5 Tips to Help Your Business Thrive with Online Reviews
May 23, 2022
In a world where anyone can (and will) express their thoughts and opinions online, consumers are learning about the best places to buy, to eat and to work out by typing in a search engine and seeing what pops up with good star ratings, and/or by going to review sites.
So what should you do about it?
Claim your business.
First things first: claim your profile on Google+, Yelp, YP.com, Kudzu, Yahoo! and any other public reviews page. By doing so, you establish a consistent online identity by claiming your local pages for each of your locations. Make sure the page listing has accurate basic information, such as the address and phone number, and that that information matches exactly what is on your webpage. Claiming your business is important for your website’s SEO, which in turn helps your business show up in a search—and for many sites, it’s free!
Ask for reviews.
Ask your biggest fans to post a review on the online review sites that are most important to you. Sometimes your customers aren’t aware that you’re listed on a particular review site, and often he or she will be more than willing to help you out (since they love you already).
To improve your chances of getting great reviews, start by asking your happiest customers. You may know that Listen360* provides customer feedback to Mindbody users but now there’s more: ListenLocal* is a new service from Listen360 which automatically emails review requests to your business’s biggest fans—asking them to fill out a quick review on your favorite review site.
Acknowledge, don't ignore.
Address all reviews that show up on review sites: the good, the bad and the weird. Don’t get negative or snippy with bad reviews—apologize that their experience wasn’t great and acknowledge the reviewers’ point of view and respect their displeasure. Responding within 24–48 hours of their comment shows your commitment to solving their issues and lets them know that you care.
Use reviews.
Get creative when it comes to using customer reviews!Customer quotes add credibility to all your marketing efforts. Put reviews on marketing fliers, post them up around your entryway and stream customer comments to your website and your Facebook company page to keep testimonial content fresh and up to date. Listen360* makes it easy for happy customers to share their great experiences—and your promotions or coupons—with their friends on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
