The growing influence of online reviews
Reviews are everywhere, from Amazon to Google; you’ve probably read reviews yourself before calling a local business in the past year. But have you put a system in place to get business reviews from YOUR clients that are happy with your product or service? If not, keep reading!
Reviews have massive implications for local businesses. In 2017, it’s estimated that online reviews influence local search results by 10%. Now, that may not seem like much, but 10% will sometimes be the difference between getting on the first or second page of search results, which will have drastically different outcomes in terms of traffic.
Why would Google be placing emphasis on online reviews? Google wants to be the one-stop location for users’ desired information about local locations or businesses, and reviews are becoming an essential part of that because of users’ perception of reviews. 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2017. On top of that, 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business. Today, users are putting more and more weight on online reviews.
Online Reviews Influence Sales
This focus, by both search engines and users, to use online reviews as a prominent tool in evaluating the quality and credibility of a business or product has led to an impact in revenue. Better reviews are likely to result in more customers. Moreover, customers are likely to spend 31% more on products and services from businesses with excellent reviews to support them.
You Don’t Get What You Don’t Ask For
Most of the time, happy clients simply won’t think to leave a review, they’ll forget, or they may not know how. So what can you do to get those positive reviews online? The first, most important thing you can do is to start asking for reviews today. When you complete a job, ask if they are happy with your service. If so, ask if they would be so kind as to leave a review on Google or Facebook.
Other strategies that can help with managing your online reviews include your responses to them. Whether positive or negative, it’s important to respond to them publicly with an upbeat and respectful attitude. If it’s a positive review, say more than a simple “Thank you.” Personalize each response to the reviewer, acknowledging and addressing their specific praise with gratitude. You can view examples of responses to positive reviews by checking out our Google reviews. If it’s a negative review, call the client directly to see if they will remove the review, if you rectify the situation to their satisfaction. If that is not likely, thank them for their feedback. Be polite and professional, it’s also wise to ask someone to read your response before posting.
Brew City Marketing helps our clients get reviews from past and current clients using review management software. An email is sent that conveniently routes your customers right to the web pages where they can submit a review of your business. The software gives you the ability to simply ask customers if they’d like to provide feedback and review your business. With an active system, you increase the chances that your customers will leave a positive review by reaching out to them first. On top of that, you will connect with unhappy customers before they knock your review score online.
Managing your online reviews will have a brilliant effect on your business, you just need to be proactive, and the best way to do that is to have a strategy and system.
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