A Primer on Making Your Customers Work for You
“93% of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.”
- Podium, 2020
A survey report says that only 3% of consumers consider salespeople and marketers to be trustworthy. The result? Businesses turn to customer reviews to market the truth about their products and services. Customer reviews are written evidence of a business’ products and services. This applies to any business regardless of the size. Potential buyers look for reviews during their purchasing process to understand how the product works and if it is worth their money.
On average, people read seven reviews before deciding to trust and buy a product. With the advent of online review sites and social media, testimonials and recommendations are now easier to find than ever. Let’s take a look on how to make this work for you.
where are reviews found?
Online, there are many sites where customers can leave their reviews. The most prominent involves Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and Zomato. Even former employees can review their past employers on certain niche websites. A five-star rating scale or a thumb-up system may be used to evaluate your business. All eCommerce platforms integrate their own system which helps new customers decide.
what to ask for in those testimonials?
To get as accurate feedback as possible, politely ask your consumers to give you honest and specific reviews. Vague-sounding statements like “this is a good restaurant” offer less impact than specific reviews such as, “their lasagna is delicious, their fried chicken is worth coming back to and their service is flawless”. Specific testimonials are way more effective to draw in new customers.
why accommodate all kinds of review?
Reviews have multiple benefits, but they are mostly helpful for young businesses. They help customer arrive at their decisions, they help establish business credibility and stand with more established competition. Even negative comments can help you understand which practices must remain and which must be changed. A lack of feedback raises a red flag in the mind so do your best to elicit a review or two.
how to respond to negative reviews?
Negative reviews are painful but can add value when the business’ response is right. Transparent responses show that your business levels with the customers and understands the importance of repairing the relationship. Remember not to sound aggressively defensive or in denial. New customers can still be acquired when they see how well you manage those negative feedback.
How to weed-out fake reviews?
Conversely, not all reviews are given by your customers. Some people write fake reviews to insult your brand and sometimes these fake reviews can come from competition. If your business uses an eCommerce platform, chances are the reviews are regulated. This means that only previous buyers can access the review page. However, there are sites like Google Reviews that can attract fake testimonials. You need to go through a process and submit a report to appeal a fake review. There is a ‘flag as inappropriate’ option that you can act on to remove these fake reviews.
Reviews help you understand why consumers buy your products. These reviews can allow you to improve on those pain points, add value to your services, and build an awesome purchasing experience for all your customers. Nitro Impact offers services that can help you harness the power of customer feedback to fuel your business growth. Send us a message today.
