Yelp.com is a city guide that provides users with real and honest reviews about anything from restaurants, clubs and dentists. I have used yelp.com since it came to San Francisco and I am definitely a fan. I have tried many websites like this and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the reviews and the level of dedication by the community. I felt so empowered that I had to sign up and tell the world about Janet and I’s favorite sushi restaurants. If you are in SF and want to find sushi, let me know! J 

The difference between yelp and others is definitely the quality of content. Yelp is currently striving in the social site space and cultivating very dedicated users. Yelp does a great job in providing users the chance to express themselves through their reviews, but also on their own personal pages. On these pages, users can save bookmarks, see reviews relevant to their location, receive compliments, and easily create lists and reviews.  The site is very easy to use. Simply search for an establishment and read the reviews. Pretty simple eh? If you want to sign up, its just as simple! I would encourage everyone to sign up and write your own reviews! You not only find some great places through the people you meet, but store owners do watch what their users write! So if you want to improve their service, be honest and tell them how you feel. My hair salon (yes, I pay more than $10 for my simple haircut…) has been in the bay area for years and continually watch their reviews to see how they can improve.  

Yelp.com has definitely made it through the social network space over the years, and has improved upon their site many times. I was very excited to see an integrated Google maps displaying relevant businesses near the establishment I was searching for. As I was new to the city, I was interested in finding cool places near some of my other city favs. One improvement I can identify right off the bat is the searching capabilities. While they do provide you many options to filter content and find relevant info, the experience is sometimes lost when you want to search for a business “type”. The google map also only displays the businesses that are on the current page. This requires additional manual work by the user to find their next favorite place. By adding more sorting options to the site (Currently only by number of reviews and highest reviews), they can help improve this experience. Perhaps by location so I don’t have to walk as far if I want a coffee? Would help after a late night… 

They have my vote for finding cool places to hang out and spend your money. I hope they continue to add cities to their coverage. If you spend too much time on yelp and find yourself low on cash, see my post on mint.com!