Have you ever searched a local business, only to find a barrage of negative reviews? If so, you probably decided to call their competitor who has a 5-star rating. Considering that 82% of people read reviews, your online presence is integral to your success. Implementing a strategy to manage your online reputation can help your company thrive. Even though you can’t control what customers write about your business, you can control your response. Review management is a way for companies to get a better grasp on their reputation - but what does it look like? We’ve outlined a few ways that your business can take hold of its online image:
Find out where your business is listed. When you identify the websites where your business has a profile, make sure to claim those listings and update them with the most up-to-date information, such as your address and phone number. Some of the most popular review websites (Google, Yelp, Facebook) see millions of visitors each month, so don’t underestimate their impact. Once your listing is claimed, you can easily find where customers leave you reviews most often.
Respond to reviews promptly. Whether a review is positive or negative, customers will appreciate a response - the more timely, the better. It shows that your business is genuinely concerned about how customers experience your services and/or products. When you take the time to reply to reviews, consumers will feel heard; it might even convince them to upgrade the star rating of their initial write-up.
Add customer testimonials to your website. Have you received a number of glowing reviews? If so, take the opportunity to show them off. Place them on your website’s homepage to show shoppers that your products and services have been raved about by customers. Not only will it increase your trustworthiness, but more reviews can boost your conversion rates by 4.6%.
Request reviews from returning customers. If you’re lucky, you have a set of regular customers with whom you’re familiar; you may even enjoy casual conversation with them when they enter your store. The next time you speak with them, you can ask them to leave a review about their experience of your services and/or products. If you don’t see them in-person, consider sending an email to your clients with this request. Let them know that their feedback is valuable to you and attach links to review sites so that the process is as easy as possible for them.
Take action against fake reviews. It’s impossible to remove negative reviews from websites, but you can report any write-ups that violate a platform’s terms of service. Flag any reviews that contain content that’s inappropriate, false, or suspicious. This will help narrow down your reviews to ones that are authentic and sincere.
Use reputation management software. You’re sold on the benefits of review management, but there’s one problem: what business owner has the time to track all these websites? For that, you’ll need reputation management software; it’s an innovative tool by RepCo that can help you keep an eye on all these moving parts. It combines everything you need to manage online reviews in one great system. Generate more reviews with our automated contact system that prompts your customers to leave you feedback. You’ll receive notifications when new reviews are posted so you can respond right away. Get in touch with RepCo to learn more about the benefits of reputation management software.
