Positive online reviews are important to every business, but they provide even more substantial benefits to small and independent businesses.
Leveraged properly, your business reviews can help you overcome some of the most compelling challenges you face as a small, locally owned business or a start-up. Reviews help extend your marketing budget, engage your customers in beneficial dialog, and enhance your brand’s reputation.
Online Reviews Substitute for Status & Reputation
Established brands don’t have to work as hard to earn market share because they already have an established reputation with consumers. The buying public understands that companies won’t endure over time if they don’t provide high-quality products or services and take good care of the customer.
Small, independent businesses – especially those that haven’t been in business for years or decades – don’t have the same level of brand recognition and reputation. But, when small businesses have positive reviews and testimonials, prospects develop the comfort level necessary to make purchasing decisions.
For example, consumers gravitate toward chain restaurants because they have an established reputation. They’re often less willing to take a risk on a small, neighborhood bistro they know nothing about. But, as research proves, if a small, locally owned restaurant has glowing reviews from past customers, potential customers are more willing to take a chance
Online Business Reviews Help Open & Maintain Customer Dialog
The nature of today’s consumer has migrated away from privately complaining to a business first, when something goes wrong. Instead, unhappy customers are significantly more likely to take to social media and post negative reviews online.
But a negative review here and there is not, inherently, all bad. It provides an opportunity for you to respond to those customers in a public forum and reframe the narrative. This allows others to see exactly how you handle a bad situation and make it right for the customer. Or, if the negative review was unfounded for some reason, you can also make that known in your response.
Responding to positive reviews is equally important. Thanking your customers publicly and expressing how much you value them shows prospects that you care about providing a great experience.
Google also appreciates it when businesses respond to their reviews, both positive and negative. And, as a result, you can definitely use this technique to help improve your position in online search results.
Positive Reviews Are Low-Cost, High-Value Marketing
The return on investment (ROI) of positive online reviews is unbelievably high.
Traditional marketing and advertising put your brand and your company in front of prospects but, ultimately, everyone knows that marketing is little more than you telling the world how great your products or services are. When satisfied customers tell the world how great your company is, however, potential customers take note.
It’s virtually impossible to buy that kind of marketing value.
And that’s why it makes sense to do whatever is necessary to help your happy customer share their enthusiasm with the world. At Accrue Reviews, our unique system is designed to make leaving a positive review quick and easy for your customers. And, if something doesn’t go quite right and an unhappy customer comes along – it happens to every business – our system helps you make things right and avoid potentially damaging commentary.
You can see our system in action today, with our no-obligation free trial. Contact us today to start reaping the benefits of positive online reviews for your business.