If your business has any online presence, then very likely people are talking about your business!
Online reviews are important. How important?
- Approximately 85% of consumers read online reviews while making a purchase decision. [1]
- About 67% of consumers will read six reviews or fewer and then form an opinion about the business based on these reviews. [2]
- 90% of those who read positive reviews reported that it impacted their purchase decision. [3]
- 86% of those who read negative reviews reported that it impacted their purchase decision. [4]
- Online reviews have an impact on local Search Engine Optimization – which determines how a business is found online and ranked on a page. The more reviews, the better. [5]
So, what are people saying about YOUR business? When was the last time you checked in on your online reviews?
Most importantly… does your business have a system in place for monitoring, responding to, and acting upon these all-important online reviews?
If not, you need a system, not only the reasons mentioned above, but also to consistently solicit new (and hopefully positive!) reviews.
Your customers want to be heard; they want to share their experience with your business. They want to feel that their opinion matters.
If your customers are important to you, then their opinion matters!
The increase in online reviews is only going to continue. Did you know that many mobile Google users are prompted to create a review each time they visit a company?
A well-rounded system for managing your online reputation needs to include:
- Regular audits of all the places on the Internet where people talk about your business.
- Responding to positive and negative reviews: Who? How often? What are the best practices?
- Pre-created (although easily personalized) responses to positive and negative reviews.
- A system to ask for online reviews, using best practices.
- Sharing positive reviews and learning from or taking action from negative reviews.
- How to deal with unfair or inappropriate reviews.
Okay, that might seem like a lot of effort, but considering the statistics on the importance of online reviews, it’s time your business takes action.
If you’d like more advice on how to create a system for managing your online reputation, please reach out to us! liz@thebusinesstherapist.com
[1] https://searchengineland.com/2013-study-79-of-consumers-trust-online-reviews-as-much-as-personal-recommendations-164565
[2] https://searchengineland.com/2013-study-79-of-consumers-trust-online-reviews-as-much-as-personal-recommendations-164565
[3] https://marketingland.com/survey-customers-more-frustrated-by-how-long-it-takes-to-resolve-a-customer-service-issue-than-the-resolution-38756
[4] https://marketingland.com/survey-customers-more-frustrated-by-how-long-it-takes-to-resolve-a-customer-service-issue-than-the-resolution-38756
[5] https://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors
