Website Redesign: Yelp

Improving site engagement and paving the way for strategic growth.

Client

Yelp is a global platform for discovering and supporting local businesses. Founded in 2004, Yelp boasts 280 million reviews of almost every type of local business and a monthly average of 32 million app unique devices.

Challenge

As Yelp grew, the existing content systems became overloaded. The company blog served many purposes and was accessed by hundreds of contributors around the world. The old platform had limited functionality and a dated design — not a good look for a company on the forefront of technology.

Action

I worked with a cross-functional team to determine the needs for the new platform and design, then vetted agencies through an RFP process. I worked with a developer to customize a WordPress site to the company’s unique requirements. Once the site was designed, I created a content migration plan and style and user guides for the new CMS. My team produced internal training resources, including documentation and video guides. I lead an editorial team to guide content strategy and improve consistency in messaging and brand voice.

Result

The new blog site enabled the company to ramp up content production and embed blog content into the Yelp mobile site, adding value to users and increasing engagement. Bounce rates and visitor numbers improved thanks to a better user experience and navigation. A successful content migration meant thousands of existing blog posts, many backlinked from top tier media outlets, still functioned and contributed to site authority. Better categorization and design features allowed us to target content to specific audiences and personalize marketing campaigns. 

See the Yelp Blog at blog.yelp.com.