Directory Concept as an online business is not only successful but could be converted into mega success
What is Business Directory Listing?
I guess all of you have seen a yellow colored book directory where landline no of all the people live in city were listed called “phone book” traditionally. Similarly, Today in the world of Information Technology, as Business and Business Competition are increasing day by day, every businessmen wants to take their business to the globe and wants to have their place in everywhere. To accumulate all the business and business information and make it to the one place called Business Directory Listing.
Prefacing Yelp…
There has been a flurry of mobile apps in the recent past. The newcomer have paved their way with the faith to give better than others predominating in the domain. Everyday chores have been simplified with latest technologies initiating the journey called life smoother and exciting than ever.
One such application that has won million hearts since its inception is ‘Yelp’. Serving users in various areas, this app has covered a long way. Users trust, its services and, the app makes sure that it offers a useful takeaway to the users every time they hit the app icon. But what is inside the box? Let’s unwrap the chest.
What does directory listing app like yelp offers?
yelp is a mobile and web-based directory listing application that serves its user with complete required information along with facilities such as reviews, photos, directions, contact, and information alike.
An application is a boon for the tourists. it aids them finding the perfect hotel to stay, a nearby spa or saloon, a medical center in their surrounding area, and more with the genuine and trustworthy reviews.
According to a study, yelp adds more than 145 million users in a month who are entitled to post a review, share their experiences and photos about a product or services they availed in the past. It has been perceived that these reviews impacted sales with the spike of 5–9%. So if a business is listed on Yelp and has some good genuine reviews can ultimately increase the revenue is guaranteed
What does it require to build such app?
Looking at the growth and demand that Yelp is expanding, numerous competitors have emerged while others are looking ways to implement the similar paradigm. If you are the one of those who is wondering how to initiate, take a deep breath of peace, You will probably be answered of each and every of your question.
Here are the existing features that you’ll spot on Yelp and some additional ones which would be included in your version of Yelp app.
User Profile for Business and Users
User profiles need to be created for the end users (reviewers) and the businesses independently. While the end user will comment, review, post photos and do likewise stuff, the business user will verify their profiles, reply to the reviews, manage reputation and conversations along with the affiliated advertising.
For the end users, everything including the activities done in the past be it reviewing places, posting photos for the same or connecting to their peers, can be stored in a sorted fashion. While the same is applicable to businesses as well. Managing stuff for their brand/service on a review platform like this can be easy and quick with a profile that allows them to control over activities they perform.
Location-based functionality
It is one of the key features for review platforms. It allows users to save both, time as well as effort. Using Google Map, it collects user’s current location that eventually helps them to search desired location/place/hospital/saloon or any business or service nearby their current location within the application regardless of entering manually location by the user.
Review and rating mechanism
Another crucial feature that helps in carrying out the major chunks of revenue. The reviews have a direct impact on the sales of the business. The genuine reviews can either help business owners to march forward on a success path like a chief or can make the entire business fall into pieces.
A study reveals that 72% of customers trust online reviews while 90% of Yelp users realized that a positive review of the app for a good or service impacted their buying decision. And it seems, text reviews play an essential role when customers take a final call.
Push notification
Push notification is one of the advanced and efficient features of the lot because it manages to hit the bull’s eye every single time. The app requires offering relevant content, goods, and services to its users to keep them interested and engaged, providing them every reason to retain. With push notifications, you can send gentle reminders to users to post a review about their last outing or share their valuable experience with a specific professional service provider. Get smart use of this feature and it can work wonders for your business.
Social sign-in
An app is intended for comfortable operation with the social sign-in option, you make the authentication process simpler and quicker. Users can quickly get inside the app via social networks and can perform the intended tasks. The exclusion of filling up forms for registration and adding a profile photo to the profile can certainly play in your favor.
Media sharing
Adding a media sharing functionality into your app not only improves users’ experience but also supplements a personal touch. Leverage your users with photo and short video uploading options and see the spike in the user engagement ratio.
Filter, sort and search options
Usually, users can’t find the information they are actually looking for in the first place, which might make them upset and ultimately it abandon your app. A perfect solution to this is that you include filtering and sorting facility to your app along with the basic search bar. This would help them dig deep and inquire for the desired information in an ideal manner.
How can you generate revenue through such directory app?
Building such app, you would probably like to increase your user base and user interaction with the app, to build your app repo in this competition-ridden market. you would be more interested to start minting money too, isn’t it?
Here we show you with the approaches that can help you accomplish this feat once everything starts to roll in the way you’ve expected.
- Advertisement: Once you have sufficient monthly traffic and your app is opened not only quite a few times but on a consistent basis, it’s time to implement the advertising model. Local business advertising can generate considerable revenue. According to Forbes’ report, 73% of Yelp`s evaluation value is due to local business advertising.
- Affiliate Marketing: It is another valuable step that can help you to make good money. You can list products to buy in your app, which earn you a commission on per purchase basis from merchants. Just an add-on money making the scheme that can boost your annual revenue up to 5%.
- Featured Listing: Similar to that of Google and Facebook, it’ll help local businesses to get displayed upper in the search results whenever a user fires the search query within the app. Local businesses can award you much in return of a higher rank.
- Deals and coupons: It’s subsequent of affiliate marketing where you offer users with profitable schemes and discount coupons and merchants pay commission to you on every deal availed by the end users.
This is how Yelp is making their money from. Similarly, you can also structure your business model to generate revenue by applying various methods.
How much it would cost you to build an app like Yelp?
It’s hard to estimate such application cost without having complete requirement specification. The experts suggest building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product ahead of the project like Yelp because it’s broad, extensive and requires ample of resources. The things would be easy thereafter with a defined success path and a thoughtful strategy. Also, you’ll be aware of how feasible your idea is.
The average time to build an app like Yelp is 3 to 6 months. A proficient team of four to five member is required to work on its strategy, design, development, deployment, database and more.
Wrapping up
The services like Yelp have reshaped the market significant time. Customers are leveraged with all the possible benefits and offers that are too profitable to miss. Yet, the point of discussion here for entrepreneurs is that a broad section of the market is currently governed by big industry players like Yelp and Uber. And entering the same market like Kids Love Vienna and Motorsportskills directory listing platform and competing against the likes of well-established names won’t be a cakewalk, surely. But, we at Zignuts believe probabilities are enormous and it’s worth giving a shot.
Our team of tech maestros can guide you through an extensive approach, complete plan help you follow the footprints of the market leaders with a shade of innovation.
