Revamped Yelp for Business Interface Debuts

Yelp kicked off the week by introducing “entirely reimagined” platform Yelp for Business, as well as several features enabling business to better communicate their revamped operational models during the coronavirus pandemic. Business owners on Yelp began seeing the new Yelp for Business upon logging into the business directory and crowdsourced review forum Monday morning. Product manager Jason Purdy detailed the new experience in a blog post Monday, saying that the new design is more intuitive and personalized, as well as quicker. When business owners log in, they will see recommendation cards with tips for how they can strengthen their presence on the platform, along with step-by-step prompts. Questions that customers may be asking—such as whether a business is offering delivery during the Covid-19 crisis—will be featured on the homepage, and they can be answered with one click, after which the Amenities section of their pages will be updated. The new Business Information page provides a clear view of how pages appear to consumers, giving business owners a look at which sections warrant edits or improvements. A new notification center provides business owners with updates from every page in their account, such as consumer interactions with those pages. [kickout id="1"] Yelp for Business also provides general marketing best practices and guides to free and paid Yelp products that are available to businesses, with increased personalization surfacing content and products that are relevant to specific types of businesses. Purdy wrote, “Part of the beauty of the new modular design is that there’s room to grow: We’re committed to continually improving the Yelp experience for business owners, and we already look forward to introducing you to what comes next.” As for the other new features that were added Monday, virtual service offerings will now appear on the pages of businesses that offer services such as virtual consultations, classes, tours, shows and performances. They are free-of-charge for business owners to set up. [kickout id="2"] Businesses can also add personalized banners to their pages, where they can share information on what they are doing in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as updated business hours. Yelp said over 224,000 business have shared personalized messages with their customers already. [kickout id="3"] Availability and offerings during Covid-19 can be showcased via new badges and business highlights. [kickout id="4"] Next on tap for Yelp: Businesses will soon be able to indicate the availability of curbside pickup, which will be searchable in the Yelp application. And Yelp Collections will appear in search results for the first time ever, enabling users to discover curated lists of open, relevant businesses, created by Yelp’s community team. Yelp head of consumer product Akhil Kuduvalli said in a blog post, “As government leaders across the country begin to map out plans for reopening local economies, we anticipate the needs of consumers and businesses to evolve. We’re dedicated to listening to the needs of our community of local businesses and consumers as they continue to adapt.”

Coronavirus

Revamped Yelp for Business Interface Debuts

New features for pages were added with Covid-19 in mind

David Cohen

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David Cohen