Yelp Advertiser for Auto Repair Shops: The Dangers & Better Alternatives

> **TL;DR:** Yelp can harm your auto shop's reputation with negative reviews and filtered positive ones. Instead of relying solely on Yelp, create your own website to showcase your best work and control your online narrative. This allows you to highlight your successes and avoid customer bullying. In our consumer-centric society, people turn to reviews when they need to make a buying decision. Many auto repair shop owners become a **Yelp advertiser** hoping it will drive more customers through the door — and while Yelp has real reach, the platform comes with serious risks that most shop owners don't discover until it's too late. People also turn to Yelp when they are angry and dissatisfied. If you are using a Yelp page for your auto shop, you are doing the right thing, but it's not enough — and paying to be a Yelp advertiser can actually make the problem worse. Yelp is great when things are going well. [Studies show](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/how-much-power-does-a-yelp-review-have/2013/05/22/6b8f961c-c210-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.649ddc444397) that a positive rating on Yelp can quickly boost sales, but a couple of bad reviews can be devastating to your business. Many small business owners, including auto shops, are frustrated with Yelp due to the amount of bad publicity it provides for their business. Unfortunately, Yelp is too big and powerful to ignore, but there is something you can do about it. ## One Frustrated Customer Can Ruin Your Reputation When you’re only using Yelp as your primary source of [online advertising](/pricing), you are not displaying your best work. Yelp reviews quickly become a breeding ground for photos of mistakes and errors, and that can soon become what your auto repair shop is known for. You need an [auto shop website](/services/website-design) where you can show the world your passion. When you have your own website, you call the shots. Between all the disgruntled and unreasonable customers who complain on Yelp, there are many excellent jobs you’ve done. Give yourself a chance to show the world your work, on your own website.  ## Customers Bully You With a quick Google search, you can find the public opinion of Yelp, especially as it pertains to small business. **Small business owners HATE Yelp. Why?** In 2014, there was an [FTC investigation](https://www.fastcompany.com/3028725/ftc-subpoena-revelations-send-yelps-stock-price-tumbling) of Yelp because many local business owners thought that the company was filtering out good reviews to push business owners to advertise on their platform. Many businesses attempted to sue Yelp, but the case was thrown out. Here’s the thing. Yelp filters out many reviews according to their algorithm. This means that some of your four and five-star reviews can get filtered out, leaving one and two-star reviews in place. Why would you ever want to take a chance with a platform that isn’t on your side? We live in a world where the consumer always comes first, and of course, that is important, but business owners need representation as well. Your auto shop website is your best form of positive representation.  ## What Can You Do? First, understand that Yelp is not the best place to put your money. Take that money and invest in your shop’s website design. If you have an old or outdated website, we specialize in providing auto shops with sites that: - Represent your auto repair shop in the best light - Showcase your best work while remaining honest - Outrank your competition using the best [SEO tactics and strategies](/services/managed-local-seo) You don't need Yelp to find business online. You need a fantastic auto shop website that allows you to grow your business without worrying about every little review. For a deeper look at how [automotive local SEO](/blog/automotive-local-seo) works and why it outperforms paid directory listings, see our dedicated guide. And if you're ready to build a structured plan around your marketing budget, our [auto repair shop marketing plan guide](/blog/auto-repair-marketing-plan-guide) walks through exactly how to allocate spend across the channels that actually drive customers.