- What are the benefits of having ratings and reviews on your website?
- What are the key benefits of generating positive online reviews?
- Why do many businesses fail to get good reviews?
- How to get more reviews from customers and influencers
- How to get more positive reviews with effective marketing campaigns
- How to respond to reviews you have received for your business
- The essential ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ to improve your website’s ratings
What are the benefits of having ratings & reviews on your website?
Reviews are an important part of a company’s reputation. They help potential customers decide whether or not to purchase a product or service. Reviews can also help companies monitor how well their products are doing in the market and which features need improvement based on feedback from current customers.
What are the key benefits of generating positive online reviews?
Almost 9 out of 10 consumers (89%) will always read reviews before purchasing.
Trustpilot, 2020
Customer ratings and reviews have a significant impact on the buying decisions of consumers. TrustPilot (2020) discovered that almost 9 out of 10 consumers will read reviews before purchasing (89%).
There are many reasons why reviews have such influence. The market is flooded with unknown or ambiguous brands that customers may not have heard of before but also who better to trust than another customer with the same needs as you, looking to purchase exactly what you are. Customers want to feel confident that they’re getting what they paid for when they make a purchase online.
For you, a small business or eCommerce business owner, the benefits of having ratings and reviews on your website or blog are numerous:
- Online shoppers find it more credible and trustworthy;
- It attracts more customers;
- It drives increased traffic to your website;
- Increased conversion rates;
- Increased customer loyalty;
Why do many businesses fail to get good reviews?
Ratings and reviews are a crucial part of the customer journey for online shoppers. When businesses continually receive negative reviews it is because they fail to create a great experience in the first place.Consumers are far more likely to leave a negative review unprompted than a positive review without being asked.
The common reasons that people will leave a bad review:
- Having a bad customer service experience
- Making an order that was difficult for you to complete
- Having an order that was not what you expected (either because it’s different than what was shown on the website or it has some kind of defect)
- Failing to follow up with your customer after they made their purchase
- Failing to communicate expectations about your product
It’s important to not blame the people reviewing your business either. When a mistake is made or something goes wrong, it can be disheartening to receive complaints and natural to feel defensive of your business. Apologising and making the customer feel heard shows them that you’re committed to rectifying the issues. This kind of attitude in written responses will go a long way not only for that single relationship but for all prospective customers who use your review platforms. Remember, your tone and language will be used by consumers to determine how you manage your business.
How to get more reviews from customers and influencers
Reviews are the most important part of any business’ marketing strategy. They are the key to gaining new customers, getting more sales, and increasing your social media following. But how do you get more reviews?
There are three main ways that you can generate reviews for your business:
- You can either ask your customers to leave a review for you after they purchase something from you,
- Request reviews from influencers who have used your product or service in exchange for freebies,
- Or incentivise customers with discounts for leaving a review on your company’s profile (Note: You will often have to declare on review platforms that you have incentivised your review)
Getting reviews from your customers is essential to increasing their loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising for your business. Influencer reviews can lead to increased visibility and sales for your business.
How to get more positive reviews with effective marketing campaigns
Most customers will not leave reviews unless asked. It is important to ask them for their review as soon as they have completed the purchase and used the product. This is the best time to ask as customers are more likely to be in a good mood and positive about your company or service. Personal touch is still a huge part of excellent customer service, so make sure your customer feels they are chatting with you, especially in automated emails.
Product reviews also help shoppers make purchasing decisions, so they should be available on all of your sales channels – eCommerce sites, social media sites, blogs, etc. Your marketing campaigns should include strategies that reach out to customers and solicit feedback. Consider automated emails scheduled to send to a customer at the right point in their experience dealing with your business.
A great way to solicit positive feedback from people who have purchased your products is with a survey at the end of their purchase experience. These surveys present users with an opportunity for customer satisfaction and user generated content (UGC).
How to respond to reviews you have received for your business
If you are asking for reviews, make sure to respond to them in a timely manner. This can be an opportunity to show that your business values customer feedback and takes it into consideration.
Good reviews are the best way to encourage customers who have not left one. The key is finding a balance between being overly-excited and being too formal, because you want your response to be just as genuine as your thankfulness for their positive review.
Keeping every customer happy is the dream for all small businesses, but it’s a difficult reality. Don’t let the negative reviews get you down. It is important that you thank the customer for sharing their opinion with you so that they know they are being heard.
The essential ‘Dos and Don’ts’ to improve your website’s ratings
It is important to understand how businesses can improve their ratings and what they should and should not do. There are certain things to avoid when trying to improve business reviews and ratings, such as:
- Don’t use bots. Bots can be useful in generating feedback but it is not a substitute for the real thing.
- Don’t abuse discounts or special offers. While these can generate more engagement, it isn’t worth it if the quality of service goes down in the process.
- Do invest in customer service training for employees. This will help ensure that your customers get treated well from start to finish.
Want to learn more about elevating your current reviews and reputation management processes? EmpowerUp Marketing specialises in small business and eCommerce consulting with affordable packages in a wide range of marketing efforts. Enquire with us below to find out how we can help your business.
