Online reviews and a small business’s review management strategy can have a significant impact on its success. In fact, a recent survey found that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, and 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business if asked. This means that it’s more important than ever for businesses to pay attention to their review management and online reputation to make sure they are getting positive reviews. With an effective review management strategy, a business will have a far higher success rate of generating positive reviews and growing their business online.
Here are four major benefits of review management to keep in mind:
Attract new customers
1. One of the main benefits of review management and positive reviews is how it can attract new customers. When potential customers are considering using a new business, they often look at online reviews to see what others have to say about the company. Positive reviews can serve as social proof and help convince potential customers that the business is worth trying out.
Retain your existing customers
2. Review management and positive reviews can help businesses keep the customers they already have, as well as bring in new ones. When a business has a good reputation, customers are more likely to trust it and continue doing business with it. On the other hand, if a business has a lot of negative reviews, customers may be less likely to trust the company and may look elsewhere for products or services.
Improve your search engine ranking
3. Another benefit of review management and positive reviews is that they can improve a small business’s search engine ranking. Search engines like Google often use a company’s online reputation to rank it in search results. This means that businesses with a lot of positive reviews may rank higher in search results, making it more likely that they will be seen by potential customers.
Protect against negative reviews
4. Managing a company’s online reputation with an effective review management strategy can also help protect against negative reviews. Even though you can’t get rid of negative reviews completely, responding to them in a timely and professional way can help lessen their effect. By showing that the company cares about its customers and is willing to address any issues that may arise, businesses can turn a negative review into a positive experience for the customer.
Manage your positive reviews and online reputation
One way to manage a company’s online reputation is through the use of a review reputation management tool. A tool such as this will allow your business to keep an eye on online reviews, respond to them, display them on your website, and keep track of the overall tone of those reviews.
OneLocal’s best-in-class dashboard makes it easy for businesses to monitor and respond to online reviews. The dashboard allows businesses to see all of their reviews in one place, so they can quickly and easily respond to any issues that may arise. The dashboard also provides insights and analytics, so businesses can track the overall sentiment of their reviews and see how they compare to their competitors.
The OneLocal dashboard lets businesses not only respond to individual reviews, but also ask their customers for reviews on their own. This can help ensure that the business is getting a steady stream of positive reviews, which can improve its online reputation and attract new customers.
Overall, it’s important for businesses to pay attention to their online reputation and make sure they are getting positive reviews. An effective reputation management tool makes it easy for businesses to monitor and respond to online reviews, as well as track the overall sentiment of their reviews. By taking care of their online reputations well, businesses can get new customers, keep the ones they already have, and move up in the search engine rankings.
Want to learn more about review management and how to effectively monitor and respond to online reviews? Request a 1:1 personalized demo with one of our marketing specialists.
Rachel Solway is a seasoned marketing professional dedicated to empowering small businesses through innovative marketing strategies. With extensive experience at OneLocal, a leading marketing solutions provider, Rachel’s insights are helping thousands of local businesses navigate the digital landscape.
