The Importance of Positive Online Business Reviews
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With the growth of the internet, online business reviews have become more important as they become the new “word-of-mouth”.
93% of consumers say that online reviews have an impact on their purchase decision. This makes maintaining a positive online business reputation all the more important.
You can do this by encouraging more positive reviews, and learning how to properly handle negative reviews.
Let’s take a look at both of these types of reviews.
Ride The High From Positive Internet Reviews
The growing trend of user-generated content and reviews even influenced Time Magazine to name “You” as the Person of the Year in 2006. This demonstrates how important the online community’s collaboration is in today’s digital world.
Most consumers say that a positive internet review will make them more likely to trust a local business.
You can encourage more positive reviews by asking your customers to write a review if they were happy with your product or service. Take the time to really read any positive reviews that you receive, and thank your customers for their time to share about your business.
Customers are more likely to return to a business where they feel appreciated and have developed a personal connection.
Also, more positive reviews on your Yelp page helps to improve your search performance and make it more likely for new customers to find you.
Positive Reviews Lead To Increased Revenue
You probably know that positive reviews increase your revenue. But do you know how to get more reviews? There are several ways to increase your review count and boost your business. Here are some of them. First, you need to make sure your listing is optimized for both users and search engines. Make sure your listing includes valuable keywords and is optimized for both. You can use special shout-outs to encourage customers to write reviews.
It’s important to note that aggregate scores are more influential on consumer choice than individual reviews. According to a Harvard University study, consumers don’t read all information available to them and use only the easiest and most visible information. You should take these factors into account when creating a plan to increase your revenue.
Bounce Back from Negative Internet Reviews
Alternatively, what should you do if you get a negative review? Negative reviews hurt your business and make customers less likely to want to work with you.
There are three main methods for how to remove a Yelp review:
- If the review violates Yelp’s content guidelines, flag the review and report the user to Yelp
- Turn the situation around and make an unhappy customer into a happy one
- Push the bad review out of the front page by collecting more positive online business reviews
Yelp may not agree that a review violates their content guidelines, so they may not be willing to remove the review or it may take a long time. Likewise, it may take a while to gather more positive reviews from your other customers.
The immediate solution that is under your own control is to turn the situation around. Respond to the complaint promptly, and be honest and admit any mistakes. Share how you’re correcting any inaccuracies, but also highlight your business’s strengths.
Make sure you communicate like a person, not a business, and make the complainant feel heard. As much as possible, offer to handle the matter offline and out of public view. Provide your contact information so you can discuss this directly.
Even if the negative review doesn’t get removed, future customers will see how you responded to them. This might make them feel more positive about visiting your business.
Conversational Responses To Negative Reviews
While it can be embarrassing for a business to respond to negative online business reviews, it is important for the brand acknowledge a problem and make changes where necessary. If possible, contact the customer directly, offer a refund or discount, or offer a perk not offered to other customers. Don’t forget to include a conclusion appropriate to the situation. In this way, the brand can avoid the negative back-and-forth.
If the customer has expressed dissatisfaction with a product or service, don’t take it personally. It is important to acknowledge a negative experience and try to resolve the matter to the best of your ability. The customer will likely be thankful for your effort. Providing a discount or another contact option may be an appropriate response to the negative review. In some cases, businesses may feel threatened by negative reviews, so the best way to deal with these situations is to remain professional and courteous.
Also Read: Some Basic Marketing Strategies Every Marketer Should Follow
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