Online reviews are
something a lot of business owners struggle with. What is the best way to build
online reviews, while mitigating any negative reviews that might be
received? Many business owners know they need to get more online reviews
but they aren’t sure how to put a review campaign together, or how to
incentivize customers to leave a review.
Interestingly enough,
online reviews have become a huge driver of business. Just a couple of
interesting statistics –
- According
to G2, 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to buy a product or service after they read a positive review online.
- Another an interesting statistic from Invesp - Customers are more apt to spend 31% more
when they are purchasing from a company with excellent reviews.
- Additionally,
online reviews influence the purchase
decisions for 93% of consumers.
How to Make Your
Reviews Seen
Maybe you have
positive reviews on your website or a smaller review platform, but how can you
make those reviews searchable online? Google is one of the first places you
should start. As the most popular search engine, it’s typically the first place
people go when they are looking for more information on a business.
Because of
this, it’s vitally important to have online reviews posted on Google
continuously, this also helps your SEO efforts as it sends a strong signal to search engines communicating
trustworthiness and authority.
As you begin increasing your Google reviews, it
is also a good idea to get a free “Google My Business” listing, your reviews
will show up along with your location, hours, posts, and phone number whenever
someone looks up your business online.
Facebook is the next
best place to build up your reviews. As the 2nd most popular search engine, it
is a regular go-to for curious prospective customers as they search your
business and check out your company page.
Keep in mind, there aren’t many
people who don’t have a Facebook account and consumers typically research a
business before they decide to become a customer and positive reviews help with
the decision making process. Be sure you have a Facebook page and that you
allow your customers to leave reviews.
Another option is
having some of your customers either leave written reviews or a video review on
your website. While this option is great for your website, the impact of these
reviews are best felt when they are easily accessible on a major review
platform.
What If Someone
Leaves a Negative Review?
If you have a
business, there’s no doubt you will get a negative review at some point. No
business is perfect, and there may still be a day when a customer is in a bad
mood and something doesn’t measure up to their expectations.
You’re bound
to not meet someone’s needs. Unfortunately, there are also people out there who
complain just to complain - even if your company didn’t do anything wrong - 86% of people tend to hesitate before clicking that “buy now” button, so it’s
important to know how to deal with negative reviews. Here’s what to do:
- Respond
immediately. If the person left their name, look up their information in your system, and reach out. You should also respond to the review on
Facebook or Google so potential customers know how you deal with negative feedback.
- Admit
when you’re wrong. Either you or the customer can be wrong at any time.
Always own up to your mistakes.
- Leave
a response like a person, leave the corporation vibe behind. People like personal connections.
- Be
sure to ask loyal customers to leave their experience as an honest review
- Always
correct inaccuracies. When you have a business online, you’re going to be dealing with people leaving random reviews. If you have a customer base and can prove they never ordered from you, try to get it removed.
How Online Reviews
Reflect Your Reputation Management
As a business in
today’s digital economy, your online reputation is important to protect. Having negative reviews
can impact your reputation and your bottom line. If someone has a bad
experience with a business, they are very quick to share their experience
online.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is when people have such a positive experience where they loved
their service or product, they will share that across social media (which will boost your reputation). Always work
hard to give positive experiences to your customers, and implement a review
campaign to keep your positive reviews coming in.
How to Enhance
Reputation Management
Working on your
reputation management is just as important as other marketing channels in your
business. Keep the following ways in mind to boost your reputation:
- Start
working on a blog. It builds trust with your readers.
- Invest
in tools that monitor your reputation.
- Ask
your customers to upload their favorite photo with one of the products
they purchased.
- Enhance
your presence online so you have multiple places where people leave
reviews.
- Work
with a marketing company that offers reputation management as a service
and implement an ongoing review campaign.
Working on your
reputation management through online reviews can boost your credibility. Strive
to win customers over with an exceptional experience, incorporate a review
campaign into your marketing strategy, and watch your reputation rise.
For more information
on how Stone Marketing Strategy can help you with your online review
management, contact us today!
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