These days, online reviews have nearly as much power as word-of-mouth recommendations. 91% of people read online reviews about local businesses. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that most of those people put as much trust in reviews as they do in personal recommendations. However, you don’t have control over what customers write about your business online… or do you? Believe it or not, you can help guide the conversation about your business on major review sites. Here’s what you should know.
Online reviews are a big part of your online reputation.
Many customers who walk through your door have likely gained an impression of your business already by looking at reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other sites. In fact, most customers will look at least two reviews before making a purchase decision. With that in mind, you’ll want to put your most positive reviews forward. You can do that by featuring 5-star reviews on your website and taking steps to intercept negative reviews before they happen with customer feedback software.
Review management should be ongoing.
Even if your business averages 4-5-star ratings on major review sites, those reviews won’t carry much weight if they’re not recent. After about 3 months, even the best reviews don’t resonate as strongly with potential customers. Therefore, it’s important to keep the conversation fresh by encouraging recent customers to leave reviews via friendly reminders over email or social media. Ongoing review management also helps you respond to negative reviews—or even stop them in their tracks. No business is immune to the occasional bad review. Offering a friendly response shows that you’re willing to go the extra mile to achieve a positive customer interaction.
Boost your reputation and your customer traffic with Leverage Reviews from Leverage Marketing. We’ll do the legwork for you to get new reviews from happy customers, neutralize negative feedback, and boost your average star rating on the review sites that matter most for your business.
