6 ways to boost your online reviews
Our culture has moved into an opinion sharing economy that thrives off of the hearsay of direct consumer experiences with brands. Reviews have become one of the greatest assets to a business’s image. A positive review can influence a potential customer towards that next purchase. You have the opportunity to take control of the conversation surrounding your brand by utilizing any of these 6 ways to boost your online reviews.
Put Positive Reviews and Testimonials on Your Website.
It’s okay to brag about a job well done and the best way to do that is sharing your customer’s experiences via a positive review or testimonial. Analyze your website’s analytics and determine the page with the most traffic. This is where you should place these positive reviews and testimonials. Consumers who leave a review value their experience with your brand and want to share that experience with others. A positive review can elevate your online reputation and boost trust in your brand.
Bring Your Brand to Your Customers
Instead of waiting around for potential customers to find your business, directly interact with them on social channels or group forums. Find out where your target audience spends their time online and bring your brand to them. An interactive brand can become the topic of discussion between consumers with similar interests. Keeping to yourself and being a recluse in an ever-increasing online social community is a means for your brand to be forgotten.
Sustain the Customer Relationship by Following Up with Customers
Many businesses don’t take advantage of the opportunity to interact with current customers by inviting them to share their experiences. Show interest in your customer’s opinions and feedback. This valuable information can highlight facets of your business that need improvement that you may have overlooked. This invitation to share their experience also shows that you care about them.
The People Have Questions and You Need to Provide the Answers
Most of the time customers will leave a review based off of the little knowledge they have. Some don’t know the whole story or don’t understand the process of interacting with your business. The best way to alleviate this lack of knowledge is to educate your customers. For example, a local restaurant that has a process for ordering food online shouldn’t expect customers to know on their own process for ordering food online. It is their responsibility as a business to educate their customers on this process. This can also serve as a reference point for customers that leave a negative review. Just point them in the direction of the information you provided prior.
Give Your Reviewers a Reward for Their Feedback
Many customers may need an incentive to leave feedback, so there is an opportunity to offer a reward for their review. You could offer a discount code that is unique to them or you could offer a free trial of your product. Whatever the case, this gesture adds more to their customer experience. By offering a reward to those who have had a negative experience with your business, you have the opportunity to turn their opinion around.
Give Your Customers a Reason to Leave a Review
It is important for customers to feel valued and appreciated. For example, you have just closed a sale with a customer and you strongly believe that their experience was worth sharing. You could open up the conversation by writing a thank you letter to this customer and inviting them to share the experience through a review or testimonial. Going the extra mile will make your customers feel appreciated and hopefully feel the need to return the gesture via a positive review.
There are more ways than one to boost your online reviews. The minor interactions and personalized experiences that each customer has with your business help boost your reputation. Sharing positive experiences with your business on your website help potential customers feel out your brand, as well as drive a decision towards a purchase. You don’t want to leave a reviewer high and dry without a response to their review. Whether it’s negative or positive, you always want to respond and provide the necessary tools for customers to navigate through your business experience. Without the knowledge there is a possibility of a negative (or confused) experience.
Posted: Dec 05, 2018