Yelp Expands Lead-Generating Features to National Businesses

In a bid to enhance its services and capture a broader market, Yelp has announced a series of new features designed to help brands generate high-intent leads. 

With expanded ad formats and innovative cookieless measurement tools, Yelp aims to attract national brands and multi-location businesses, building on the success of its ‘Request a Quote’ feature.

A Proven Lead Generator

Introduced in 2016, Yelp’s ‘Request a Quote’ feature has proven to be a valuable tool for local service providers. This feature enables consumers to request quotes directly from local businesses, simplifying the process of generating relevant leads. 

Yelp’s first-quarter earnings announcement highlighted a 20% year-over-year increase in Request a Quote projects, reflecting the effectiveness of the platform’s paid search efforts. Given this growth, it is logical for Yelp to expand these features to businesses with a national presence.

The chief product officer at Yelp emphasised the importance of Request a Quote, noting that it is one of their most popular products for local services businesses, and they are excited to expand this lead-generating product to national brands. 

What’s more, this expansion aims to provide national businesses with the same ease of lead generation that local businesses have enjoyed for years.

Enhanced Tools for National Brands

The enhanced Request a Quote feature now includes a new Leads API, which allows brands to manage leads across multiple locations seamlessly. 

This API eliminates the need for businesses to manually handle leads from various Yelp pages, streamlining operations for national service providers. For example, a large home improvement company with locations nationwide can now efficiently manage and respond to customer inquiries from a single interface.

In addition to the Leads API, Yelp is extending its guaranteed customer satisfaction program to national services businesses using Request a Quote. 

This program offers up to $2,500 back if a project goes awry, providing an added layer of assurance for customers and encouraging more consumers to use the platform for their service needs.

National service businesses will also benefit from Yelp’s verified licence program and Portfolio feature. The verified licence program helps customers find businesses with the necessary trade licences, ensuring they hire qualified professionals. 

Furthermore, the Portfolio feature allows businesses to showcase photo collections of their completed projects, enhancing their credibility and attractiveness to potential clients. This is particularly useful for industries like construction, landscaping, and interior design, where visual proof of quality work can significantly influence customer decisions.

Expanding Advertising Services

In addition to enhancing the Request a Quote feature, Yelp has introduced several new developments in its advertising services. 

The platform’s Spotlight Ads program now includes expanded video placements, enabling videos to appear in a business’s photo grid. This addition provides businesses with a more dynamic way to engage with potential customers. 

By incorporating video content, businesses can offer a richer, more engaging presentation of their services and products, potentially increasing customer interest and conversion rates.

Yelp Audiences, a platform that allows non-location based advertisers to reach Yelp’s audience during their purchase planning phase, has also been expanded to include audio and connected TV platforms. 

This expansion broadens the reach of advertisers, allowing them to target consumers more effectively across different media. With more consumers streaming content and listening to digital audio, these new placements ensure that advertisers can engage potential customers where they are most active.

Cookieless Measurement Tools

Recognising the growing importance of privacy and the limitations of cookies, Yelp has introduced a new conversion API. This tool offers brands a more accurate way to measure the impact of Yelp Ads by allowing advertisers to analyse conversions from lead to transaction without relying on cookies. 

What’s more, this development represents a significant step forward in providing advertisers with reliable data while respecting user privacy.

The conversion API is particularly beneficial for businesses seeking to understand the full customer journey, from initial interest to final purchase. By offering detailed insights into how ads contribute to actual sales, businesses can better allocate their marketing budgets and optimise their advertising strategies.

Building on Previous Successes

These new features come on the heels of Yelp’s spring product release, which included several updates and innovations. Among these was a new API designed to integrate Yelp’s content into third-party platforms, facilitating easier access to Yelp reviews and ratings across the web. 

Additionally, Yelp introduced an artificial intelligence-powered conversational assistant, capable of answering customer inquiries and providing recommendations, highlighting Yelp’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance user experience.

Moreover, Yelp’s recent initiatives also included enhancements to its self-serve advertising platform, allowing small businesses to create and manage ad campaigns more effectively. These updates are part of Yelp’s broader strategy to support businesses of all sizes, providing them with the tools needed to succeed in an increasingly digital marketplace.

Conclusion

Yelp’s latest enhancements reflect a strategic effort to attract national brands and multi-location businesses by providing advanced tools for lead generation and advertising. 

The expanded Request a Quote feature, new Leads API, and extended customer satisfaction program are poised to offer significant benefits to national service providers. Meanwhile, the introduction of cookieless measurement tools and expanded ad formats underscores Yelp’s dedication to innovation and user privacy. 

As Yelp continues to evolve, these developments position the platform as a formidable player in the digital advertising and lead generation space, offering robust solutions for businesses of all sizes.

Yelp’s ongoing commitment to improving its platform demonstrates its understanding of the changing digital landscape and the needs of modern businesses. By continually introducing new features and enhancements, Yelp ensures it remains a valuable resource for consumers and businesses alike, driving growth and success in the digital age.