In Part 1 of our discussion, we went over the power of online review sites and the influence they have over buying decisions in today’s society. Now we are going to put all of that information into action to transform your internet marketing strategies and improve your business’s success as a whole. Read on to see what you can do to embrace online reviews before they destroy your business.
Encourage Customers To Leave Positive Reviews
There is power in numbers when it comes to working with sites like Yelp and Angie’s List. The more positive reviews you have, the less powerful the negative reviews will be. It all comes down to basic math. If you have nine 5 star ratings and one 1 star rating, your overall rating will be 4.6. If you have ninety-nine 5 star ratings and one 1 star rating, your average will be 4.96. With every god review you get, the bad reviews seem a little less important. By encouraging your customers to leave positive reviews, you preserve your rating and gain potential leads in the future.
How To Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews
Subtly is the key in encouraging people to leave positive reviews for your company. Some options include:
- Put a link to the review site on your home page or about us page.
- Mention review sites in your newsletters or email receipts.
- Put a sign on your door with the Yelp logo, or any other site related to your business.
- Talk to customers one-on-one and mention the reviews in the conversation.
- Tell people about the great rating you already have online.
The goal here is to show people that you exist on these review sites without begging for reviews in desperation. You may start with your loyal customers and then encourage new ones to leave reviews. If they see that you already have positive reviews on your profile, they may be more inclined to leave good feedback.
How To Minimize The Damage You Receive From A Bad Online Review
Getting a bad online review is far from ideal, but there is always that one customer that just doesn’t like what you do, how you do it, and how you operate as a whole. You can minimize your damage from this review by gaining enough positive reviews to mask the bad. Another easy way to lessen the blow is to respond to the review in a polite, resolving manner. Apologize for the negative experience and provide a solution to the problem. This will not change the score on your profile, but it may show future readers that you do care about your customers and you want to do all you can to make things right with them.
Start Now To Get Ahead Of The Competition
In order to make the most of the inevitable shift to online review sites, you need to start taking advantage of them right away. If your competitors have more positive reviews than you, they are going to get more business. It’s as simple as that. Reach out on social media or talk to people in person to get your online reputation where it needs to be. If you take charge early on, you will create a positive buzz about your business that will carry you through the coming era.
