As a small-business owner, you may have mixed feelings about online reviews. While positive reviews significantly help promote your company, negative reviews hurt your credibility. Negative comments are bound to happen from time to time, making it all the more necessary for small businesses to embrace online reviews. Understanding how reviews work and how you can use them to your advantage will make a big difference in the growth of your company.
- Reviews improve your company’s visibility.
Your company is more likely to appear near the top of search results for local businesses if you have online reviews, especially if the reviews are positive. Striving to gain more positive reviews shows your customers that you’re passionate about your business and that you want more people to know about it.
- Reviews provide valuable feedback.
Online reviews help provide insight into what your customers like – and what they don’t like – about your business. This can be especially helpful to small businesses that are just getting started. While negative reviews can be scary, they can help you determine what aspects of your business need to improve. Paying attention to your online reviews can help you resolve issues quickly and give you a better understanding of your customer base.
- Reviews let you connect with customers.
Not only do online reviews help you get a better understanding of your customers, they also allow you to show your company’s personality. Whether reviews are positive or negative, responding to and connecting with customers online shows them you care about their input and are grateful for their feedback. Responding quickly and appropriately to a negative review is the best way to show the customer you are actively working to fix the issue.
- Reviews give you credibility.
Generating more positive online reviews helps give your company credibility. In today’s digital age, the majority of consumers do their research before trying out a new business. It’s no secret that online reviews are the new word-of-mouth. According to a recent study by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. The more positive reviews you receive, the more likely new customers are to give your business a chance.
Online reviews are a powerful tool that will help your small business grow. Embracing online reviews gives your company opportunities for improvement and a way to connect with your customers. Understanding how reviews work and how to use them to your advantage will ultimately help your company gain a larger customer base and a stronger online presence.
ReviewMaxer is software that makes managing your online reputation easy. ReviewMaxer not only helps your small business collect and manage its online reviews, it also allows you to post or stream positive reviews directly to your website and social media channels.
Request a complimentary demonstration today to learn how to easily and efficiently protect and improve your online reputation.
Photo credit: Pablo
Written by: Beverly Driskill
