Yelp, the community-based platform for people to find great local businesses, is now officially in Malaysia. With over 71 million local reviews posted from around the world, Malaysia is the latest addition to the Yelp family, promising Malaysians another avenue for finding out the best local eateries, services and everything in between.
The service has actually been working undercover for some months now, with groups of volunteer users – called Yelpers – providing useful reviews of local businesses from the best mamak places to the top spas in the country – though most of the reviews are now centred mainly in Kuala Lumpur. There are already thousands of reviews covering an expansive amount of businesses across various categories, giving plenty of incentives for Malaysians and tourists alike to take a look at Yelp.
On top of that, Yelp is also fully aware of the country’s unique cultural leanings, tweaking its search algorithms to match local searches. For example, Yelpers can simply search “mamak”, “nasi lemak” or “roti canai” and have a comprehensive list of local eateries offering them. Also, the app and website can easily be translated into Bahasa Malaysia, while users who check in to a business in Malaysia will also receive the exclusive Malaysia badge. There’s even a “Weekly Yelp” column, which brings locals updates on the latest business openings and other interesting happenings in the area.
In addition to the website, Malaysian Yelpers can also download the Yelp app for Android, iOS as well as Windows Phone. Starting from today, users can set up a free Yelp account to access and contribute to the ever-increasing global community of Yelpers.
