Sure, we’ve all heard how important it is to have online reviews, but really how important is it to your business? Very important, as it turns out. It all stems from the evolution of word-of-mouth recommendations. Word-of-mouth has consistently been a powerful tool for recommendations. The only thing that is changing is the way the word is being passed around. With online reviews, the audience is only getting larger, as well as the ability to promote reviews is becoming much easier.
Buying Decisions
The best way to gain perspective is to consider your own online habits. How often do you look up a restaurant, retailer, professional business, dentist, etc. online before making a decision of whether you’ll make a visit or purchase? If you notice a business returns with a 1-star rating and only 1 rating, you’ll probably move onto the next business. Reviews play a significant role in what entices customers to contact, visit or purchase with confidence.
The more positive reviews you see for a business, the more likely you are to click, visit, shop and purchase. You’re building trust, and therefore building more loyal customers. Loyal customers lead to more revenue. That doesn’t sound too bad, right?
Quantity or Quality Online Reviews
Okay, we understand that online reviews are important, but is the amount of reviews or what is stated in the review more important? Well, the answer is they’re equally important.
High quality reviews:
- Should be well-written and provide detail
- If possible, include a photo of the business, product or service
- Should be at least 3 sentences long
- Provide helpful information rather than criticisms
Asking for Online Reviews
Getting clients and customers to review your business may seem like a science. However, if you just ask, there’s a good chance they’ll follow through. Make it a habit to regularly ask for reviews. Everyone on your team should be made aware this is the goal because you never know when you might find yourself in the perfect situation to make the ask. Your clients and customers understand the importance of reviews. As long as you went above and beyond (like you always do), they shouldn’t be put off if you ask for a review. When you get those complimentary emails, phone calls or in-person praises, don’t be shy to ask if they’d be willing to share the same feedback on your online review platforms or social media.
Be sure to make it as easy as possible for clients and customers to review your business. Add your business to as many relevant sites as possible: Google Local, Yahoo Local, Bing Places, Yelp, Angie’s List, Foursquare, social media, etc. Take the ease of leaving a review one step further and add icon links on your website for them to directly link to. You may also try following up with an email with direct links if necessary.
Online Review Management
It is imperative that you pay close attention to all of your reviews. As mentioned, thanking clients and customers for their reviews is important. However, it is also essential to respond to negative reviews carefully and tactfully. Reviews are your best friend until you forget to closely monitor them. Keep a close eye on all review platforms to be sure you’re responding in a timely manner. If you do receive a negative review, don’t sweat it. Just remember to keep calm and collected, remain positive, do not be defensive, correct the facts, never say the customer is wrong (even if they really are). If an issue did occur – own it, highlight your strengths and share corrective actions.
If you’d like to talk with Pizzazz Group about local listing management and search engine optimization (SEO), contact us today at customer@pizzazzgroup.com or by calling (614) 350-1681.