How to Build a Review Website Like Yelp

From word-of-mouth to word-of-trust, the way people share their opinions online has changed completely. Reviews have become the key source of social proof that shapes customer behaviour and a company's esteem, so businesses are starting to invest in their online reputation. Sites like Yelp have become crucial, collecting daily reviews for restaurants, hairdressers, hotels and so on, and becoming the top review site in the US.

Creating a review site like Yelp is a thoughtful, detail-oriented undertaking. In this article, Codica's experts provide detailed guidance on creating a business directory website like Yelp - from selecting key features, to combining an easy-to-use interface with a robust technical foundation, to implementing moderation and security. Follow these steps for a no-nonsense recipe for creating a competitive and reliable review site.

What is a Yelp-like website?

Source: Yelp

The shift from word-of-mouth to digital word-of-trust

In the past, people relied on word-of-mouth to find local businesses, but the age of technology has replaced this practice with online reviews. Today, consumers place as much trust in online reviews as they do in word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family.

Platforms like Yelp capitalize on this phenomenon by providing a platform where users can freely share their experiences, review and rate local businesses. By incorporating comprehensive business profiles, user-generated content, and advanced search filters, Yelp-like websites present credible, community-driven information that allows users to make informed decisions.

Market overview: demand for review-based platforms like Yelp

Over 90% of consumers now read online reviews before making a purchase, and nearly 80% trust them as much as personal recommendations. This reliance on user-generated reviews has made sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Reviews a powerful force in shaping consumer behaviour.

Yelp is a pioneer in this space, relentlessly innovating to meet user expectations with services such as business verification, reservation services and targeted advertising. Its impact is reflected in its market valuation - Yelp Inc. (YELP) is valued at $2.35 billion as of 2025. This success is testament to the growing demand for digital trust and insight-based social proof, making review sites central to modern commerce.

History and evolution of Yelp

Founded: 2004

Founders: Jeremy Stoppelman and Russell Simmons

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Yelp was born in 2004 when Jeremy Stoppelman struggled to find a good doctor online. Tired of outdated directories and recognising the importance of word-of-mouth recommendations, he teamed up with Russel Simmons of MRL Ventures to take the concept online. They created an email-based platform for users to request local business recommendations from friends, but it never took off.

The eureka moment came when they noticed that people were leaving unsolicited reviews via a hidden link on the site. Having discovered the power of user-generated reviews, they relaunched Yelp in early 2005 as an open, honest review site. This turnaround transformed Yelp into a trusted site for sharing local experiences.

To build the site, Yelp purchased a database of 20 million business locations and invited users to review local businesses. They introduced social features such as user profiles and the Yelp Elite Squad, which rewarded frequent reviewers with special events. This emphasis on community set Yelp apart, building a loyal user base and establishing it as an early leader in online word-of-mouth.

Must-have features to build a Yelp-inspired review website

A successful review site is built on features that bring users closer to businesses. See how Yelp's innovative features build bridges, drive engagement, and cultivate loyalty.

Business listings with detailed profiles

Yelp is leading the way with detailed business profiles that aren't just virtual directories. They've got the essential information like contact details, opening hours, menus and pictures, but they go a step further by incorporating customer feedback and business updates. In this way, Yelp humanises businesses so they can engage with users on a personal level, building trust and interaction.

Photo and video uploads for businesses and users

Visuals are central to user engagement, and Yelp capitalizes on this with its photo and video upload functionality. Businesses and users alike can upload real-life photos and videos to give potential customers an honest view of the experience. Authenticity drives decision-making because users can see what to expect when they visit.

Direct messaging between users and businesses

Yelp enables improved communication with its Direct Messaging feature, which allows users to contact businesses for orders or reservations. This convenient interaction not only improves customer service but also creates a more intimate connection between users and businesses. Yelp's messaging system organizes discussions in a structured way, making communication faster and more efficient.

Business verification and trust badges

To maintain credibility, Yelp favors verified businesses by awarding them trust badges that signal legitimacy to customers. This verification mechanism combats fake reviews and builds user credibility. By distinguishing verified businesses from fake business listings, Yelp establishes itself as a credible marketplace.

Source: Yelp

Booking and appointment scheduling

Yelp brings booking and scheduling together within its platform by integrating features like Yelp Reservations and Yelp Waitlist. This allows consumers to book a table at a restaurant or schedule an appointment at a salon directly within the app without leaving it, streamlining the customer experience and increasing conversion rates for businesses.

Push notifications and email alerts

Yelp uses personalized push messages and email alerts to let users know about new reviews, deals, and events. By customizing notifications to fit users' preferences and behaviors, Yelp keeps its user base fresh and active. This also helps businesses promote deals and attract customers.

User reviews and ratings

One of the strongest aspects of Yelp is its user-generated reviews and star rating system. It provides a space for consumers to provide genuine feedback to influence future purchase decisions. Yelp enhances this experience with mechanisms for voting on the best reviews, building a community where genuine voices are heard and valued.

Source: Yelp

Advanced search and filtering options

Yelp makes it easy to find the perfect place with its powerful search and filtering features.

Source: Yelp

Users can narrow their searches by price, category, amenities, and even needs such as "outdoor seating" or "reservations". The inclusion of maps also enhances the experience, allowing users to view business locations in real time and easily find the best places nearby. This sophisticated approach saves time and increases user satisfaction by delivering highly relevant and personalized responses.

Source: Yelp

Check-in and social engagement features

Yelp enables social interaction with its check-in feature, which allows users to share their visits in real time. This not only increases engagement but also gives businesses more visibility as check-ins are displayed on users' profiles and social media. Yelp also rewards active users with badges and rewards, turning the review process into a game.

Advertising and sponsored listings

Yelp monetizes through advertising and sponsored listings to give businesses more visibility. Promoted results are placed at the top of search results, reaching customers by location and interest. It benefits businesses by providing effective marketing tools and allowing users to see relevant and valuable recommendations.

Business analytics and performance insights

Yelp helps businesses with good analytics and performance reporting. Yelp provides business owners with customer interactions, reviews over time, and ad performance metrics to make data-driven decisions. By understanding user behavior and feedback patterns, businesses can improve their marketing strategy and enhance the customer experience.

Location-based services and maps integration

Yelp uses location-based services and map integration to guide users to the best local places. Using geolocation, users get personalized suggestions and live directions to nearby businesses. This feature makes Yelp a leading app for discovering best-kept secrets and exploring new neighborhoods.

Source: Yelp

Extra features to make your website stand out

Loyalty programs with discounts are features that would really improve the user experience and encourage more interaction between businesses and users.

AI-based personalized recommendations

Imagine a smart system that actually "knows" each user - knows their tastes, favorite places, and past choices. With AI-powered personalized recommendations, your site can suggest places that actually appeal to each person's unique tastes, making the experience more enjoyable and meaningful. Working with reliable AI development services can make this vision a reality, using advanced machine learning to generate recommendations that are personal and on point every time.

Loyalty programs and discounts

Loyalty program integration is a way to reward users for repeat visits, reviews or referrals. Programs that offer special deals, discounts, or cash back to repeat customers would encourage continued patronage. In addition to promoting customer loyalty, it also strengthens the relationship between users and local businesses. When you gamify the experience with rewards and promotions, you create a more engaging and worthwhile platform, stimulating not only user activity but also business development.

By incorporating these advanced features, your Yelp-like platform will provide an even more personal, engaging, and rewarding experience for both users and businesses.

Your 7-step guide to building a Yelp-like website

To build a Yelp-style review site, you need more than just technical know-how - you need a vision for a community-driven site where experiences are shared and decisions are made based on them. Here's your step-by-step plan for getting there.

Step 1: Discovery and planning

Every highly successful website starts with a solid plan. Here at Codica, we've found that an orderly process begins with a project discovery session, the first step in defining your unique value proposition, niche, and target market. What will make your review site different from Yelp or TripAdvisor?

Conduct market research to identify trends and gaps, research your competition, and map out the user experience. From this information, outline your site's key features, monetization model, and business goals. With guidance, you'll be able to avoid costly mistakes and stay committed to delivering a valuable user experience. Explore our product discovery services to ensure your platform is a success.

Step 2: UI/UX design

Your design is your brand's voice. Let it be heard loud and clear with UI/UX design that inspires, engages, and keeps users scrolling, clicking, and interacting. Use a responsive design that works seamlessly on all devices-desktop, tablet, and mobile. Integrate seamless navigation, searchable filters, and interactive features such as photo galleries, check-ins, and social sharing.

Prioritize accessibility to ensure the site is available to all visitors, including those with disabilities. Implement a strong design system to maintain consistency and streamline your design process. Leverage our expert UI/UX design services to create interactive prototypes. Gather feedback and refine the design before moving to development to ensure a seamless and efficient user experience.

Step 3: Choosing the right technology stack

Selecting the right technologies from the start helps you build a future-proof review website that scales effortlessly with user needs:

• Frontend.React, Vue.js, or Angular for dynamic and responsive user experiences.
• Backend.Node.js, Ruby on Rails to handle transactions and API connections.
• Database. PostgreSQL or MongoDB for secure and scalable data storage.
• Cloud hosting.AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure for high uptime and performance.
• Payments. Stripe, PayPal, or Braintree for seamless, secure transactions.
• Security. SSL encryption, GDPR compliance, fraud prevention mechanisms.

MACH architecture vs. monolithic architecture

The MACH (microservices, API-first, cloud-native, headless) architecture provides unmatched flexibility, scalability, and speed by enabling independent updates and seamless integrations. Its modularity enables rapid feature releases and ensures agility, perfect for advanced review sites.

Monolithic architectures, on the other hand, are rigid and prone to technical debt because updates require the entire system to be changed, with the potential for downtime. MACH architecture allows you to innovate faster and scale easily, so it's the smart choice for a future-proof platform.

Step 4: Development

With a good design and a good tech stack, it's time to bring your platform to life. Codica experts follow agile development principles for flexibility and faster iterations. Start by developing core modules such as secure user login, business listings with reviews, advanced search filters, and AI-based review moderation. Our team works closely to ensure a streamlined workflow and superior user experience.

Step 5: Implementing core features

Make your Yelp-like site indispensable with core features. Offer user-generated content such as reviews, ratings, photos, and videos for social proof and community. Build trust with business verification and trust badges. Integrate booking systems for easy reservations. Engage users with personalized notifications for reviews, deals, and events. Build community with social sharing and check-ins. Monetize with sponsored listings and targeted advertising. Provide insights and analytics for businesses to simplify their operations. Deliver an effortless user experience to stand out in your industry.

Step 6: Testing and quality assurance

Deliver a flawless user experience through comprehensive testing. Conduct functional testing to verify every feature, usability testing to improve navigation, and performance testing to ensure speed and scalability. Protect user information with security testing and maintain consistent quality with hardware and browser compatibility testing. Use automated tools for productivity and iterate based on input. Complete quality assurance services ensure a stable, fast, and secure platform.

Step 7: Launching the website

Launch strategically for maximum impact. Start with a soft launch to gather feedback and make final changes. Follow up with a full launch with targeted marketing campaigns for visibility. Commit to ongoing maintenance and updates based on user input. Use digital marketing tools and user-generated content to build trust and grow your user base. Continue to update and evolve to stay competitive.

Monetization strategies for your website

If you're building a Yelp-like platform, you've got to think about monetization. That's the only way to make sure it's sustainable and profitable. Yelp makes money from paid business listings, sponsored listings, and business subscription packages. These offer businesses a chance to increase their visibility and get in touch with more customers.

But you don't have to limit yourself to these methods! You can diversify your revenue streams to create a platform that is not only profitable but also more beneficial for businesses and users alike.

Paid business listings and sponsored ads

Paid business listings give businesses the opportunity to gain more visibility and reach more customers by appearing at the top of search pages. This approach allows businesses to stand out and attract more customers:

• Featured placement. Companies are listed at the top of category and location-based searches, increasing visibility.
• Improved profiles. Paid listings can include multimedia elements such as videos, photo galleries, and call-to-action buttons.
• Priority reviews and ratings. Featured businesses may display positive reviews, establishing trust and credibility.
• Exclusive tags. "Featured" or "Top Rated" tags create a sense of prestige and capture users' attention.

Through offering various levels of listings, you can suit businesses of varied sizes and budgets, earning revenue consistently while enhancing user engagement to the fullest.

Sponsored ads

Sponsored ads allow businesses to show products and services to an extremely targeted group of individuals. This type of advertising provides greater visibility and traffic to business pages:

• Targeted advertising. Ads are displayed according to users' behavior, interests, and location for higher conversions.
• Personalized campaigns. Businesses can dictate budgets, ad duration, and ad types, getting the most out of their marketing budget.
• Exclusive ad placements. Ads are strategically placed in positions such as within search results, category pages, or users' feeds.
• Analytics and insights. Densely detailed reporting supports businesses in the measurement of ad performance and ROI, hence the realization of better decisions.

Not only does this model generate valuable revenue, but it also improves the user experience by delivering relevant ads based on the user's interests.

Featured deals and promotions

Offering featured deals and promotions is a great way of engaging with users and encouraging sales for businesses. This model enhances the user experience while generating revenue through promotional fees:

• Flash sales and deals. Limited-duration promotions to entice and push new users.
• Special coupons. Targeted user-specific coupons by interest and purchases made previously.
• Sponsored items. Fee-supported placement within "Deals" or homepage feed.
• Reward-based loyalty. Reward points with purchases or check-ins to encourage repeat business and loyalty.

Platform usage and stickiness as well as an inexpensive promotional tool for companies.

Booking and reservation charges

Adding a booking system enables users to book on your site, earning money in the form of service fees. It provides added value and convenience for both users and businesses:

• Commission on bookings. Charge a percentage on each booking done on the platform.
• Booking management tools. Provide businesses with scheduling, reminders, and customer management tools.
• Exclusive reservation slots. Premium members have access to priority booking slots.
• In-app payments. Secure payments via integrated payment gateways to enable hassle-free user experience.

It not only increases engagement but also streamlines processes for businesses, making your site indispensable.

How much does it cost to build a website like Yelp?

Here are major factors that affect cost to start build a website like Yelp:

• The approach: out-of-box vs custom development.
• Functionality you expect to see.

There are many SaaS solutions to launch the project in a matter of days regardless of what you need: create a marketplace, build a SaaS product or a business directory. This approach is cost-effective and offers third-party services integration.

Creating a Yelp-like site from scratch might be pricey, that’s for sure. At the same time, a custom solution brings many benefits, including:

• Higher data protection;
• Site features intended to meet your specific needs;
• Hidden costs avoidance;
• No license fees, regardless of user traffic volume.

Let’s find out the costs to start building a website like Yelp. To make things easier, we took the average rate of development companies in Eastern Europe which is $50/hour.

So now you get a glimpse of how much it costs to create a website like Yelp. The minimum you will need is $65,800. This is the approximate sum of money if you create a Yelp clone with a development team based in Eastern Europe.

From idea to execution: what’s next?

A successful review website like Yelp isn’t just built - it’s crafted with vision, strategy, and purpose. By creating a platform where authentic experiences meet local discoveries, you’re empowering users and connecting communities. With the right features, seamless design, and smart monetization, your site can become the go-to place for trusted recommendations. But the real challenge lies in evolving and growing with your users.

Ready to build the next go-to destination for authentic voices and hidden gems? Let’s bring your vision to life and make your mark in the digital trust landscape - contact us today.