Did you know that, according to some reports, up to 90 percent of consumers say that online customer reviews matter when they are making a decision as to whether or not to buy from you? If you thought that those reviews really did not matter, think again. Many small business owners simply hate the online review process since it seems that even one negative review can seem impossible to get rid of and continuously impactful on the business’s sales. Understanding these reviews, including those on sites like Yelp, Google, Citysearch or TripAdvisor can help you to be a better customer-oriented business, though.
It’s All About Trust in You
If you have customers that come in every day or every so often and work directly with you, these individuals are less likely to be impacted by an online customer review. Rather, it is the other customer, doing a Google search for the products and services they need, that are impacted. They want to know they can trust you before they work with you. It’s likely you can think of a few experiences with new companies you’ve had that were not so great. Wouldn’t it have been nice if someone else could have warned you? The use of customer reviews is all about learning about whether your business can be trusted to provide the services that you promise.
How Reviews Affect Your Business
What are the online customer reviews about your business affecting you? You may want to take the time to review them, consider what they have done, and consider what you can do to improve them. For example, if you read something negative posted about your business, your reaction is just as important as the actual information provided by the customer. It’s always a good idea to take an active role in reviewing and managing those reviews.
Don’t Downplay the Review
There are going to be times when you do not satisfy a customer and you end up with a negative online review. The first step to realize here is that you simply can’t stop them. However, you can use them as opportunities to improve your customer service skills. It is also a key way to see areas you can improve upon within your business. Reputation management services can help you to minimize this negative impact, which can give you peace of mind in the long term. Most importantly, realize that these reviews do matter.