So reading is not something you enjoy doing, it is not as fun and engaging as watching a video. Well, Yelp knows this, and that is why the company is allowing video reviews. Users will have the ability to upload short review clips, similar to uploading an image.
Now, if you're interested in adding videos, you'll be required to have an elite account. If you do have one, Yelp will allow you to add a 3-12 second clip starting in June. We are certain none elite users will get the option at a later date to upload review clips, though not knowing when exactly. However, it is also certain that users of the Android and iOS app will have the ability to view videos.
"It will be a reward for businesses that go to great lengths to achieve a certain ambiance, whether by having a certain lighting or the music at just the right level," says Yelp's mobile product manager, Madu Prabaker.
Video reviews is a great addition to Yelp, but we're not sure if a 3-12 second clip is long enough when some folks want to set free their frustrations about a restaurant constantly serving them beef whenever they ordered chicken soup.
Also, a video review could mean that some users might not think out what they plan to say carefully, and might end up saying things that are inaccurate about a business. There are downsides and upsides to this, but what's most important here is users having a choice to express themselves in ways they deem fit.
So far, 70 percent of all photos uploaded to Yelp comes from smartphones, so it quite clear to us why the company is focusing so strongly on mobile. We expect the majority of Yelp's video reviews to come from mobile, and a huge peak in uploads in the first month as users clamor to give the new feature a test run.
What Yelp is doing here should be seen as a great idea, but whether or not users will gravitate towards it in huge number is still left to be seen.
