Archive for the ‘User-Generated Content’ Category

As a consumer, one of the most powerful tools you possess on the web is your voice.  Since most people research products and companies online before they purchase a product or use a services, sharing your purchasing experiences with others makes the consumer’s voice a powerful force.  So, when you find a restaurant you really like, or an auto mechanic you really trust, or a plumber that you would never use again, take a couple of minutes and write a short review on Yellow Assistance.

It’s really very simple.  Just do a quick search for the business you want to review, like “Umbertos Pizza in Tulsa, OK.” On the results page, select the business you want to review, then click on “Rate It” under the rating stars. (You must log in or register for a free account to post reviews)

Business Listing to Review

Once you arrive at the Business Review page, you simply select the rating you want to give, and share your experience about that business.

Rate a business and write a review

Exercise your power and speak your voice.  If everyone did this with just a few of the businesses they have experience with, just think how better informed you would feel when making important consumer decisions.

Yellow Assistance CEO, James Ashford, was part of a panel of experts at the 2008 Directional Media Strategies Conference in Atlanta this week.  The discussion zeroed in on how internet yellow pages sites need to evolve to meet today’s consumer demands.

At issue was the industry’s tendency toward advertiser-driven needs, rather than a focus on ease of use and accuracy of information, which consumers want. A post in The Kelsey Group blog today put it this way, “One of the key areas consumers value in IYPs remains accuracy of data, but items like look and feel and the ability to add and share information have risen to the top.

This was good news to us, because user experience is what drives the development of YellowAssistance.com, through the use of engaging social networking tools, making it easy for people to connect with businesses and each other. Tools like Reviews, Click-N-Talk, Send to Mobile, and Tell a Friend enable users to become participants in the relationship.

During the panel discussion, Ashford summed it up, “The user experience is key, and how they want to use your site will dictate how best to design and set up your functionality. Ultimately the users will supply the appropriate content and how they want it served up; this will drive the traffic your advertisers need.”