Small businesses often have a hate relationship with reviews. Great reviews can help you promote your business. Negative reviews can damage your business’ credibility and cause customers to leave. Although disgruntled customers are possible and there may be some negative reviews, the majority of reviews are positive. They can help you grow your business.
7 Benefits of Online Reviews
Small businesses need to embrace reviews in today’s digital age. Asking customers for reviews, monitoring your reputation, responding to customers and sharing the best reviews on social media are all important steps to take in today’s digital world. These are the top reasons reviews are important for small businesses.
1. Online reviews can help you find your way
It won’t take long to search for a company and find reviews about it. This will likely be the first result they see. When ranking the businesses it returns for local searches, Google considers reviews from multiple websites. According to LocalSEO Guide, online reviews and specific keywords impact local search engine visibility more than any other factor.
Your rating and the number of reviews you have are important factors in determining your rank when consumers search for local businesses on Yelp. Similar applies to searches made on Facebook. You should also know that although most searches for local businesses start with Google, Yelp, and Facebook are catching up in terms of how people search for them.
Many apps and services use reviews to assist local shoppers in making purchasing decisions. More than 100,000 developers use Yelp reviews, which includes Apple, Microsoft, real-estate apps and in-car navigation systems.
Your overall web presence also includes reviews and review sites. It’s important that your customers and prospects have an enjoyable experience with your business online. You don’t want outdated or incorrect information floating about the internet. Your business will rank higher in search engine results if your address, phone number, and name are consistent across the internet.
2. Your business’ credibility is enhanced by reviews
Reviewers have nothing to lose or gain by leaving reviews. They have had a positive or negative experience and they want to share it. Guess what? People will listen. Studies show that nearly 90% of consumers trust online recommendations more than personal recommendations.
In recent years, review sites have been more careful to ensure that reviews are objective. Yelp, for example, now warns customers that they have found to be soliciting customer reviews . (Don’t worry — there’s still ways that you can get reviews on Yelp). Yelp is strict about authentic reviews. This is probably why so many people trust strangers with their purchasing decisions.
3. Reviews impact purchasing decisions
Most consumers research before they spend any money or time on a small business. It’s great to get insight from others about a business before trying it out. Nearly 70% of consumers are influenced or influenced by reviews online. People read online reviews before buying a product, dining at a new restaurant or doing business with a company.
Imagine this: You are visiting a new place for the first time, and you ask your friend (I mean Yelp) for recommendations for lunch. Two Italian restaurants are your options. One has mixed reviews, the other has over 100 glowing reviews. Which one do you prefer?
Your business’s online reputation will make it easier for potential customers to decide to visit your business. A business with a few or mostly negative reviews is unlikely to be taken seriously by many customers.
4. Your business cares, according to reviews
People pay attention to what other people say about your company. But they also watch how you handle it. Does your business respond to reviews? Nearly 80% consumers believe that businesses care more about their customers if they respond online to reviews.
We can help remove negative reviews, but it a long and expensive process
Remember: How you respond to reviews can be as important as how they are written! Respond to make your business look like hero’s!
5. Review feedback is important
You can learn a lot from customer reviews. What are your customers most impressed with about your business? You can make more of the positive reviews by paying attention to them.
Check to see if there are any common themes in your negative comments. Maybe people are having trouble getting hold of you, incorrect information about your business hours online or receiving slow service. You can then fix problems before they become more serious.
You can also use customer reviews to market the products that are most popular to your customers.
6. Customer reviews help to build trust
One of the best things about running a small business, is the personal touch. You are a member of the community , and you often know your customers. Visits to your business often form part of a daily or weekly routine.
Review sites are a great way to interact with customers online and build trust. This is an essential component of any business’s success. Customers will feel more confident if they see you use reviews to improve your business.
Positive reviews that highlight the mission statement of your company and its values can help potential customers to understand what type of business you run.
Similar: Customer testimony videos are possible! We can show you how to make these videos for you company.
7. Referrals and word-of mouth marketing are made easier by reviews
We’ve been talking about reviews, the more formal writings that you see on directories and review sites. But we also think it’s important to mention the small chatter on social media, the commentary and talk about your business. Word-of-mouth is something that happens gradually, once your business has been recognized and people are talking about you. You may get more word-of mouth marketing and referrals the more you have people talking about your business, especially if it’s positive.
Here are some examples:
Last night was a great date at #pizzerialocale The food may have been even better than the date.
Core Power Yoga is open this week. I received $10 off my class.
I would love to see #greatDividebrewery offer gluten-free beer
There are many opportunities for reviews, referrals and chatter. Word of mouth is also a common way to promote your business. It’s a great marketing tool for small businesses. Review sites are great because you can track and monitor all word-of mouth talk about your business.
Reviews and small business
Online reviews are important and could be the difference between you and your competitor. Don’t be afraid to leave reviews. Accept them and their power. List on review and social media sites to allow customers and audiences to learn more about your business. You will also learn a lot!
It is essential to maintain a positive reputation and grow your business. Contact us if you have any questions. We are here to help!