If you’ve ever bought something online or weighed the idea of purchasing an item based on the reviews it’s received, you understand the importance of reviews and the influence they have on potential customers. 92% of consumers view online reviews before making a purchase, your reviews speak for your business before anything else does.
We’ve got a few tips on how to make sure your reviews are benefiting you.
Responding to Reviews
Google has confirmed that responding to reviews improves your local SEO and doing this will make sure your business is displayed higher when people search you on Google. Many businesses respond only to negative reviews as a form of damage control, but responding to positive reviews is important too.
Responding to all reviews shows that you care. It’s a great way to connect with customers that had a great experience and turn them into a returning customer. Responding to reviews leaves the door open for future reviewers to feel like their reviews will matter to you as well and might influence them to write a review they may have not written otherwise. Responding to negative reviews can help resolve problems and show other customers that you care about their experience.
When responding to reviews, especially on Google, it is always best to use keywords such as your location or the services your business offers to get the most out of Google’s SEO.
Having Reviews on Various Platforms
Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angie’s List, BBB, etc, etc. There are a TON of review platforms out there that it may seem redundant to push different ones. But it’s not! You want reviews on as many platforms as possible because your customers are all different!
For example, some people live by Yelp – if you’re not on Yelp, then you aren’t trustworthy. Then there are others who go straight to Google or even Facebook because they can see what their friends think!
If you focus all of your reviews on one platform, you could potentially lose out on a customer that might need your products/services.
Sharing Reviews on Social Media
It may seem like you’re tooting your own horn but sharing reviews from any of your platforms onto your social media helps to build trust with your followers. A lot of businesses have followers on social media simply because they are a local company and the customer may need them one day.
When you share reviews, they pop up on your followers timelines – these followers are then reminded that your business exists and that other people trust your business – so when they need your services, they know right where to go without having to read a bunch of reviews because they have already seen them!
Reputation Management
Like we mentioned earlier, responding to reviews is extremely important, but it’s also important to do it in a timely manner. When you focus on reputation management, someone is regularly looking for reviews and responding to them within hours or a day or two. Whether you have someone in your staff do this, or you outsource it to a team like Proximo, your reputation will stay in tact.
If you need help managing your business’s reviews, Proximo is here to help. Gathering, managing, and responding to your online reviews is just part of what we can do to help your business soar online and off!
If you’re ready to take your business’s social interaction to the next level, give us a call!
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