Call it a new-age problem, but online reviews are here, and they’re here to stay. If you’re not managing your online presence, you could be missing out on countless opportunities for growth in your own business’ sector. How? With a large portion of any given business’s customer base living online, there should be no surprise customer reviews are influential to say the least.

If you don’t think online reviews on either side of the spectrum are important, consider this: a recent survey done by Zendesk found that 88% of participants claimed to have been influenced by an online review when making a buying decision, and 90% said a positive review was an influencer.

Though it may seem counterintuitive, being aware of and maintaining your business’ online presence can lead to higher customer satisfaction and awareness on the business front, too. If you have negative reviews that you’re not responding to, now’s the time to start. If you have positive reviewers that you’re not reaching out to after-the-fact, there’s no time like the present.

A good way to combat your negative reviews —second to responding to them on the company’s behalf — is gain traction with positive reviews. If you’re a new business, or new to the world of online reviews for your business, follow these 4 simple steps to get your customers to review your business online.

1. Set Up Profiles On Review Sites
   By setting up accounts on various review sites for your business, you’re making it all the more accessible for your customer base to reach you. This ease of access will increase the likelihood of on-the-whim reviews by simply being present on the sites your customers are using. With the streamlining of a customer’s first few steps to leaving a review, you’ll create higher engagement; leading to a significant increase in awareness.
2.  Ask Customers
   Going directly to the source is a good way to gain valuable feedback, and there’s no greater vantage point than the customer themselves. When asking the customer directly for feedback, it’s crucial that you don’t wait too long. The longer you wait past the point of purchase, the more unlikely it is that the customer will leave a review. This is especially valuable in the email marketing sector of the workspace, as you can send out a quick email to recent customers asking them to share their experience on one of your various review platforms. This can even be utilized if you receive positive feedback in person or via email, too! Simply thank the customer for their time, and ask the to mention their experience on the platform of their choice.

3. Create Incentives For Reviews
   

   Your most satisfied customers sometimes need an incentive of some sort to leave a review. After all, this takes out time of their busy schedule to do. If you keep that point in mind, you’ll likely see a valuable return. With this step, it’s important that you’re asking for a review of their liking, not necessarily a ‘good’ review. As a business, you want honest feedback, and creating an incentive — such as a discount code for future use — can serve as the little push of inspiration they need to sit down for 5 minutes and provide you with their valuable opinions of their experience.

4.  Thank Your Reviewers

   
   If you’ve conducted these prior steps and have seen the results from doing so, let your customer base know that you’re appreciative of them, their business and their time. This is a two way street, too. Whether the reviews are good or bad, interacting with customers and sharing your thanks with them is not only good on a business front, but on a customer service and experience front, as well. When you receive reviews of any sort online, be sure to start your response with a thank you for being a customer and sharing their opinion. This shows value on both ends of the spectrum, and can instantaneously alleviate any bad blood they may have, or highlight all of the good that they witnessed.

If you have a business of any sort and caliber, you have every reason to collect and monitor your online reviews and presence. We’re in a digital world, after all, and the best way to win the day is to join in on the conversation, showing you value the customer and their overall experience. Here at ReviewPush, we put your customers first, and give you all the tools you need to manage and respond to your online reviews all in one convenient place. If your goal is to gain more online reviews and/or your business wants help managing said reviews, look no further: ReviewPush is here for your business; ReviewPush is here for you.

Photo By: Creative Commons

Lee McNiel