Bowing to the inevitable, YellowPages.com has launched user reviews:
It now joins SuperPages as the other major IYP site with user-generated content. Of course Yahoo! Local, Yelp, Citysearch, Angie’s List, Google Maps (aggregator of reviews) and Local.com, among others, have offered this content for some time.
YellowPages.com CMO Matt Crowley said to me this morning that the initial reviews have come from Judy’s Book and the company’s own beta test. However, YellowPages.com intends to generate its own content rather than rely on third parties as a general matter.
This is an overdue and smart move. The challenge now becomes getting more users to engage and participate.
Screenwerk 
February 14, 2007 at 10:19 pm
YellowPages.com is joining a crowded field, but they have the benefit of an institutionalized name that has spanned a few generations. Still, what are they going to offer that’s new? Are they just going to bank on their name? What happens when a paying customer sees a bad review about their business?
MerchantCircle.com is one of the only players out there on the other side of the equation. Giving business owners a chance to do whatever they want with their business listing (uploading pictures, blog, build coupons) while showing them what consumers on the web say about them.
I’d be interested in hearing how YP will appease their business owner base while allowing consumer reviews.
February 15, 2007 at 4:17 pm
YELLOWPAGES.COM offers each cutomer the ability to respond to all reviews by logging into the system. It is a great way for the customer to offer better customer service to their clients and show review readers they are taking care of their clients who for whatever reason were unhappy.
February 15, 2007 at 5:19 pm
[…] Greg Sterling says that initial user reviews are coming from Judy’s Book their own beta […]
February 16, 2007 at 2:54 am
Ahh, hooray for Yellow Pages-dot-com.
What I find incredible is that this took them so long to do. Welcome to 2004. Elephants are born in less time than their product features.
Meantime, Kudzu.com in BellSouth’s home market of Atlanta has 75,000 reviews. Embarrassing.
Also, where’s the effort to build meaningful business information?
The online YPs are so thin in detail it’s a joke. A “high consideration decision” requires depth and the ability to compare.
Regrettably you can’t just license this from Judy.