Let's Break It Down

The first thing new and existing customers do when researching a business is to look at the reviews. According to Qualtrics.com, 97% of people read reviews for local businesses, and 90% of them claim that positive reviews influence their decision to make a purchase.

Not only are reviews important, but your responses to these reviews make a great impact as well. When a consumer sees a review with a response, most of the time they will read it to get a better understanding of how your business interacts with its customers.

Use Reviews To Your Advantage

There are many ways in which reviews are helpful to your business. Not only are they one of the best ways to get new customers coming in, but they’re also great for giving existing customers the best experience possible. Negative and constructive reviews are extremely helpful when making business decisions, and you should always take them seriously. For more insight on what your customers want, encourage them to write one. Qualtrics states that 68% of customers will leave a review if asked.

Respond To Reviews

One of the most important things to do with your reviews is to respond. Customers love to see your interaction, and it’s an easy way to make them feel heard. When dealing with negativity, there is a process you can follow:

Acknowledge what they have to say - If a customer has an issue, make sure they understand that you are hearing them out.

Apologize briefly - Let them know that you are sorry they had a bad experience. Take responsibility for problems that occur.

Ensure your correction - Every bad review should help you improve, so tell the customer how you will do so.

Don't compensate the customer online - Depending on the situation, you may need to move certain conversations offline. If you’re going to offer some sort of compensation, be sure you’re not going to do so online. This can encourage customers to leave negative reviews in exchange for something if they expect you to offer it.

Optimize & Encourage Customer Reviews

The easier it is for customers to leave you a review, the more likely they are to do so. That’s why it’s so important that you optimize your review process. If your customers feel like leaving a review is a burden, then that’s a problem. Consider reducing your review process to be as short as possible, with minimum clicks. You can also consider setting up a short survey on your website or a quick Facebook poll.

It’s also crucial that you are consistently encouraging your customers to leave reviews. There are several ways you can do this. One way is to feature recent reviews on your website and social channels. This is easy word-of-mouth advertising and can not only encourage others to leave reviews, but also encourage consumers to try out new products or services. Another way is to set up an entire page on your website and social media for customer reviews. This adds credibility to your website and shows your customers that you’re not afraid to hear what they have to say about your business.

Be sure to keep up with your business’s reviews and use each one to your advantage by utilizing the steps we’ve provided. They will benefit your business in many ways and help you build credibility with your consumers!