Online reviews are an important factor that customers consider when choosing a business to patronize. They can help customers learn more about a business, its products and services, and the quality of its customer service. Online reviews also play an important role in local SEO, as they are one of the main factors that Google takes into account when ranking businesses in local search results. As a business owner, it’s important to make sure that you are encouraging your customers to leave online reviews, and that you are responding to any negative reviews promptly and professionally.
What are online reviews and why are they important
Online reviews are written feedback about a business and its products or services that are posted on the Internet in places like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. They can be positive or negative, but they can also be helpful for customers who are considering patronizing a business. Online reviews are important because they help businesses learn more about what their customers think of them. They can also help businesses identify areas where they need to improve, and they can be used to promote positive aspects of a business. Additionally, online reviews play a significant role in local SEO.
Google uses many factors to determine how to rank businesses in local search results, and online reviews are one of the main factors that they take into account. This means that if you want your business to be visible in local search results, it’s important to make sure that you have a good number of positive reviews. Additionally, it’s important to respond to any negative reviews promptly and professionally in order to maintain a good reputation.
Customer reviews are important for local businesses for a few reasons. First, if a business has mostly positive reviews, potential customers are more likely to choose that business over one with mostly negative reviews. Second, online reviews play a role in local SEO. Google takes customer reviews into account when ranking businesses in local search results, so if you want your business to be visible in those results, it’s important to have positive reviews. Finally, responding to negative reviews in a prompt and professional manner can help improve your ranking and show potential customers that you care about providing good customer service.
Online reviews are one of the main factors that Google considers when ranking businesses in local search results, so they can have a big impact on your visibility and success. Make sure that you’re taking advantage of this by actively encouraging customer reviews and responding professionally to any negative feedback.
The benefits of online reviews for businesses
Online reviews are important for businesses for a number of reasons. First, they help customers decide which business to patronize. According to a study by BrightLocal, 77% of consumers “always or regularly” read online reviews when looking at local businesses. In the same study, 87% of consumers polled said they were “highly or fairly” likely to choose a business that responded to all of its customer reviews—and 57% said that when a business does not respond to any reviews, it’s a deal breaker. Potential customers are often more likely to trust online reviews than they are recommendations from friends and family.
Want to win at local SEO but struggling to stay on top of customer reviews? Contact us today for a custom solution that fits your business needs without eating your time.
Second, online reviews play a significant role in local SEO. Google takes into account the number and quality of online reviews when ranking businesses in local search results. This means that if you want your business to show up when potential customers are searching for businesses like yours, it’s important to have positive online reviews.
How to get more online reviews
There are a few things that business owners can do in order to get more online reviews. First, they can actively encourage customers to leave reviews. This can be done by including a link to the review site of their choice on their website, or by sending an email after a purchase inviting customers to leave a review. They can also ask satisfied customers to leave reviews.
Another way to get more online reviews is to offer an incentive, such as a discount or a freebie, in exchange for a review. However, it’s important to make sure that any incentive is offered after the purchase has been made, so as not to skew the review—you want customers to know they can trust you; and when they do, reviews are generally positive.
Finally, business owners can simply make it easy for customers to leave reviews by providing a link to the review site on their receipts, or by displaying signs with a scannable QR code or instructions on how to leave a review.
At BotLabs, we set customers up for success by creating that signage for you and connecting your website, and internal systems (CRM, scheduling platform, etc.) to prompt and capture reviews by email and text. And when negative reviews come in, we hold them for 24 hours so that you have a chance to make it right with the customer before the negative review goes live. This system is automated and will launch your business into future growth because of search visibility. And, if you don’t have the margin to manage all those reviews and immediately respond, our team can do that, too. Schedule a free consultation and ask us about managed customer reviews.
Responding to negative reviews
In a perfect world, all customers would have a great experience with your business and would only leave positive reviews. But the reality is that sometimes customers have a bad experience, and they will be sure to let others know about it.
This is why it’s so important for business owners to respond promptly and professionally to any negative reviews. If a customer feels like their complaint was heard and that they received assistance in resolving the issue, they are likely to delete the negative review and leave a positive one instead.
For example, let’s say that Rhonda, the owner of Nova Pizza, was dealt a tough hand when one of her regular customers posted a negative review on Google. The customer complained that their pizza was cold and soggy and that the service was poor. Rhonda immediately reached out to the customer to apologize and offered them a free pizza as compensation. She also took the time to respond to all of the other reviews on Google, thanking her customers for their feedback and addressing any complaints they may have had. Thanks to Rhonda’s quick response and professional attitude, Nova Pizza maintained an overall 5-star rating.
If you’re not able to resolve the customer’s issue yourself, you can always reach out to them for help. And if things still don’t work out, at least you tried. Remember, your interaction with unhappy customers online is visible to the entire world and potential customers will see how you handle negative reviews as a sign of how well you run your business. So make sure that your response is prompt, courteous, and professional.
The importance of Google My Business and local SEO
As a business owner, it’s important to make sure that you are taking advantage of all the tools that Google has to offer, especially Google My Business.
Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to create a business listing on Google. The listing includes basic information such as the business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and website. It also allows businesses to add photos, videos, and articles and makes storefronts visible on Google Maps.
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a website for local search results. This includes optimizing the website for specific keywords and adding relevant citations (mentions of the business name and address on other websites) and networking with other, relevant websites to expand the influence of your brand presence online.
Leveraging local SEO as the driver behind your Google My Business profile results in:
- Increased visibility in local search results.
- More qualified leads from people who are already looking for your type of business.
- Increased traffic to your website from people in your area.
- Increased customer loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals from happy customers.
- Greater online visibility and branding for your business.
If you are interested in learning more about local SEO and how it can bring you more leads and drive traffic online and IRL, contact us today for a free consultation.
You can do it (and we can help)!
Online reviews are an important part of any business’s success. They are one of the most important factors that help customers decide which business to choose and play a vital role in local SEO, as they are one of the main factors that Google takes into account when ranking businesses in local search results. As a business owner, it’s important to make sure that you are encouraging your customers to leave online reviews, and that you are responding to any negative reviews promptly and professionally. By doing so, you can maintain a good reputation for your business and bring in more leads and traffic from potential customers.
If you need help getting started with local SEO or if you would like more tips on how to get more online reviews, contact us today for a free consultation.
