The world we live in has become digital. Online reviews have replaced the once-effective word-of-mouth marketing strategy.
As a result, every small to big business needs to emphasize their review management and maintain a high overall rating. Reviews reflect the opinions of people who dealt with you. Negative reviews and comments can become the reason for your downfall.
Similarly, positive ones can work as free marketing and help draw more customers. When people see that your old customers have nice things to say about your business, they will definitely want to trust you. So, here are some wonderful review management suggestions for enhancing your reviews.
Review management strategies
When customers look for your product or service, the first thing they will observe is your reviews. Reviews help them understand whether your business is really reliable or not. Along with apps to manage business, here are other things to do that can help your business appear really reliable.
Request for reviews
You must be willing to ask for what you want. Ask “How was your experience?” in a friendly manner to those who have previously used your service or product, then make it simple for them to give a review. This is one of the best approaches to review management. Encourage your first reviewers to be someone you trust, but don’t make them say anything they don’t agree with. To prevent the negative review from setting the tone for you, ask them to submit honest comments and start a favorable trend on your review site.
Follow appropriate guidelines
Every independent review website has its own set of guidelines. For instance, Yelp dislikes soliciting your consumers directly for reviews, although Google is completely okay with it. Apps to manage business come with unique guidelines, and you must adhere to them. It should go without saying that you cannot promise a financial reward in exchange for positive comments in testimonials. For example, don’t try to purchase Yelp reviews. You won’t benefit from this in the long run. The gold standard of reviews is they must be reliable, practical, and honest. To avoid creating fake feedback, attempt to develop review management to encourage true input.
Monitor obtained reviews
The majority of customers stated that the overall rating is the most crucial component of a review page. Therefore, keeping an eye on your rating is the most crucial thing you can do for it. Although seeing your overall rating decline may seem unpleasant, the first step in solving an issue is just admitting that you have one. Additionally, there are numerous apps to manage business that have begun to include growth management capabilities, including social media management websites. These platforms make it simple to ask your customers to leave reviews for your products, and many of them also include review tracking.
Keep your review profile updated
Setting up a Google Alert for your company’s name is an easy review management method. By doing this, you’ll be able to receive notifications if you’re mentioned on another website or review site. You’ll never be the last person to learn about a dissatisfied client or to receive appreciation. Therefore, a review profile should be your priority. Once everything is set up, check to see that your profile is accurate and well-done. Use a current, excellent photo and a standardized logo. Additionally, ensure that the location addresses, product descriptions, and operating hours are current.
Show up on all review sites
Keep a regular presence on all review sites. This will serve as a reminder to customers that you are a real person who cares about the success of your business. Make it simple for reviewers to return frequently and locate you on the review sites that they frequent since approximately 59% of consumers indicated that the recentness of reviews is vital to them. Don’t leave anything out because numerous review websites exist, including Google, Facebook, Yelp, and Angie’s List.
Create a favorable impression
Ensure your online service leaves a positive first impression if you want to succeed in review management. In addition to having a contemporary review profile, your website should entice visitors to stay. To improve your client service, include a welcoming automated chat window. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. Also, ensure your links work properly on a mobile device if you’re asking for reviews via email. No one wants to leave a review if it takes too long, too much effort, or is too difficult. You can also use apps to manage business reviews.
Include a review page on your site
Having a “Review” or “Testimonial” tab on your website demonstrates to customers that you are not trying to hide negative reviews. You can demonstrate your appreciation for truthful criticism and your willingness to adapt when necessary. Additionally, the likelihood that a review page on your own website will appear first on Google is higher. There are numerous ways to make the procedure easier for your reviewer. Make it simple for your customers to post reviews so they won’t get dissatisfied with the procedure.
Your email signature should have a button
This is a fairly simple approach to solicit online review management without having to ask directly. Today, many companies include a button in their email signature, contact information, and Twitter handles. This “one-click” review approach is unobtrusive and non-intrusive. Every time you send a customer an email, they have the option of leaving a review. Attempt to persuade clients to be specific and use proper names whenever possible. The more positive information your readers get, the more likely they trust you.
Respond to Negative Reviews
What is your review management for negative reviews? You can turn a negative into a positive, but you can’t satisfy everyone, and you really shouldn’t try. The best course of action for you is to spend the time responding to your bad reviews. A business’s response to online reviews increased the trust of almost 78% of online reviewers. Prioritize which comments require immediate attention, then address the problem as soon as possible. Never blame the customer and always act professionally. If you can handle it properly, responding to criticisms on your public review page is preferable over private email.
Respond to negative reviews too
Why not spend 15 seconds thanking your positive reviewer while you’re already monitoring and responding to unfavorable reviews? Customers will see that you care about your loyal customers more than responding to negative ones. This is one of the most positive review management strategies. Share positive comments when you do receive them. Give credit to your fans when you post them on your website, in Facebook advertisements, or product descriptions. People want to see their names in lights, even if it’s just on their smartphone screen.
More reviews equal more social proof
The majority of people, about 55%, said that the quantity of reviews a company has influences their decision. The more reviews you have, the more you legitimize your company and create social evidence. Keep in mind that you’re not only aiming to reach a quota as you’re receiving reviews. Having greater reviews on different platforms enhances your review management system. But keep in mind that you want to establish a solid brand reputation, and the best way to do so is to deliver top-notch service.
Endnote
Offering the greatest available product or service is the best approach to generating positive reviews. Make providing excellent customer service a high priority and use all reviews to guide improvement. Customers will share your passion for your product if you are passionate about it. You can also take the help of experts for your business’ review management.
Author Bio:
Joe Martin is a long-time contributor in the tech industry as a leader at Adobe, CMO of CloudApp, and SVP at Scorpion. With his business and marketing degress from Utah and Stanford and his work in tech he brings a unique balance of strategy and execution to help businesses large and small grow.