In the digital age that we live in, having positive reviews on the web is important for businesses that want to improve their inbound marketing and drive up their sales. Myles Anderson reported on Search Engine Land that 72% of consumers surveyed in the Local Consumer Review Survey of 2012 reported trusting reviews that they read online just as much as personal recommendations. The same study indicated that 52% of consumers said that positive online reviews would increase the likelihood that they would patronize a local business. Today’s customers place strong value on confirmation from peers that products can meet their needs or solve problems. As a result, businesses today need to be actively encouraging positive feedback from existing customers. This can be accomplished in several ways.
Reduce The Difficulty Of Leaving A Review
Customers that have had a good experience with your organization are often willing to tell others about these experiences, provided that it is easy for them to do so. Some of the ways that companies can make it easy for customers to leave reviews include:
- Linking to the review form in emails as well as newsletters sent out to customers.
- Include a CTA, or call to action, on your site that links to your company’s reviews or testimonials page.
- Message your fans or followers on social networks to provide them with direct links to leave a review of your company.
- Use graphic buttons to make it easy for people to identify links to review sites.
- If you can give customers the ability to easily leave a review, they will be more inclined to do so.
Write Back To Your Reviewers
Whether a reviewer writes good or bad things about your business, be sure that you respond to them. Responding to your reviewers will accomplish several good things. When you respond to satisfied customers that left favorable reviews of your company, it will reinforce their positive feelings about your organization and strengthen your relationship with that specific customer, which will improve your overall customer loyalty. Prospective reviewers will see that their voice is being heard, which encourages them to write a review. According to Inc.com, responding to negative reviewers will sometimes cause them go back and update their negative review, which turns them from a naysayer into a satisfied customer. It is also wise to make arrangements to work directly with dissatisfied customers to resolve their complaints.
Ask Directly
Whether you have face-to-face meetings with your customers or you deal exclusively with them through digital correspondence, sometimes simply asking nicely is the best way to get a positive review. You could also send out reminder emails or cards that thank customers for their business and encourage them to write a review. Many customers will appreciate the fact that you think highly enough of what they have to say to ask them to endorse your products or services.
Any company that wants to increase the number of inbound customers that they receive needs to ensure that they have a good rating with previous customers. Online reviews and user testimonials are held in very high esteem by consumers that shop online or use the web to research places they are thinking about buying from. Improving your online reviews will boost your company’s reputation and help prospective customers move through the buying process more quickly.
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Robb Bailey
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