Property managers who are attentive to their online reputation may have noticed recently that their reviews on Yahoo and Bing are disappearing. We did some investigating at Fourandhalf and read up on what the Wall Street Journal had to say about this change, and we have some answers for you.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo and Bing have partnered up with Yelp, which explains why you can only see your Yelp reviews in places where you once saw reviews on Yahoo and Bing. Here’s how it works: your Yahoo reviews will stay online until you get your first Yelp review. Once something shows up on Yelp, those Yahoo reviews will disappear and be replaced with the Yelp review.
This is the latest update and it’s still being implemented by the review channels online. You need to know how to deal with this change, especially if you’ve spent a lot of time building a huge network of positive reviews on Yahoo. Those great reviews are going away, so you need to focus on Yelp and you need to continue asking for reviews and directing your clients to Yelp and Google.
There may be changes in how and where your reviews show up, but our recommendations to property managers have not changed. At Fourandhalf we have always stressed the importance of asking your clients for reviews. You need to email them a review request with links to Yelp and Google+ so they can review your company.
Remember to respond to those Yelp reviews. This is more important than ever because now, those reviews are showing up in more places. Keep your response positive and always thank the reviewer for any feedback. If you feel the need to explain something, do it succinctly in one or two sentences and never attack the reviewer.
This is the advice we have always given. If you have been asking for reviews consistently, you will continue to benefit while the focus remains on Yelp and Google. Those are the primary review channels where you want to see your company reviewed.
Here at Fourandhalf, we have a bit of news to share on the Reputation Management front. As this article/video is being published, we are preparing to launch a fully active, brand new, managed reputation program for our clients. We have partnered with the best online platform for reputation management, and the technology is incredible. We will be able to handle your complete reputation online with minimal time investment on your end.
Your Fourandhalf account manager will email review requests to tenants and owners who you have successfully worked with. Your clients will be provided with an entire page to review your performance and your service. If that review is positive, we’ll get back in touch with them and ask them to publish that review on Yelp and Google. We will also be able to embed a review widget on the home page of your website, giving your supporters an easy way to quickly provide input.
If you’re interested to learn more about our new managed reputation product, or you’re still not sure what these changes mean for your company’s reviews, contact us at Fourandhalf and we’ll help you out.
