4 ways customer reviews can benefit your company

By having an online presence, both small and large companies can build their brand awareness. Maintaining a positive online reputation can drive new leads to your business, but only if you successfully manage what people post online about your company. Your company is vulnerable to the negative reviews people leave about their experiences – with your staff, services or products, so you must be vigilant in managing your online reputation, especially in this technology-driven age.

It is increasingly easy for people to post comments about businesses on the hundreds of public review sites and through social media – tagging the company or using hashtags that sometimes cause a viral effect like what happened to Huggies in 2015. More often than not, a customer with a bad experience will leave a review over someone with a positive experience. Now, more than ever, it’s critical to encourage your customers to leave positive reviews as well as to make amends with the customers who leave negative ones.

The major benefits of encouraging your customers to leave reviews about their experiences are:

1. Receive free online advertising. When your customers post online reviews about your company, your brand awareness expands. People who come across those reviews are more aware of what your company sells. When positive reviews outweigh the negative ones, more people are willing to do business with your company.
2. Improve your SEO. If several people post reviews about your company, Google takes notice. The search engine giant ranks your company higher in search results, regardless if you’re receiving more positive or negative reviews. However, if a search for your business yields negative reviews, prospective customers may seek service elsewhere. Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews about your company.
3. Tackle the negative reviews. It’s important to reach out to customers who leave negative reviews. Apologize for their unsatisfactory experiences and try to make amends. For example, offer them a free service or product the next time they visit your company or give them a discount. When you solve customers’ issues, ask them to consider updating their reviews or to leave more favorable reviews online.
4. Form a closer connection with the customer. When a business replies to customers, it sends the message that someone is reading their reviews and is listening to them. You should try to engage with customers who leave positive reviews as well as negative ones. You might not be able to respond to everyone, but a simple thank you can go a long way. When responding to reviews, it is important to personalize your messages to ensure customers know they aren’t reading automated or canned responses.

Managing online reviews can be frustrating and time consuming unless you use online reputation management software. Online reputation management software, like ReviewMaxer, saves you time and energy. It can alert you when someone posts a review about your company, instead of you having to search for reviews yourself. ReviewMaxer makes it easier to respond quickly to negative reviews and engage with the customers who left positive ones, ultimately improving your online reputation.

Photo credit: 123RF Stock Photo

Written by: Paul Cook

3 reasons to strive for great reviews

Companies in the hospitality industry, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, AirbNb and VRBO, measure their overall performance based largely on customer reviews. Reviews dictate an establishment’s four- or five-star rating, which then engages a targeted group of customers. Hotels measure the average occupancy rate based on time of year, revenue per available room and overall guest experience.

Guests may leave a review on any part of their experience, which can reflect positively or negatively on your venue – from booking to room availability, cleanliness and more. It’s important to use ratings and reviews as a marketing tool when you are trying to generate new leads and increase the visibility of your business. Customers search through star ratings and previous customer reviews before making a reservation.

Here are three reasons why it’s important to have a positive online reputation in the hospitality industry:

1. Your customers know they come first.

Customers’ experiences are the foundation of your business, so you want to provide the most comfortable stay. When customers leave positive reviews, they encourage potential vacationers to stay at your establishment to essentially enjoy the same experience they had. When potential guests see that you respond to reviews, they see that you are engaged and that you care.

2. You create ultimate SEO.

Established hotels that maintain their online reputations and have overall high ratings fare better in online searches. If you have a larger number of positive reviews, Google will rank your company higher, which increases your visibility.

3. Positive reviews create an impression of your business as a brand.

The overall rating of a stay at your location is crucial for marketing purposes. Customers want to stay at a venue whose ratings fall within the four- to five-star range. When the majority of your reviews are positive, it creates a good first impression. Prospective customers also use reviews to check off amenities and services that interest them.

Customers will only visit your hotel if your online reputation meets their standards. It’s time-consuming and arduous to manage your online reputation on the numerous review websites. ReviewMaxer is fast and affordable, easy-to-use software that manages your company’s online reviews and reputation. Use ReviewMaxer to promote your positive reviews and interact with your customers to resolve negative reviews.

Watch this free demonstration video to see how ReviewMaxer software works and how it will improve your online reputation.

Photo credit: Pablo

Written by: Amanda Murguido

Learn ways to positively represent your company on review websites

It’s no secret that consumers often choose companies based on their presence on review websites such as Google+, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Yahoo and the Better Business Bureau. Is your company well represented on these sites?

Online reviews increase your company’s exposure

Studies show that prospective customers will research two or more companies online before determining where they will spend their money. Most likely, they will visit online review sites to see the comments past customers have made about the company.

A person will generally choose the company with the most positive reviews. And then, once the customer’s transaction is complete with that company, he or she will often leave a comment online – and this is how the cycle continues.

Visit review sites to see the feedback of your previous customers

If you check out your company online and find an abundance of positive feedback, give yourself a pat on the back; your company is doing quite well. If you saw negative feedback or no feedback at all, then it’s likely that your advertising efforts are falling short.

Negative or no feedback can be detrimental for your company. Today, positive online reviews are akin to free advertising, and you want your company to be the most talked about. Ask your customers to leave an online review on any one of the popular review sites. It’s really that simple!

Is asking your customers to leave online reviews a formula for success?

According to a Yodle survey, 60 percent of people polled said that they like having the option to leave feedback after they complete a transaction. The report also noted that many businesses do not ask their customers to leave online reviews, and this is a missed opportunity of great consequence.

Customers don’t mind leaving a short review and a rating, but you must ask them. With the technology available today, companies don’t even have to ask each customer in person to review their products and services. Instead, they can make use of online review management software to send a request automatically. Yodle’s research revealed that 36 percent of customers think that online reviews help set a business apart from others, 40 percent want to see reviews and 76 percent specifically seek out reviews.

Make it your mission to generate positive reviews

The statistics have made it clear that customers expect to see reviews about your company. It doesn’t matter to them if the reviews are negative or positive; they just need to see feedback. Of course, having negative reviews should matter to you, but we will tackle that issue a little later on.

First, you have to reach out to people by building your online presence.

• Have a Facebook account.
• Have a Twitter account.
• Have a Google+ account.
• Have an Instagram account.
• Use an effective online review management software application.

Social media platforms are a great way to increase your sales, but if you are new to the world of social media or it seems overwhelming, start by only managing one account. GO-Gulf’s infographic shows that social media increases exposure by 83 percent. That’s an opportunity for success that you can’t afford to miss.

Online review management software is the Advertising King

Once you have established a social media presence, invest in an online review management software application. This will enable you to automatically request that your customers leave reviews, and it will also allow you to be in control of what customers post about your company.

For instance, let’s say a disgruntled customer leaves a nasty review about your company. That customer will be encouraged to post the feedback, but he or she will be given options of review sites that people rarely visit. If a satisfied customer leaves a positive review, he or she is given options of well-known review sites. For each positive review you get, the more popular your company becomes. You can also post customers’ reviews on your company website and social media accounts to let people know that your company is one of the best in the area.

Online review management software, like ReviewMaxer, is an affordable way to quickly gain popularity online and manage your company’s reputation – and it is extremely easy to use. ReviewMaxer efficiently monitors, collects and promotes your online reviews – effectively and easily from a central dashboard. Sign up for a free demo and learn how it can work for you. For more advice on how to handle negative reviews and how to get your business at the top of search listings, read the ReviewMaxer blog today.

Photo credit: 123RF Stock Photo

Written by: Paul Cook

The success of your company depends on your reputation. When a customer leaves a positive review, your online reputation flourishes. However, when a customer leaves a negative review, you could lose future business. Using these six tips, learn how to make the best of positive and negative online reviews to ensure greater success for your company.

1. Always be genuine.

It’s important to sound real and not robotic when replying to a customer’s feedback. Talk to your customers as if they are your friends. When you use a corporate tone in your replies to customers who post negative reviews, it’s harder for your customers to sense your sincerity. Be friendly and consistent with all your responses.

2. Never lie or mislead.

Learn from the mistakes of Whole Foods’ CEO John Mackey and plastic surgery company Lifestyle Lift. Mackey was caught bashing his competition anonymously online while celebrating his company on stock market websites. Similarly, Lifestyle Lift had to pay $300,000 in fines for deceiving customers with its advertisements because employees left positive reviews about the company without revealing that they were working for the company. Don’t deceive your customers. Always be honest and transparent.

3. Remember quality over quantity.

You don’t have to respond to every single review posted about your company, but be sure to stay engaged with your customers and respond when necessary. Simply liking a posted review or writing “Thank you for the great review,” goes a long way with customers. Be sure to acknowledge those who left a negative review, letting them know that you heard them and that you’re doing everything you can to make amends. Find ways to personalize your review responses.

4. Be aware that online review sites will identify and ban the internet trolls.

Sites such as Yelp have a strict policy against internet trolls, removing their comments and banning them from the board. If someone has posted negative feedback without using your services, the site will remove it. Another option you have is to track what people post and where by ordering online reputation management software.

The benefit of having such software is that it gives you considerable amount of control of what your consumers post and where it shows up. Even if people post bad reviews about your company, the number of positive reviews will overshadow them.

5. Never become defensive.

When people say negative things and attack your company, you might feel like they are attacking you personally. Your company is the result of a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Reading a bad comment may bring out your defensive side. If you address a customer in a defensive tone, remember that everyone can see your post and it may go viral. Keep calm and think before you respond. Consider handwriting a response so that you get your frustrations out before you post a defensive response.

6. Don’t wait too long to respond.

Thinking before you respond is important, but thinking for too long isn’t good either. If a customer has posted a negative review, you need to address it quickly. If you wait too long to respond, the customer may get more upset. If you resolve the problem, the customer may backtrack from his or her negative comments and update the review noting your customer-centric approach.

The best way to know what a customer is posting is by having online reputation management software. It will alert you each time someone posts a review about your company so that you may reach out to the customer in a timely and appropriate manner. Purchase our online reputation management software, ReviewMaxer, today!

Photo credit: 123RF Stock Photo

Written by: Paul Cook

How to boost your online presence

Most business inquiries begin through a series of online searches. Customers will trust the advice of others on sites such as Yelp, Google and Facebook who share their real-life experiences and overall ratings. Four- and five-star ratings solidify the decisions of potential customers who are considering their options.

Customers must trust your company’s online reputation before they will make contact. How do you strengthen and improve your reputation, especially if you have negative reviews? Online software is available to better manage your online presence. Here are five things to look for when purchasing review management software:

1. Real-time alerts.

We live in a world where everything is right now. Receiving real-time alerts enables you to respond to your customers promptly. A quick response from your company gives customers the satisfaction of knowing that they make an immediate impact.

2. One central dashboard.

Having everything located on a central dashboard is crucial for ultimate productivity. Look for a dashboard that offers a series of tabs where you can do things such as read your negative and positive reviews separately and provide feedback.

3. Testimonial feed.

Testimonial feeds are a great feature to include on your business website. By sharing your success stories, potential customers have the opportunity to read experiences from real-life customers directly on your site. Feeling as if their voice will really make a difference could draw in potential customers.

4. Reporting.

You should always report the good and the bad. Realistically, each customer is going to have a different experience with your company. Your review management software should be able to compile a report of your entire year’s reviews from every review website so you can see where your business needs to improve its online presence. Remember, while you may have four-star reviews on Facebook, potential customers might be turning to Yelp for more information. Consistent, thorough reports help you better identify the areas that need improvement.

5. Easy to use and implement.

Ultimately, a software that’s easy to use is the key to being productive when handling your reputation online. The functionality of the software will not only help you understand the process of managing your online reputation, it will also increase the speed at which you can handle issues and post online.

Online reviews play a critical role in driving business. If you aren’t actively managing your online reputation, you’re missing out on a great way to add revenue and increase brand awareness. If you’re new to online reviews or the process seems overwhelming, try online review management software like ReviewMaxer. ReviewMaxer is an affordable and easy-to-use system to manage your company’s online reviews and reputation. Use ReviewMaxer to promote your positive reviews and interact with your customers to resolve negative reviews. Sign up today for your free demo or check out the ReviewMaxer blog for advice to improve your overall presence online.

Photo credit: Pablo

Written by: Amanda Murguido

ReviewMaxer explains this valuable tool

Performance reports display a series of metrics and analytics about your online reputation over time using attractive charts and graphs. You can choose which sections you want to include in your report.

The Reputation Overview section displays cumulative star-rating statistics drawn from all monitored review sites.

The Review Volume section shows a site-by-site breakdown of all your existing reviews across all monitored sites.

Finally, the New Reviews section shows review activity over the time frame specified when the report was generated, with some cumulative stats and a site-by-site breakdown of where those reviews occurred as well as snippets of all reviews received in the time frame.

To generate or schedule a performance report, navigate to Dashboard > Performance.

ReviewMaxer is a great tool for your business to collect and manage your customers’ online reviews. You can also post or stream positive reviews directly to your website and social media channels. Watch our demo today to see how easily and efficiently you can protect and improve your online reputation.

Photo credit: Pablo