Client Reviews

How Important Are Online Reviews?

Online reviews are probably one of the most important influences on your business. Why? Because 98% of consumers go online and check reviews before making a purchase. 90% consider reviews as having the same weight as a friend’s recommendation.

I am an audiophile. I love finding the right edition of a record. The whole process of the search, the excitement when it arrives, and putting it on the turntable is something I enjoy. I tend to do my record shopping on discogs.com, where I can find just about anything I am looking for.

Once I decide on which release of an album I want, I then go and see who is selling it, and at what price. Next to each seller is their star rating. Within moments I know the pricing, condition, and rates for shipping, as well as what sellers are trustworthy. Anyone below a 96% rating is automatically out. Anyone at 98%-100% is at the top, and 96%-97% is in the back of the line. Why? Because I want good service before I spend my money and time. It’s that simple.

To give you an example of the effectiveness of good reviews, I once ordered from an overseas company to have my records shipped. They had a rating of 100%, but I had never ordered records from overseas, because records are fragile, and shipping times are longer. Because of their high rating I took a chance. During the process one of the records was not in stock. They immediately contacted me and made it right. Their communication was excellent, just like their reviews. Not only that, but my record arrived just as quickly as domestic sellers.

Now, because of their service, I too gave them a 5 Star rating. Not only that, but if they have a record for a dollar or two more than domestic sellers, I give them my business anyway, because I trust them. Their reviews gained them a customer who lived across the ocean.

Reviews matter because they inform the customer on how likely you are to provide things as promised and deal with any issues. I can read for myself how the business deals with disgruntled clients, which reveals their character.

How Do I Deal with Negative Reviews?

This is an important question, because it shows prospective buyers whether you will guarantee your services. 86% of consumers will hesitate to buy if they see a bad review. That number goes down quickly if they see the business engage the reviewer and remedy the issue.

When dealing with negative reviews, you should:

• Respond as quickly as possible, in a personal way. Skip the corporate speak and auto-generated responses that often miss what the reviewer was saying.
• Admit your mistakes and offer a solution. This makes your willingness to solve issues apparent to anyone reading the review. It improves your reputation.
• Resolve the issue offline after making personal contact. Encourage the customer for reaching out with their review. This should make them consider re-writing their review in a positive light. Do not offer them anything for a good review. This violates review site rules and may violate some laws.
• Get loyal customers to leave reviews. When you know a customer likes your services, simply ask.

How Do Reviews Help My Business?

Besides the obvious benefit of encouraging people to shop with you, there are other ways that reviews help your business.

Reviews will:

• Improve internal practices for your company. How you handle upset customers, and the steps you take to prevent an issue repeating itself, can be derived from less than stellar reviews.
• Boost SEO Rankings. Good reviews move you up in searches, especially when people search for “5 Star Rated ______.”
• Generate conversions. Good reviews=customers.
• Engage customers. Any review is an opportunity to dialogue with your clients.
• Help you keep customers by acknowledging and solving problems.
• Give you an opportunity to incorporate what people are saying about you on your social media pages.
• Allow you to look for patterns in your service, both good and bad, and make corrections.

Remember, 92% of consumers look for a business with a 4 Star or above rating. Anything less and you start losing customers that you have never met, as well as those who left the unresolved negative reviews.

Can You Help Me Get Good Reviews?

If you have a happy customer base with contact information, then yes, we can help you get good reviews. For a free consultation, click on the calendar.