Any business trying to take advantage of the full range of possibilities of the internet can’t afford to underestimate the power of getting reviews for small business. More than ever, what your customers are saying about you plays a huge role in how successful your business is going to be.

Reviews have a powerful effect on the behavior of the audience and as a consequence, on the image and performance of the reviewed brand. According to the findings released by BrightLocal in their annual Local Consumer Review Survey, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

The reviews left on social media and many other review sites about a service or product, work the same way the recommendations of your friends do, despite being published by complete strangers.

However, if you think getting reviews for small businesses only works on humans, you have to think again. Even search engine bots are in on the frenzy. With plenty of good online reviews, you can influence what your prospective customers see when searching for your brand on the Internet. This provides greater visibility in the results given by the search engine. In other words, they help improve the SEO positioning of your website.

The Power Of Online Reviews

Well, considerably much if you see how much businesses are investing. Many businesses have invested a lot of time, effort and money in forming an online personality that reaches the consumer and serves to generate a direct relationship with them. Once that contact has been achieved, its review is the next thing required. This can be positive or negative.

The most popular reviews are those left on Google and Facebook. Those of Google is used to measure how well your customers are impressed with products provided and services rendered by your company. These are the reviews that directly affect your visibility on the search engine, in relation to SEO.

Facebook reviews, on the other hand, are those that appear with names and surnames on the Facebook page of your business. The importance of these reviews lies in the confidence that your brand transmits to your audience, as more and more of these references are sought in the digital world.

In the event that the review is positive, it will be useful for other interested clients to finally decide on the proposed service. These comments are published in the profiles of these companies that are being valued, serving as a showcase to potential clients. In addition, they help improve the image of the company facing its public and its competition.

Sometimes, mildly negative reviews might also have some benefits. If these comments are negative, they help the company to improve on the areas mentioned in these reviews. These are of great help when it comes to improving your services for your audience and above all, to detect shortcomings or new needs that are demanded and can be covered by your services.

Benefits Of Online Reviews On Your Business

Let’s put it simply: the benefits of getting reviews for small businesses are endless. However, there are a few key reasons you should pay attention to. Here they are:

1. Reviews Prove The Authenticity Of Your Business

Giving your customers avenues to express their opinions about the service you provide, and even going further by incorporating a section on your website in which buyers can see the customer reviews, is an astounding way to attract new customers.

While good reviews are the best, it doesn’t hurt to have a few other reviews with suggestions on things you can improve. It should not be forgotten that if a prospective client enters a business website or other review sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp and the likes, and only finds positive comments, they may distrust the website.

2. Trust Works When It Comes To Selling

Factors such as security and trust are essential to encourage consumers to buy online. For this reason, the fact that a business allows buyers who have already tried their services before to share their opinions in form reviews can be a very effective tool. This way, confidence is generated in potential customers and, consequently, sales can be increased.

In case you are wondering if this only applies to online businesses like eCommerce stores, this is far from the truth. In reality, according to a report released by retail reviews platform BazaarVoice, for every $1 online influenced by reviews, offline impact at least $4. This incredible discovery further cements the idea of ROBO (Research Online, Buy Offline).

3. Reviews Offer A Fantastic Boost To Your SEO

The reviews of users are also very relevant when positioning in Google. Therefore, the natural generation of reviews about a business, product, or service can considerably improve its positioning on the web and, as a consequence, the search results.

According to the findings from the Local Search Ranking Factors Survey released by MOZ, online reviews make up 10% of the ranking factor of your business on search results. If you have been investing in local SEO strategies like link building and on-site optimization, add reviews to your arsenal, because it is just as crucial.

This way, when prospective buyers decide to research online, they will find good reviews, locate you in time, and know that it is safe to do business with you without even having worked with you before.

4. Constructive Criticism Is The Best Feedback

Keep in mind that what may seem at first like a negative comment can become constructive criticism. A review of a client can become the best tool to detect possible failures in the services that are being offered.

For example, if a user comments on very slow or unreliable delivery service, it may be the indicator to change suppliers or to put special emphasis on solving any problem or incident that may arise.

This type of criticism must be answered even faster than you would answer positive ones. In this way, the client is shown interest in their case to resolve the incident and at the same time the genuineness and transparency of the review system.

By the way, prospective clients are watching. When you treat clients the right way by responding to any issue they raised, you signify to other prospects that you do care about your clients and take their issues seriously. This is not just an opinion. This is a fact. According to a report by ReviewTrackers, 45 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to negative reviews.

5.  Customer Loyalty

In corroboration of the previous point, an online review is an essential tool to retain and recover dissatisfied customers. Compensating an incident with a good personal interaction or a detail can make that buyer become one of your most loyal customers.

Reviews provide fast and reliable feedback on your business and the services you render and can become the best ally, especially since it is hard to find your own fault. When your customers see that they are being taken seriously, they can go on, not just to stay as customers, but also to become brand advocates.

How To Get Reviews

As indicated above, getting reviews for small business are so beneficial and highly recommended if you want your business to grow fast. Here are a few steps to take so that you can you’re your clients voluntarily comment on their experiences doing business with you:

Follow Up Fast

Encourage the satisfied customer to comment on your business and its services soon after the purchase. Once a sale has been closed and the client is happy with it, it is advisable to take advantage of that happiness. Encourage your happy clients to share their experience as a form of review, and they would be more than happy to.

Encourage Collaborators

Encourage employees, suppliers, or collaborators to give their opinion about the company. The communication and the good internal functioning of a business team always add points, and a good way to see it expressed is through this type of review on the part of your own workers and other people you do business with.

Take Advantage Of Social Media

Encourage users to make a review via social media. Due to the large number of people who increasingly turn to social media for the search of information and references, it is important that your current customers publicly express the virtues of your services in their social communities. This is the best way to attract new customers.

Ask In Your Emails

Make the most of your email marketing campaign when reaching out to existing customers. Make sure you add a snippet encouraging them to drop their reviews. Not everyone drops their reviews immediately. Some would wait for a while to see how well your product or service works. By regularly reaching out via email, you stand a better chance of getting more reviews down the line.

Throw In Some Discounts

Nothing quickens your customers as when they get an offer. So, offer discount codes in exchange for a review. Promotional incentives always help your customers to think about the brand. Offer your current customers discounts on their next purchases to create positive reviews on your select review platform and they will bite on it. After all, it is a win-win situation.

Highlight Previous Reviews On Your Pages

Seeing that other people have had good or bad experiences with a brand sets in motion our empathy and encourage us to comment that we have experienced similar experiences. This unconscious force causes content to be generated around the brand. Take advantage of this principle and display positive reviews about your services on your website and social media platforms.

Explore Review Tools

Getting reviews can be really hard, if you don’t know what you are doing. What may be even harder is curating and organizing them. That is why you should consider using tools like YotPo or Sign Post. They help you take the stress out of getting your customers to review. Plus, they look so good and are so fun to use.

The other aspect we’d like to cover is how businesses can get more reviews. Using tools like YotPo or Sign Post, as well as using email marketing and social media marketing to drive traffic to review pages on different platforms.

Managing Positive And Negative Reviews

Whenever anything is said about your business on the net it is good to be aware of what is said, where it is said, and from whom it is coming. Therefore, it is good to be aware of the reviews to avoid possible reputational crises due to negative comments received.

At all times it is advisable to reply to all reviews. Whether they are positive or negative, the first thing to do is to thank the author for having dedicated part of their time to writing about your business.

Obtaining positive opinions increases the presence, credibility, and confidence of your business towards your clients or potential clients. Genuinely appreciate the time invested in it and the trust placed in the brand. Let it be known that you care about what people think and show the pride you feel for what you do.

In the case of negative reviews, they always have to receive a response, we must take into account these factors:

Speed ​​And Efficiency

You have to solve the crisis created by a negative review as soon as possible to prevent the issue from becoming bigger, fed by other negative comments from other unsatisfied customers.

Empathy With The Client

Never talk down on your clients. Even if they are unduly harsh with the review, always put yourself in their shoes and calmly try to explain your stand. Carefully explaining why things went the way it went may be a great opportunity not just to educate the affected client, but also prospective clients.

Manage The Incidence In A More Private Area

If it is something specific, you should ask the user for private contact to resolve the problem between the client and the company by phone or via email, but without other users around. This may allow them to share more confidential issues that would allow you to be of greater help.

Compensate The Client

Once the damage has been done and it has been published, compensation must be provided, it can be in the form of a discount or a gift, to calm their dissatisfaction and change their opinion about your business. This fact can, in turn, generate a positive review that compensates for the negative one.

The place of getting reviews for small business can’t be overemphasized. Any business leaving this out is leaving money on the table. Don’t let that be you. Visit us here to learn more.