comes to dining, in particular, how the community at large perceives an establishment may matter more than the actual quality of the food or service, as one’s reputation has the power to drive (or dissuade) new business.
In the modern digital era, people have the tools to offer feedback online instantly, and most all establishments are being talked about in forums and on rating sites, whether they’re aware of the conversations or not. Of all the rating and review sites in existence, none may effect the reputation of a restaurant more than Yelp. Dining venues that are “on site” or otherwise associated with a hotel or resort are no exception.
The crowd-sourced review forum boasts 146 million unique users each month, and is accessible in 15 languages. Many restauranteurs have even found their Google rating to be less influential than the reviews, comments, pictures and overall rating associated with their Yelp profile.
Smaller hotels with a modest online presence sometime struggle to identify fresh tactics that grow positive Yelp reviews for their outlets. Savvy management teams understand it starts with an exceptional experience, but it takes more to motivate guests to share their experience online.
Here are five creative ways to inspire guests to leave a glowing Yelp review.
Incorporate QR Codes into Menus, Checks
Thought Quick Response (QR) codes were dead?
While not as widely used as a marketing tool recently as they had been earlier in the decade, they’re still a relevant vehicle for getting people to act. In fact, the number of households scanning codes is actually on the rise, and Apple recently added native QR code scanning to its Camera app.
QR codes can be customized to do a great many things, including drive diners directly to a restaurant’s Yelp review page. Consider printing such a code on the restaurant’s desert menu, separate “thank you” card from the management, or even a diner’s receipt, and include a friendly request for ratings and feedback.
