It's All About the Reviews

User ReviewsReviews regarding your business are a key part of expanding your customer base. You want customers to leave reviews about your products and/or services - they act as a free marketing tool for your business! And even if a negative review is left, this can be seen as a positive because customers are telling you what part of your business model isn't working. This will give you a chance to fix the problems and increase user happiness. 

It's been researched that the majority of people who read positive online reviews are more inclined to make a purchase. Reviews have that much power! When gathering reviews about your business, there are a couple of do’s and don’ts to follow.

  • Now that you’ve created your Google+ Page, go ahead and encourage your customers to leave a review on that page.
  • Once a project is completed, feel free to ask your client to leave a review.
  • You can have flyers printed up or space on your website telling customers how to leave a review and where to leave it. 
  • Always try and reply to your reviews. For positive reviews, take the time to say thank you. Even if the review is negative, stay in touch with your customers and find out what the problem was so that you can correct for the future. 

When asking for reviews, there are a couple of things that would be better to avoid. Here are a couple of examples:

  • Don’t use an on-site review station at your place of business. The same IP used for leaving reviews would come across as spam.
  • If you send out a newsletter, don't include a link to your local page and a review request. 
  • Never offer monetary rewards for leaving reviews.
  • Stay away from writing fake reviews.
  • When a negative review comes through, don't ignore it - deal with it immediately. Offer feedback to the customer in question and always be helpful and polite. 

There's no question that reviews can impact a business, both positively and negatively. It’s important that you read all reviews and show your appreciation for the positive comments and offer helpful suggestions for the not so great reviews. This will show customers that you are truly invested in your business and you care what they think. Not only will this help build trust with your customers, but it will bring new customers into the mix. Reviews might seem like a small slice of the pie when it comes to growing your business and being seen on the local page results, but you’d be amazed how positive words about your business spread like wild fire from customer to customer and through social media.