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Top Ranking from Tourists and Locals

The traditional review for businesses is far from defunct, but with the rise of user-generated content, the importance of word of mouth online continues to grow.

Date : 27/11/2013

By growing reputation for your business, you can encourage advocates for your business and capitalise on excellent customer feedback.

Six months since opening, a careful strategy of engagement and feedback has paid dividends for The Atelier in Edinburgh. The proprietors knew that their ambitions for a modern European restaurant in Haymarket would need to be founded on excellent food and service. They knew building reputation for the restaurant would be very important too.

Opening at a busy time of year also helped. Attracting Edinburgh Festival tourists, who, although transient, were transformed into advocates.

“We targeted building up reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp,” says Matthew from the restaurant; “because those sites appeal to tourists and foodies.”

Based on sound service and good food, the owners encouraged diners to post their reviews, and, at the same time, they integrated that content into their online presence, which is also used for booking enquiries. They remain aware that social media is not an alternative to marketing and service, but it’s another important part of the toolkit.

"It takes time to gain credibility on social media, with each platform having its own set of house rules," notes Blythe Robertson, who’s behind the popular and inscrutable blog, Lunchquest.

“You cannot expect your business to be an instant hit online. Savvy customers will expect to see some track record and comments that reflect genuine participation, over at least a few months. Most review sites worth reading have some sort of qualification criteria for contributors, and are valued because of the fresh perspective that they offer. 

"Don't be tempted to stack the odds in your favour by getting all the family to post great reviews, as people (and increasingly sophisticated technology) will see straight through that tactic, and it could well backfire on your long-term credibility."

Online reputation resulted in a recent national newspaper review, which has helped generate further custom for the business.

“To date, we’ve only required minimal traditional marketing,” says Matthew from The Atelier. “We’re currently running well above target covers, and still generating social media comment.”

The restaurant reached number one for its category on TripAdvisor recently, and remains highly ranked. Yelp and WAYN are among the most popular other review based sites.

Rank up your business with a planned attitude to customer feedback and social media engagement. For more information and recommendations, see our Listening to Our Visitors guide