I recently upgraded by phone to an iPhone. I have been a long-time Verizon user, but I wanted a phone with a real browser and Verizon doesn’t have anything that browses as good as the iPhone.
It seems that I am not the only one who wanted the iPhone for web surfing. According to Internet Retailer:
A survey by Viewpoints.com, a rating and review site, found 48% of iPhone users frequently use their iPhones to look up specific information online, compared with 5% of other cell phone users. And 45% of iPhone owners frequently use their phones to browse online, compared with only 6% of users of other brands of cell phones.
Viewpoints Network CEO Matt Moog explained that “Our research shows that the iPhone is seen more as an extension of a computer than it is of a phone.”
So what does all this have to do with Yelp? Well I believe that Yelp is well positioned to help iPhone users who are conducting local searches on their phone. The social network site already has an iPhone application making it the prefect destination for those people looking for a local restaurant, events or anything local.
What is Yelp some of you might be asking. Well Yelp is “an online urban city guide that helps people find cool places to eat, shop, drink, relax and play, based on the informed opinions of a vibrant and active community of locals in the know. Yelp is the fun and easy way to find, review and talk about what’s great — and not so great — in your world.”
With over 8 million unique visitors a month and 2.3 million reviews, Yelp is the leading local social media site. If your business is local, and you want to attract the iPhone demographic, then having a presence on Yelp has become a necessity.
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Ariel 04.23.08 at 9:50 am
This post is a little confusing to me — I’m not sure why somehow the iPhone changes the value of Yelp. They have a mobile site (http://m.yelp.com), and iPhones aren’t the only phones with decent browsers. I’ve been accessing Yelp mobile on my Sidekick since I joined the site in late 2006. Certainly it’s useful and certainly business owners should be on Yelp — but that doesn’t have much to do with the iPhone.
David Wilson 04.23.08 at 10:10 am
Hi Ariel, I think you are in the majority. The IR story found 48% of iPhone users frequently use their iPhones to look up specific information online, compared with 5% of other cell phone users.
With more people surfing from their phones, I think it is only natural that they will go to a local social site like Yelp.
iPhone Karlos 05.20.08 at 4:22 pm
I use my iPhone to look up pretty much everything. I love it.
Adrian 09.08.08 at 7:21 am
I totally agree with Matt Moog, iPhone is definitely not just a phone it’s like a pda, we’ll wait and see iPhone to turn into a iAllinone
But i love it as well!