20 years of triumph on Yelp: solutions for success from seasoned entrepreneurs

Yelp turns 20 in October 2024!

Visit Yelp’s 20th anniversary hub for businesses to unlock more resources and milestones of the past two decades.

Yelp may be celebrating 20 years in 2024, but it’s never too late to join the party. Adding or claiming your Yelp Page gives you access to a trusted platform with a built-in audience of more than 80 million people* who visit Yelp each month. Not only that, but they’re ready to engage: 57% of users contact a business they found on Yelp within a day, according to a Yelp survey.**

Whether you’re brand new to Yelp or hoping to breathe new life into an existing page, these insights from some of the first businesses on Yelp can help you navigate your business’s biggest challenges. These seasoned Yelp pros—including a solopreneur auto mechanic, trailblazing hair stylist, and third-generation retail shop owner—have discovered the secrets to succeeding on and off Yelp, and they’re giving their best tips to you.

Explore their advice on these topics:

Making the most of your Yelp Page
Getting reviews on Yelp organically
Responding to critical reviews
Providing 5-star customer service
Managing employees and creating a positive work environment
Building a community through adversity
Navigating burnout and mental health

Making the most of your Yelp Page

[At a piercing shop,] our experience is perceived as scary. It takes courage even just to go through our front door. The customer reads reviews, and then the reviews help them see, ‘These people went through the door, they’re still alive, and in fact they sound really happy.’ Yelp helps the public gather their own courage to come and see us.
—Paul Stoll, owner of Body Manipulations

Back in the old days, people would ask me for references. Now when people ask for that, I just go to my Yelp Page. It’s also a lot more compelling than two or three references from people that I’ve obviously asked to give me reference—my Yelp Page filled with reviews with people whom I didn’t have to solicit a reference from.
—Michael Wombacher, owner of Dog Gone Good

When we get 5-star reviews, I share them with all of our employees. Anytime we get a 5-star review, I’ll take a screenshot of it and post it on Slack and give everybody a kudos for that. Obviously you always want to read those good things about your staff and your store, and it’s really good positive reinforcement for our employees as well.
—Marisa Hird, director of culture at Naperville Running Company

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Customers come to Yelp to connect with a great local business, so make sure you fill out your page with accurate information to make the best first impression. And when reviews start to roll in, remember that they’re not just for customers—reviews can benefit your business in many ways, such as providing a morale boost for employees or a free testimonial for your marketing materials. Start by reading your reviews consistently and get inspired by other business’s review strategies.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• Review response strategies from 5 small business leaders
• Using customer reviews to promote your business and inspire your staff
• Getting into the minds of your customers: What inspires them to leave reviews?
• How to make customer feedback central to your operations

Getting reviews on Yelp organically

“[With reviews,] it’s one of these things that you have to let happen organically. In my industry, you keep doing the right thing and the fruit will come from it. That’s how I look at it now. For a while, there were times when I was looking at [my Yelp Page] and getting too cranked up over it and then disappointed. But you also have to just keep running your business and doing the right thing and know that good will come out of it.”
—Steve Lite, owner of Steve’s Auto Care

“I have always felt like the reviews should come as they are earned. We never told our customers to leave a review, and it’s because I wanted it to be candid. On our Yelp Page, I felt like it was enough to let the customers have their discussion and for people to witness what was going on there… We’re selling an experience that is deeply personal and requires quite a bit of courage, and it’s impossible to research an experience without talking to the people that actually went through it.”
—Paul

“We try to give people a great experience when they come: great food, great drinks, great service, great atmosphere, and great events. Hopefully by doing what we just do naturally every day, people have a great time and want to share that with the world on Yelp.”
—Robert Perry, owner of Tattooed Mom

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Asking for reviews is against Yelp’s trust and safety policy and may also diminish trust in your business in the future. Instead, try showcasing your Yelp Page in your marketing materials and use features like Request a Quote that keep reviews top of mind. For example, you can display customer reviews in your brick and mortar or add a “Find Us on Yelp” sticker to your store window.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• How to get Yelp reviews without asking
• Taking advantage of Yelp’s free tools
• How to fill out your ‘From this business’ section on Yelp
• Why it’s important to upload quality photos on Yelp

Responding to critical reviews

I never make excuses for a failure on our part, but I’m always disappointed when somebody doesn’t have the kind of experience that we would love for them to have here. So when someone on Yelp writes something that is less positive, I really just try to take it to heart. I read every single review, I read every single comment, and I try to improve wherever we can based on that person’s experience and that person’s input. Sometimes I’ll ask for a little bit more clarity about their time here and their experience here so I can really fine tune what their concerns or issues were.
—Robert

“There are times, of course, when you get a bad [review]—somebody’s like, ‘I didn’t want to wait’ or ‘They pierced me wrong.’ In those experiences, Yelp is also helpful to the business from a management point of view to get a real concept of what’s going on on the floor with my employees. I read a review and read between the lines. You can’t just pull an employee into the office and say: ‘Look, you got a bad review. What happened?’ You have to think about it from both perspectives. That has really helped me learn how to communicate with customers, which is something that Yelp put in their features from the start.

“What do you do when you get a bad review? Verify you got the bad review, thank them for the bad review, give a lot of validation—and that has really made a difference. We’ve turned 2-star reviews around to 5-star reviews with the customer calling themselves an a******. It’s just amazing. And it’s the Yelp platform that helped me do that.”
—Paul

“[If people have critical feedback,] we want to have a conversation with them. Let’s talk about what’s bothering you. Let’s tell you more about how we do business so we can also understand if you have different expectations than what we can provide. For example, if clients are looking more for a spa experience, I might refer them to a place that I think might be a better fit for them. Being able to have the opportunity to have that conversation with any client, whether it’s on Yelp or otherwise, is what we like to do here.”
—Jenny Lightstone, owner of Psoas Massage

“You literally cannot please everybody. I’ve done about the best I can do to please 99.9% of people. But it really comes down to how you deal with problems. That’s what separates how a business runs. If you created the problem, you own it and solve it—period. Any business is going to make a mistake. It all really comes down to how do you own up, learn from your mistakes, and not make the same mistakes over and over again.”
—Steve

How to incorporate this advice into your business

According to BrightLocal, 88% of consumers say they’re more likely to use a business if they see the owner responds to reviews. When responding to critical feedback on Yelp, remember to remain professional—your response is a reflection of your customer service. If you resolve the issue offline, follow up with a public comment as well to show future visitors that you addressed the concerns.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• Tips for responding to reviews on Yelp
• The anatomy of angry customer feedback: how (and why) to respond
• What’s in a 1-star review?
• Countering some of the biggest misconceptions about online reviews

Providing 5-star customer service

It’s no secret that people shop out of convenience now, and you can get anything delivered to your door in two hours or less. So we really have to work very hard to make it worth people’s time—coming into our store, finding a parking spot, getting here in the rain, and whatever it may be. We’ve really had to make sure that our customer service is better than anything else and better than anybody else’s.
—Marisa

“When people come in to get pierced, we try to encourage them, like: ‘Wow, you’re nervous. Here’s some courage. You can do it.’ Or: ‘You look awesome. You look great. Way to go.’ It’s very uplifting [for our clients] to do something like this for themselves that they were scared of… I see it not as a moneymaker, but as a service, and a service that I really like to participate in. As a piercer, you start to see people vulnerable and open up, and you get such an open mind about humanity. It’s so rewarding to see that transition for folks—to see them believe in themselves, to see them overcome something and come out of it better.”
—Paul

“We’re a very hands-on business in the way that we communicate with people. One of our values is ‘approachable expertise.’ We’re really looking to be a place that’s on the same level, with mutual respect for our clients. It’s not a business model where they come in and [get] inauthentic customer service. We are really here. We care about you. We want you to feel at home. We want you to know we’re taking care of you, and we also want you to know to respect our front desk team and our therapists.”
—Jenny

[We’re dedicated to creating] a very cohesive feel and consistency all across the board. We’re a team of 5, and our clients know whoever you go to, it’s going to be the same quality service. If you ask a question, it’s going to be the same message. Creating that sense of consistency establishes trust. Skincare is about science, facts, and connection—we pride ourselves in customer education. That’s where our reputation shines through.
—Andrea Ghigliazza, owner of Dermaplus Skin + Body

“Yelp keeps me honest. All of my interactions are in the back of my mind: ‘How is this going to create a good Yelp review for you?’ You have to constantly be checking your ego and going: ‘Am I doing the right thing? How am I interacting? How is this customer service?’ Eventually it becomes more organic, but for a long time, that was kind of a recording playing in my head, especially when I wanted to lash out or I wasn’t happy with somebody’s interaction. Even now, if I feel like [a customer] isn’t a good fit, I can politely and with love say: ‘You know what? We’re not a good fit. Let me steer you toward a business that might better fit you.’”
—Steve

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Customer service is often just as important as the quality of your products or services. As a business owner, even the smallest of gestures can leave your customers feeling “surprised and delighted”—whether it’s sending thank you notes to first-time buyers, remembering a regular’s name, or checking in with a client after their service.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• 4 tips for improving your customer service with empathy
• 5 tips for making your customer’s day
• The 3 stages of a creating a comfortable customer journey
• Key business strategies for building customer trust

Managing employees and creating a positive work environment

We were the first shop [in California] that ever had piercers be employees. Generally they work on commission—they get a 1099 and a percent of the service. I have always felt that this is my team. I want to be able to tell them when to come to work. I want to be able to help them grow. I want to give them benefits. I want to do it right… And I really feel like that changed the customer experience. It holds people accountable and it makes them honest with themselves.
—Paul

“We realized early on that everything was about our staff. If we created a place where our therapists were happy and supported and made sure that they were qualified at the high skill level that we expect, that would naturally pass on to the client. We transitioned our focus all towards: ‘How do we find the best therapist, keep the therapist, and make them happy? Because if they’re happy here, then our clients are going to be happy.’ It also cools the pressure off because we could focus on the smaller group of people and know that it passes on through the rest of the community.”
—Jenny

Sometimes you can have a really challenging day or a really challenging customer, but when it comes down to it, we get to do this. We get to talk to people about running—something that we love. So it’s really [about] trying not to stress so much on some of those things that are really hard about retail and remembering why we do it.”
—Marisa

“My whole approach is, “How would I treat my family?” I treat everybody as if they were my family. Don’t get me wrong, business is about making money and profit, but you can also do it in such a way where you have both. You can provide ethics and do things the way you think you can save people some money and also make yourself money to provide your employees with benefits and retirement. My employees get full benefits. They even get money into their retirement accounts from me, and we make people happy. So you can do it.”
—Steve

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Employees are the foundation of your business. When your team feels safe and supported, your business functions better, too. In addition to benefits like health care and paid time off, consider implementing robust training and onboarding, predictable work schedules, or hybrid remote work. Make sure you examine your non-discrimination policies and accessibility policies to ensure your workplace is inclusive and welcoming for all employees.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• How to support and retain employees in a post-pandemic future 
• ‘The Cheers of Beers’: how a brewery owner fosters togetherness on his team 
• 3 tips for building a passionate team and community base
• 7 secrets to happy and successful employees

Building a community through adversity

“[In the pandemic,] I was trying to figure out what I could do to keep the business going, and I noticed people were coming into the [Japantown] restaurants to pick up their takeout food, and everybody was doing everything on their phone. We’ve got these big windows in front of our store, so I put a bunch of products in the window, and each product had a QR code so they could scan and order it. The San Francisco Chronicle got wind of it [and featured us]. You’ve got to get creative when you run a business, and we got some more sales that way.

“The Mihara family has been a part of San Francisco for over a hundred years, so we’re as old as Japantown itself. Having gone through the internment [in World War II], then coming back, and then going through the redevelopment stage, which is what created the Japan Center and displaced a lot of people here in Japantown… there’ll be challenges, but you have to be open to opportunities, and be confident in yourself, and just do the right thing.”
—Linda Mihara, owner of Paper Tree

Prev Slide Next Slide

“During COVID, I didn’t think I was going to be able to reopen the salon, but so many people needed me to do their hair that I was traveling and doing hair. I realized that I do need to have an establishment to be able to teach people how to do curly hair well. Beauty salons don’t give you the training for that, so by the time [most hair stylists] get out of school, they don’t know how to do curly hair… That’s why I reopened the salon, although it’s taking time for me to get back to where it used to be.”
—Marie Cesar, owner of MaduSalon

 “[Our staff has] been extremely instrumental in continuing our evolution. There’s so many creative people who have worked here over the years. People who are creative with food and people who are creative with cocktails have all contributed to making us who we are every single day. To have an environment where that creativity is encouraged, celebrated, and hopefully rewarded is really important to who we are. It’s very much a collective, collaborative effort. I’m forever grateful to all the people who have walked through our doors and helped us cook and serve and bartend and do every little thing that we do there.”
—Robert

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Creating a community is a small business superpower. Through instability and uncertainty, the businesses that succeed are the ones that stay true to their mission. Think about what motivated you to start your business in the first place—whether it’s meeting a need in your community or making your industry more accessible—and put those voices at the center of your business model and branding.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• Embracing change and reinvention in your small business
• From pop-up to a brick-and-mortar: charting Persimmon Coffee’s small business journey 
• How Akron Honey makes customers the heroes of its story
• How to maintain your small business magic as you grow

Navigating burnout and mental health

“Piercing is heavy, and it can add up. [At a certain point,] I started to feel just exhausted, and I witnessed myself losing interest in being a part of these experiences for people. I think I just had enough. I’m a people person, but I had to recognize that burnout before I started to get angry, which I’ve seen other piercers do. Then my shift kind of changed from the focus on the customer to the focus on the employees. I was still in it for the service, but the service now was: ‘You guys are piercers, and you’re experiencing that magic that I used to experience. Let me see if I can harvest that for you and give you a platform where you can grow and develop and have the insights that I got to see and get paid to do it.’”
—Paul

“My business started out as just me. For many, many years, I worked by myself, but I’ve had to change because physically my body changed and I couldn’t do all the work anymore. I was working 12, 14 hours a day, which fit my workaholic personality. But for the last 10 years, I have had employees, and actually my business has grown and gotten more reviews, because now I can deal with more people. You don’t want to be a stress case. You want to have a life. But I think a lot of mom and pop owners are there every day and care a lot about the business.”
—Steve

How to incorporate this advice into your business

Being extremely passionate is what sets many small business owners apart, but it also makes them particularly vulnerable to burnout. Research shows that entrepreneurs who work long hours with few resources are at risk of becoming exhausted, ineffective, and cynical about the jobs they once loved—unless they seek treatment in the form of time off and acts of compassion. For more mental health resources, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for work-related stress.

Check these out for more inspiration:

• How to spot small business burnout and find the right remedy for you
• Inspiration from 3 trailblazing experts on burnout, resilience, and authenticity
• ‘If I can reach one person, then I’ve done something right:’ A small business owner shares her mental health story
• Accessibility Resource Hub: new Yelp attributes, tools for businesses, and more

*Comscore Media Metrix®, as of March 2022.
**Based on a survey conducted by Yelp in August 2022. Methodology used ComScore demographics and people who reported having used Yelp in the prior 3 months.