We are all familiar with online reviews, we’ve either given them, received them, or both. What some businesses are missing is why online reviews are so important and how to leverage them so ultimately you can convert more sales.
Nurturing your online reputation seems simple, but many businesses will fall behind in managing their online presence, therefore neglecting a critical component of their online presence.
Today I am going to remind you of the critical components of managing your online presence and how to make the most of what your customers are saying – plus give you some ideas on how to gain more reviews.
Why are reviews so valuable for your online reputation?
3rd-party endorsement is super valuable to any business as it shows your potential customer that clients have trust in your product and are willing to back you up publically. Research shows that potential costumes like to choose to ‘buy’ rather than being ‘sold’ to. Reviews that have star ratings speak volumes and are the voice of the people. What is often overlooked with reviews is that it gives you a chance to display your customer service with the responses you give. This is why it is critical you respond to all reviews, including the not so great ones.
How to get/increase online reviews and improve your online reputation?
Sometimes your customers need a little reminder about how much you value their feedback. But first, it’s a good idea to ask how they are experiencing your product to give you a chance to mitigate the potential for a bad review. Asking these questions can often be automated depending on your sales software. Same with when it comes the time to ask for a review.
A key component to getting more reviews is to personalise your request. Let them know who the team is and how important and valuable their feedback can be to show support for your business and spread the word. You want to make your customer feel like their voice is highly valued.
Another key component to increasing your reviews is to mix up how you are seeking your reviews. In person – what opportunities exist for a customer to be prompted to leave you a review? Can you have a QR code displayed that makes it easy for them? Can your staff request a review? Can you experiment with the timing of automated emails to see what works best for your customers?
A helpful checklist to make sure you are making the most of your reviews:
- Respond to all reviews (even negative ones)
- Know what your customers are saying about you
- Incorporate your reviews throughout your website and sprinkle them throughout your social channels
- Have a process in place to seek reviews
- Be familiar with the popular words that people use when leaving you a review – this shows you what your customers highly value
The first step to managing your online reputation is to become familiar with the most common review platforms for your products/services.
It is critical for any business wishing to improve customer service and online sales to have a strategy in place that manages its online reviews and makes the most of them throughout its digital presence. For businesses that are unfamiliar with managing their online reputation and not sure where to start, Tourism Tribe has a wonderful Online Reputation Course that will take you through all the aspects of managing your reputation step by step.
