It’s no secret by now that online reviews drive sales. That’s true whether you have an online store, a professional services company, or a B2B business. According to some surveys and estimates, as many as 90% of all buyers will check out feedback left by other customers before making a purchase or committing to an appointment.
For a lot of business owners and marketers, though, the process of gathering online reviews can feel a little bit random. However, you don’t have to rely completely on luck to get the testimonials you need to make your company grow. In this post, we are going to share four simple and effective ways you can boost your online review profile. Let’s start with one that seems obvious but is often missed…
1. Be Easy to Find on Major Review Portals
Customers aren’t going to go out of their way to find places to leave you good reviews. Instead, they’ll do it on the websites or apps that are convenient for them.
That means you need to be highly visible on all the platforms that matter in your industry. That’s likely to include Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn. It may also mean having a full profile (complete with photos, logos, contact information, etc.) on Yelp, TripAdvisor, and any other websites that are relevant to your business or industry.
2. Give Clients Pre-Filled Review Links to Follow
Speaking of convenience, why not give customers an option to leave a review for you that takes just a few seconds or less? You can do that by including links to your profiles on your website, through your social media accounts, and in your email signature.
Be sure the links work and are accessible from mobile devices. You may even want to pre-fill a five-star rating before saving and sending your link. That way, the buyer can follow what you sent and add their own impressions and opinions for others to see. When you make it that easy, you’ll be surprised at how many reviews you can get very quickly.
3. Look for Opportunities to Earn Positive Reviews
Obviously, any customer you work with could potentially leave their feedback for others to see online. However, there are some buyers who are more likely than others to share their thoughts.
First-time customers like leaving reviews, as do local buyers. Additionally, those who have had customer service issues (like returns, disputes, etc.) will often report their experiences. If they have complaints about the way you handle challenging situations it’s going to hurt your review profile. Conversely, if they say good things about how you and your team have kept them happy, that’s the kind of thing they’ll be eager to tell others about.
4. Use Reputation Management Software
You don’t have to look up reviews manually or create links to your profiles using copy-and-paste commands. There are simple, affordable, and secure tools that can help you do the job.
There’s software you can utilize to ensure all your profiles are up-to-date, send links for reviews to customers, and be notified when someone leaves feedback about your business. For just a few dollars per month, you can help persuade a huge number of buyers that your company is the one they want to work with.
Does Your Business Need an Online Marketing Boost?
It’s not enough to have a business website in 2018. To really make the most of the Internet, and see your bottom line grow, you need a smart strategy for attracting potential buyers and turning them into loyal customers.