With the wide-range of local review sites now available, most consumers with internet access will check the online reviews of a company before deciding to visit an establishment or purchase goods and services.
This has, in turn, made many industries more competitive than ever. Businesses that are looking to find a certain level of success within the market will see that there are different ways they can gain the competitive edge against others in their industry.
Building Positive Customer Reviews
Positive reviews can go a long way in influencing potential new customers. As a business owner, it is always a smart idea to ask some of your most loyal and dedicated customers to write reviews of their experience with your business. It can be uncomfortable to ask others to review your company, but it’s definitely something companies should embrace these days.
When your dedicated customers share their positive and honest experiences about working with your company, they can inspire many future clients and customers to turn to do the same. As time goes on, you will certainly get more attention from local consumers than your competitors who are not consistently getting reviews.
Avoiding Fake Reviews
When it comes to generating customer reviews, there are many who have gone as far as writing fake reviews. This has become an epidemic in the world of online reviews, as countless businesses are creating false accounts to write positive reviews for their company.
On the other hand, many businesses are also writing fake “bad” reviews for their competitors. While this may be tempting, it should be avoided at all costs.
Not only is this an immoral practice, but it is one that can end up doing more harm than good. Many times, sites like Yelp! are able to quickly and easily spot fake reviews and can ‘flag’ your business to the public if they know you are behind them.
Managing Online Reviews
In addition to encouraging your actual customers to write positive reviews, it is also important to manage the reviews that are posted about you on the web. This is a great way to create better connections with your customers and to show the public that your business is the better choice because you care.
It doesn’t take much; just write a quick response to positive reviews thanking the customer for their feedback. When there are negative reviews posted, you need to approach them in a calm and professional manner and figure out if there is anything you can do to remedy the situation. You may be able to turn that customer’s experience from a negative one to a positive one and keep them from running off to a competitor.
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