By Jim Clanin
If you have a business that has a presence on the Iternet, you may want to consider checking out what your customers are saying about your brand. Many times, a company has customers that leave reviews on social media or a search that have a direct effect on the future of the business.
Product Reviews
Before a customer makes a purchase, the customer will read reviews 92% of the time. A consumer wants to make sure that the products they purchase are of good quality. If a customer doesn’t like your brand or the quality of one of your products, you may notice that you are getting negative reviews. While this isn’t great, showing the online public that you take the time to ‘fix’ problems with your brand helps build an excellent reputation.
Service Reviews
Customers research services on Google reviews 71% of the time! If you offer a service to people, then you probably have customers leaving reviews about your business on Google. Once you read the reviews left by your customers, check and see what people are saying about your competition. Learning about your competition may give you some insight into your service.
The Competition
A consumer will research your competition and compare the reviews you have to theirs. If they have more reviews, the consumer is likely to choose them over you. The more reviews your customers publish online, the more your customers consider you an expert. If your competition has more reviews, you may want to consider asking for reviews after you make a sale to boost your presence online.
Search Engines and Reviews
Local SEO is essential because a potential customer will usually search for a business with their smartphone. Online reviews have a 9.8% to 13% weight when Google determines your search ranking. The more reviews you get, the easier it is to find your business online.
Paying Attention to Suggestions
You can look at the bulk of your reviews as a survey. Read through your online reviews to record suggestions and make the changes that people want. If you listen to your customers, they become loyal.
If you have a negative review, the best way to handle it is to respond positively. Criticism never works when you respond to a review, and your other customers or potential clients take note of how you respond online. Take the time to work with people, so your potential customers see that you are transparent and stand by your customer service policies.
If you are going to handle your online reviews your self, use reputation management software, or hire someone else to maintain your reputation, communicating with customers about your brand is always the best way to establish your expertise online.
