Statistics show 88% of consumers read online reviews to determine if a business is a good business and 7 or more reviews are needed to generate stars showing up next to your business name on Google search results. If a company has no reviews, customers will most likely move on to the next best option. The more reviews you have, the more legit your business will look to consumers. In order to increase the amount of reviews you receive, you will need to be proactive and seek them out.
If your customers are happy with your product or service, they should be encouraged to write a review for you. Avoid using your friends and families to write fake reviews for you, as the average consumer can spot these a mile away and will be deterred to give you their business.
Below are 5 tips to help your business generate more reviews, which will in turn get you more positive reviews.
Ask for reviews after transactions – In order to receive a positive review, you must earn a positive review. Most people will be put off when asked for a review in the beginning of any interaction but if you wait until after you’ve helped, and gone above and beyond, they will most likely want to talk about their great experience! This goes the opposite, too. If you don’t impress them, they will only want to complain about you on social media and Google. Make sure when you are dealing with your customers, you keep that review in the back of your mind!
Make it easy – No one wants to spend a bunch of time searching for how to post a review if you have simply just asked them to post one. Print out instructions to show your consumers just how easy it is. You can put these little flyers in their hand and walk them through the process. Encourage them to do it right away when you are still fresh in their mind, so they won’t forget the awesome experience they just received!
Pay attention to reviews that are posted – Make sure you’re staying on top of the reviews you receive, good and bad. You want to be in the know with what people are saying about you at all times so you can know what you’re doing right, and what needs improvement. Google yourself every day, and set up monitoring for your business. You can also check your Facebook page regularly to see your reviews on there as well.
Reach out to negative reviewers – When someone takes the time to post a negative review, they must be really frustrated with the product or service they received. The best thing you can do is reach out to them, not by commenting on their review for everyone to see, but by sending them an email or calling them if you have their phone number. This will not only show the unhappy customer the effort you take to fix concerns, but it will also be a learning experience for you to know how to make it better next time.
Be active in all types of review options – Facebook, Twitter, Google, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Yelp, Yahoo!, etc. – Make your onliine presence widely available. Chances are, no matter your customer, they will have some sort of online account set up. If your business is a member of all different platforms, they won’t have to sign up for a new service just to review you. Your customer will be thrilled they can find you so easily, they’ll be inclined to give you a great review!
When it comes to these modern times, where information is available 24 hours a day at our fingertips, our online presence is the most important part of any business. Reviews are the most effective way to attract consumers. They will also help you know your successes and areas of opportunity.
At Hopbots, we have experts ready to help you with not only monitoring and gaining more reviews, but we can help you with your entire online presence. From search engine optimization to social media optimization and website building to reputation management. We specialize in helping local small businesses in the greater midwest improve their online marketing strategies.