Last weekend, I had a chance to review the results of the analysis conducted by graduate business students of Santa Clara University. Many thanks to Prof. Kirthi Kalyanam for sharing some of the details on study related to search for "restaurants" on Google, Yelp and BooRah. The analysis included a few questions on business models etc., but I thought I'd share some interesting aspects on customer experience, relevance and how they rated the sites. The graduate business students all evaluated responses based on searching for restaurants in palo alto.
Making Sense of Search Results
"Google uses a combination of keywords, site popularity, and a proprietary cataloging routing to determine the order to present results. Yelp, on the other hand, first presents it sponsored restaurants and then the remainder of the restaurants. It is unclear how it determines the order of the non-sponsored restaurants - although it appears to be come combination of ratings and popularity. Boorah presents the list of restaurants simply by the quantity of "rahs" for each restaurant"
Most of the students inferred that Google did not provide a lot of supporting detail and seemed to perform well only when consumers were looking for maps, directions or a quick phone number. However, this is not surprising since Google is the just the starting point for a more comprehensive search in most cases.
"Boorah/Yelp: Better Dining Experience = Informed Reviews + Restaurant Information + Dining Expectations"
"Google: Quick Location of Restaurant = Map Location + Directions"
Search Results Relevance
The ranking for restaurants vary based on algorithms used by various sites but the trust and credibility in those rankings comes from supporting information. Overall, the analysis concluded that general purpose search engines like Google provided limited but valuable starting point for restaurant search.
Below are some of the typical criteria that were used to determine which site to use in making a dining decision:
* Site Navigation
* Number of Search Results
* Accuracy / Credibility of Ratings
* Response Time
* Reviews
* Relevant information such as reservations, discounts, menus
Google was highly rated them for easy navigation, response time and comprehensiveness of search results. Yelp scored highly for good reviews, good graphical view of user ratings, less clutter and usefulness of information. BooRah scored well when they found search results to be most relevant amongst the three, comprehensiveness of information such as online reservations, menus,discounts and ability to search for those.
Reliability of Reviews & Ratings
Google did not feature much in this discussion but some users clearly identified the two different approaches to building credibility amongst consumers. Yelp's approach is firmly planted in identity ownership and personal information that describes person's reviewing tactics and whether you agree or disagree with their distributions. The same analysis describes BooRah's approach as a model of aggregation and semantic processing of vast quantity of information, achieving relevance through volume and processing.
Takeaways
Google results did not seem to offer any ability to make a credible dining decision. Except for phone and maps information, the students relied on sites such as BooRah & Yelp to help with recommendations. A striking commonality across the analysis is how search has matured over the past year. Almost all of the analysis viewed Google as simply a starting point for certain types of search and a source for basic information. Not too long ago, people would be somewhat confused about what a ratings and reviews site is and how to use/judge one. Now it seems that there is very little confusion about the first aspect. Perhaps 2009 will lead to consumers forming clear preferences on what they consider to be important features in a ratings and reviews site.
At BooRah, we firmly believe that a semantic approach to user reviews provides a unique and valuable consumer experience and at the same time caters to a consistent experience on the phone and web. I'm pleasantly surprised by the analysis that endorsed our approach and feel that we provide a highly relevant search for consumer needs. Our reach and breadth are a bit limited for now, but we are growing at a rapid rate and expanding to newer horizons.
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