I’m thinking of starting some kind of website

[Junis]

Hi,

I’m thinking of starting some kind of website around Italian food
customers writing restaurant reviews with uploaded copies of their
purchase receipts. What’s the biggest problem around this idea?

Kind regards,

Yunis

 

[The Byre]

None whatsoever - assuming that this is to be a hobby. Get stuck into Wordpress or whatever floats your boat and get going.

BTW, the word you probably meant is 'recipe'.

 

[Junis]

The Byre,

No, I meant receipts as in proof of purchase.

 

[Jack Elever]

Is it a business or something you do on your free time?

 

[The Byre]

Why do you need proof of purchase?

 

[Junis]

Why do you need proof of purchase?

The Byrne,

To discourage fake reviews submissions.

 

[Junis]

Is it a business or something you do on your free time?

It is hoped that it can run as a business after gaining sufficient traction.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I'd suggest the biggest problem is TripAdvisor

Why do you feel people will want to favour your site?

Whilst I see where you are coming from, the key to getting people to leave reviews is to make it easy, not to complicate it

 

[Ally Maxwell]

I'd suggest the biggest problem is TripAdvisor

Why do you feel people will want to favour your site?

Whilst I see where you are coming from, the key to getting people to leave reviews is to make it easy, not to complicate it

Cause it's Italian, innit. If you use TripAdvisor you'll be sleeping with the fishes. Capische ?

 

[NewGardenStyle]

What’s the biggest problem around this idea?

It isn't a business. Start a blog and social media pages for Italian food aficionados by all means, and if you grow a considerable following perhaps you can monitise at a later date.

As mentioned above, we already have TripAdvisor and Google reviews.

 

[Junis]

I'd suggest the biggest problem is TripAdvisor

Why do you feel people will want to favour your site?

Whilst I see where you are coming from, the key to getting people to leave reviews is to make it easy, not to complicate it

They don't have to immediately leave an an uploaded copy of receipt with their review, but their score will only be taken into consideration after they have done such.

 

[Calvin Crane]

Mark is right. You must have seen how hard facebook works to keep you engaged even lies!
'Your audience is missing you' - no it isn't
And your niche is very narrow- you won't get volume.
Amazon struggle with fake reviews just the same as google do. I think also people won't want you to see their receipt because of various reasons
I wouldn't worry about complicating getting legit reviews worry about getting any at all.

Having said that reviewsforjoomla are an excellent review website solution and I rank just behind amazon and ahead of high street brands for my reviews section on Style Review.

So you can get a review site built for around 400 pounds depending how much you do yourself.

Good luck.

 

[Junis]

Mark is right. You must have seen how hard facebook works to keep you engaged even lies!
'Your audience is missing you' - no it isn't
And your niche is very narrow- you won't get volume.
Amazon struggle with fake reviews just the same as google do. I think also people won't want you to see their receipt because of various reasons
I wouldn't worry about complicating getting legit reviews worry about getting any at all.

Having said that reviewsforjoomla are an excellent review website solution and I rank just behind amazon and ahead of high street brands for my reviews section on Style Review.

So you can get a review site built for around 400 pounds depending how much you do yourself.

Good luck.

Calvin,

If the Italian restaurants niche is too narrow, could it be changed to 'British based restaurants'? Would British restaurant food customers be more inclined to use a website with the word 'British' than TripAdvisor?

 

[Mr D]

Hi,

I’m thinking of starting some kind of website around Italian food
customers writing restaurant reviews with uploaded copies of their
purchase receipts. What’s the biggest problem around this idea?

Kind regards,

Yunis

Not having receipt?
I had a great meal at a restaurant recently with friends. One receipt between 6 of us, if you wanted a review then you had best hope the person with the receipt leaves one.
Went to a church meal out once, 20 odd people with one receipt.

The one receipt for meals out with more than one person eating isn't uncommon.

 

[Jack Elever]

It is hoped that it can run as a business after gaining sufficient traction.

What does it offer that is different from Tripadvisor or other giants? You should seriously ask yourself this question, because those are companies that you can not beat on the same ground.

 

[Junis]

What does it offer that is different from Tripadvisor or other giants? You should seriously ask yourself this question, because those are companies that you can not beat on the same ground.

I cannot think of anything that I can offer that is different to Tripadvisor and other giants. That is my dilemma. I thought that by focusing on a small section of the restaurant market, I would somehow avoid seeing them as competition. Do you have any novel ideas?

 

[P19Johnson]

I think you idea is excellent however asking for proof of purchase may deter some people from using your site as showing how much they spent may be too personal and having to upload these details may be seen as too long winded to some and therefore they may not leave a review at all because they simply don't have the time.

 

[Jack Elever]

I cannot think of anything that I can offer that is different to Tripadvisor and other giants. That is my dilemma. I thought that by focusing on a small section of the restaurant market, I would somehow avoid seeing them as competition. Do you have any novel ideas?

Offering something unique is the key here. Not sure your idea does.

 

[Junis]

Offering something unique is the key here. Not sure your idea does.

I am not offering anything new. However, could I cover a small ground that is not being done by Tripadvisor/Yelp/Zomato with regard to restaurant reviews?

 

[Carly Swinson]

Your idea is not bad but to make it work you need to spend some good time and effort. first you need to make a website with good design and theme related to your topic. After that start adding some quality posts/content on your website. Quality content is the key to attract good niche and good design will let your website viewer to stick. Also start building your website repetition on social media as well. Move in the communities on social media that is related to food industry or food enthusiast and share your website posts on latest issue to this industry. Do not be afraid to expand your circle, people will come if you provide them with quality content but i recommend that you should stick to the Italian cuisine in the beginning. After you get some good loyal audience for your website then you can start working on a niche and monetize your website. I know it looks like a lot of work but once you reach a point where you get good traffic to your website and you build trust with your audience then things will get fairly easy for you. Good luck.

 

[Paul Murray]

I know many businesses do not like TripAdvisor because of the power they (or rather their users) have over a restaurant. I've heard stories of overly harsh reviews negatively impacting small restaurants.

I'm sure there was even a small TV documentary about it years ago, where some restaurant owners wined and dined a user who's review was directly affecting their business in the hopes they'd change it. They didn't.

So perhaps it's not a case of what can you offer that TripAdvisor doesn't, but what is it about TripAdvisor that businesses/users don't like, that you can improve on? The receipt as proof of purchase is a nice idea but in reality it's hard enough to get people to leave reviews as it is.

People might be more inclined to leave a negative review than a positive one, so there would need to be some incentive to go to through the hassle (and it is a hassle) of saving a receipt and including it when they leave a review.

 

[Tracy Arkwright]

Not sure a website is needed, these type of things can be tested in Facebook, good luck

 

[Inva]

The receipt idea is interesting but a double edged knife. TripAdvisor and Google ratings are useless. For big name restaurants they are meaningless as these places will generally already have a good reputation regardless of what it says on various ratings (which usually will reflect the good name).

But small/new restaurants will try to have everyone and their dog to put a fake good review. So on that front the receipt would be useful. But on the other hand most people will not want to put it up as it could identify them.

I also agree that the idea should not be limited to Italian restaurants.

A more interesting idea in my opinion would be to visit said restaurants yourself and write a review.

 

[Mr D]

Hi If you need any kind of business help then I can assist you with that, we provide full startup solution and all kind of business help and consultations.

Add me on Skype- robert_25077

Or you could try helping on the forum.

 

[Paul Murray]

Or you could try helping on the forum.

Give away advice for free in order to demonstrate they know what they're talking about?? Not likely!

 

[robert0077]

Give away advice for free in order to demonstrate they know what they're talking about?? Not likely!

Let me know how can I help you? But nothing comes free these days..

 

[Lee Oakley]

I cannot think of anything that I can offer that is different to Tripadvisor and other giants. That is my dilemma.

I think you have answered your own question.

If you dont offer anything different from an established site/business there is simply no incentive for people to give you the time of day.

Not all people are innovators as some are improvers but you have to do something different and make it your own so I would concentrate on thinking long and hard about the things that review sites dont offer that is of interest to the user (ie the content writer).

 

[PDQ Funding]

I think social chain do this idea, worth looking them up and taking a few of their ideas.

 

[Junis]

In stead of sending a photo of their receipt, could my website ask the reviewer for their photo of the restaurant's menu instead?

 

[Alan]

Give away advice for free in order to demonstrate they know what they're talking about?? Not likely!

I've been giving away advice for free for years. Maybe I should stop.

 

[Mr D]

I've been giving away advice for free for years. Maybe I should stop.

You are trusted enough from your responses to other people that some of us would look to contact you if needing work doing.
A number of other posters on here come across as helpful on the forums so would look at their business for service / goods when considering spending money.