Whenever we buy something online we nearly always evaluate the item's usefulness. Our brain's automatically ask questions to determine if buying product X is a “good" purchase decision. Should I buy this? Is this product / service worth the money? Will I even use this product or service?
That's all fine and dandy, but what happens if we're unsure? Well, we will probably do one of two things:
For this reason, online reviews play a crucial role in persuading other people to invest in your business.
Someone else's opinion can drastically sway and influence our own thinking - especially when you a) trust that particular person's opinion, or b) if multiple strangers are all saying the same thing. This pattern of thinking is called social confirmation. Social confirmation is a mental wonder where people mirror someone else's actions with the hope of reaping similar rewards.
For example "So, if everyone online rates this company a 5/5, this means I'll probably think they are fantastic too!" Displaying a range of positive, credible reviews on your website (or your Google listing) is a great way to boost your business' trustworthiness, brand reputation and overall sales.
There is one simple rule to obtaining online reviews – if you don't ask, you don't get...
Take a look at this list of ways to encourage online reviews:
When it comes to online reviews, ignorance isn't always bliss. It's always better to acknowledge criticism rather than ignore it. The best way to resolve the situation is to respond. Ask the client to explain what's happened to make them feel this way about your business. After getting to the root of the problem you can work on a resolution.
If your business is genuinely in the wrong, then you should admit blame and apologise. Always try to convert that customer's journey from a negative into a positive. Changing a customer's opinion about your company is a great basis for a testimonial. If the customer is being unreasonable (swearing and shouting in the review) and is unwilling to resolve the situation, then you should reply once expressing your concern and offer to call them back for a more private conversation. Learn more about how to deal with bad online reviews with this article - How To Deal With Bad Reviews For Your Business In Google
It's simple maths really, the more positive reviews you have, the more credible your business becomes. We live in a society where people are very caution when buying / trying new things. It's no longer enough to say "we have over X years' experience in our industry" or "we focus on providing excellent customer service". You need to back-up your words with solid evidence from people who have actually dealt with your company; for this reason, reviews are your golden ticket to solidify your brand as trustworthy and reliable.