I must say I am an avid Yelper. I rarely hit a restaurant, try a new hair salon, or pick a new place to get my car serviced without pulling out the Droid, firing up my Yelp App and seeing what other Atlanta residents had to say about that particular business. While I think Yelp
is the best thing since sliced bread, in talking to some of my friends I’ve recently come to realize that not a lot of people are aware of this social media phenomena.
So, first things first. What is Yelp? Yelp is a Web site designed to provide a forum for consumers to provide honest feedback about a business, product, or service. Whether you’re looking for a five star restaurant or a new place to get your hair cut in the city, Yelp has the information you are looking for.
After visiting a venue, Yelpers are encouraged to rate the business on a scale of 1-5 stars, write a review about what they liked or didn’t like about that particular venue and provide basic information such as cost, dress attire, parking, etc.
According to Yelp there are over 26 million people visiting Yelp every 30 days and the site contains over 9 million local reviews. Yelp is also great if you’re looking for special deals, lists, area events, or just general information about the business.
Next time you’re trying to plan the perfect birthday party, are looking for the best bakery in town, or simply want to find an auto mechanic who won’t charge you an arm and a leg, head on over to Yelp where I am sure you’ll find more information than you ever hoped to see.
Just keep in mind that Yelpers can often be harsh, demanding perfection they rarely let the details slide. While this is a great way to encourage local businesses to stay on top of their game, it does make it hard to choose where to go. My general rule of thumb: Add one star to every review. Then make a decision. It seems to work out for the best for me.
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