Why Your Business Needs Online Customer Reviews

Online customer reviews are one of the most important ways to communicate your credibility to potential customers.

Think about the last time that you made a large purchase. Did you simply go to a store, either online or in person, and buy the item on the spot? Or did you do some research and read customer reviews about the product and/or company?

If you’re like most people, you started researching before you made your decision, and you read customer reviews in your research. In fact, 71% of people check reviews before making a purchase, according to BrightLocal.

Customer reviews are a critical marketing tool that every business should take advantage of. Reviews are essential to build trust with your audience, influence customer decisions, and improve your online visibility.

Let’s take a deeper look at the importance of reviews, why bad reviews aren’t the end of the world, and why your business must respond to reviews.

REVIEWS BUILD TRUST

Building trust with your customers is a crucial pillar of success for every business. The Internet provides easy access for anyone to check out your reputation with the click of a button.

Authentic reviews about your products or services written by real people go a long way toward building trust with your audience. Not only that, 89% of consumers say they expect brands to respond to their reviews, according to BrightLocal.  That’s great news for businesses, though, because responding to reviews shows that you’re committed to customer experiences.

People will be more likely to gravitate toward your business as your rating increases and they see reviews that showcase how great your brand is. Because you’re being vetted by real people who have patronized your business, those reviews can tip the scales in your favor and lead to conversions!

IMPROVE YOUR VISIBILITY

Your collection of reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Bing builds social proof among your customers as they grow. The more reviews your business has, the more often your business will appear in search results. This is especially true for local reviews.

Consistently receiving and responding to reviews is a great way to start building up your ranking in local SEO. This signals to Google and other platforms that you’re active and providing value to people who are searching for your business — it’s exactly what the algorithms love.

Responding to reviews has a cumulative effect, too. The more you respond and interact with reviews, the more likely consumers are to leave a review of their own. In a survey by Yelp, 70% of respondents said that they would be more likely to write a review for a business that regularly responds to reviews.

TURN A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE

Let’s just pull the bandage. Not all reviews you receive are going to be positive.

But that’s okay! Every negative review is an opportunity for you to respond and build even greater loyalty with your customers.

In fact, a few negative reviews show that your business is authentic. No business will ever exist without making a few mistakes or upsetting someone, and your customers expect to see that. In a recent survey by Forbes, 76% of customers questioned the authenticity of reviews from brands that were only positive. In the same survey, 30% of respondents said if a business didn’t have any negative reviews, they wouldn’t purchase from them.

Negative reviews indicate to customers that reviews about your business haven’t just been generated by bots to make you look good. Not only that, customers read negative reviews to see the way you handle being criticized and how you resolve customer satisfaction issues.

When you receive a negative review, it also has the potential to highlight an area of improvement for your business. It may shine a light on a problem or issue you never considered and gives you the opportunity to improve a customer’s experience and strengthen your business.

Remember, a negative review doesn’t have to be the end of your relationship with a customer. By thoughtfully responding and addressing the issue head-on, you may convert an upset customer into one of your most loyal advocates!

BUILD YOUR COLLECTION OF REVIEWS

While it’s always a good idea to ask for reviews and feedback, timing is important.

When you have a positive interaction with a customer, make sure to ask right away (or follow up soon with an email or text message) while the interaction is fresh in their mind. They will be most likely to respond at this time and they will be able to provide detailed feedback about their satisfaction.

It’s critical to make the process as simple as possible for your customers. Here are a few ways you can simplify the process for them:

• When emailing or texting them, ensure you send a direct link to your Google business page or other review site
• Hand out business cards with QR codes with a direct link
• Post reviews on social media monthly and include a link to review in the comments
• Include reminders to review on your website and around your business

With so many listing sites out there, it can be difficult to keep on top of all reviews. Many popular apps pull their recommendations from listing sites you’ve never heard of. Your business may be reviewed somewhere and you may not even know it! We offer a concierge service called FDS Local that can help generate and respond to reviews from your customers. Contact us today to learn more!

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