By the time you finish this sentence, another Yelp review will be born
For immediate release
June 23, 2005
By the time you finish this sentence, another Yelp review will be born.
Launched in January, and already boasting more than 12,000 members and 25,000 reviews, San Francisco-based Yelp (www.yelp.com) is a free personal recommendation site built around a strong community of reviewers and social connectors who love to write about the best--and worst--places and services in their city and beyond.
Completely member-driven, with no editorial or advertiser politics inhibiting the writers, Yelp boasts honest, up-to-date appraisals of restaurants and bars, mechanics and dentists, and everything in between. There's no pulling punches on Yelp, no unnecessary pleasantries, just the unmitigated delightful truth that is lacking in most other review sites and city guides.
Yelp member Mimi Ting says, "I've used magazines and other websites in the past, and more often than not their reviews are months, if not years old. Come on! The San Francisco scene changes so rapidly, and Yelp is great because the people who write reviews are on top of the curve, oftentimes ahead of it."
Users enjoy following favorite writers, to share in their latest discoveries and chime in with their own opinions. "Top Yelpers" is a sidebar feature where the most popular, active contributors get their moment in the spotlight. The "Best of Yelp" highlights the top-rated restaurants, bars, salons, etc. in real time, literally changing by the minute as reviews are posted. What's more, Yelp members can ask the community for recommendations on the highly active "Talk Boards," receiving witty and relevant responses in moments.
On the business end, a positive Yelp review can have instantaneous effects. Jared Rivera, President of Rivera PR, a San Francisco restaurant marketing firm, notes, "There's an immediate quantifiable growth in our clients' business when people start writing reviews on Yelp. Whether it's a new restaurant, a chef change, or just finding out about the current vibe, Yelp seems to be right on the pulse."
With a slew of simple, fun and useful features, and a constantly expanding "Yelpbase" database of real user experiences, Yelp is leaving old fashioned review sites and guidebooks in the dust.
Social maven Martina Sola adds, "Yelp lets me figure out what's hot and what's not in a matter of minutes. Member profiles are a cool yet efficient way to determine if a reviewer's interests match mine, and thus whether I should trust their opinions. Restaurants, lounges, and other small business entrepreneurs should pay close attention to this site - the most creative PR simply can't beat Yelp's word-of-mouth."
Currently, the San Francisco Bay Area is Yelp's main focus, but as users join in other cities, the site expands to welcome them. Yelp was recently featured as a Daily Candy pick and as one of 7x7 magazine's "7 City Essentials."
About Yelp
Yelp is a personal recommendation site that allows its members to find, review and talk about what's great -- and not so great -- in their neighborhood and beyond. The company was founded by Russel Simmons and Jeremy Stoppelman, with backing from PayPal co-founder Max Levchin. Yelp is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit www.yelp.com.
###
Press Contact
Nish Nadaraja
415.305.8482
press@yelp.com
June 23, 2005
By the time you finish this sentence, another Yelp review will be born.
Launched in January, and already boasting more than 12,000 members and 25,000 reviews, San Francisco-based Yelp (www.yelp.com) is a free personal recommendation site built around a strong community of reviewers and social connectors who love to write about the best--and worst--places and services in their city and beyond.
Completely member-driven, with no editorial or advertiser politics inhibiting the writers, Yelp boasts honest, up-to-date appraisals of restaurants and bars, mechanics and dentists, and everything in between. There's no pulling punches on Yelp, no unnecessary pleasantries, just the unmitigated delightful truth that is lacking in most other review sites and city guides.
Yelp member Mimi Ting says, "I've used magazines and other websites in the past, and more often than not their reviews are months, if not years old. Come on! The San Francisco scene changes so rapidly, and Yelp is great because the people who write reviews are on top of the curve, oftentimes ahead of it."
Users enjoy following favorite writers, to share in their latest discoveries and chime in with their own opinions. "Top Yelpers" is a sidebar feature where the most popular, active contributors get their moment in the spotlight. The "Best of Yelp" highlights the top-rated restaurants, bars, salons, etc. in real time, literally changing by the minute as reviews are posted. What's more, Yelp members can ask the community for recommendations on the highly active "Talk Boards," receiving witty and relevant responses in moments.
On the business end, a positive Yelp review can have instantaneous effects. Jared Rivera, President of Rivera PR, a San Francisco restaurant marketing firm, notes, "There's an immediate quantifiable growth in our clients' business when people start writing reviews on Yelp. Whether it's a new restaurant, a chef change, or just finding out about the current vibe, Yelp seems to be right on the pulse."
With a slew of simple, fun and useful features, and a constantly expanding "Yelpbase" database of real user experiences, Yelp is leaving old fashioned review sites and guidebooks in the dust.
Social maven Martina Sola adds, "Yelp lets me figure out what's hot and what's not in a matter of minutes. Member profiles are a cool yet efficient way to determine if a reviewer's interests match mine, and thus whether I should trust their opinions. Restaurants, lounges, and other small business entrepreneurs should pay close attention to this site - the most creative PR simply can't beat Yelp's word-of-mouth."
Currently, the San Francisco Bay Area is Yelp's main focus, but as users join in other cities, the site expands to welcome them. Yelp was recently featured as a Daily Candy pick and as one of 7x7 magazine's "7 City Essentials."
About Yelp
Yelp is a personal recommendation site that allows its members to find, review and talk about what's great -- and not so great -- in their neighborhood and beyond. The company was founded by Russel Simmons and Jeremy Stoppelman, with backing from PayPal co-founder Max Levchin. Yelp is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit www.yelp.com.
###
Press Contact
Nish Nadaraja
415.305.8482
press@yelp.com
posted by Kim @ 1:39 PM
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