Online reviews are more important than ever before. Many people will now seek out reviews of products and services online before making a purchase. So whatever you sell, you should expect people to want to read reviews from your previous customers before making a decision.
Having a large number of reviews increases trust in your products and services. And the more positive reviews you can get, the better.
So how do you go about building up a large number of third-party reviews?
Choose Some External Review Sites
Start out by finding some external review sites where you can build your reviews. They have to be external sites because this will give them more credibility than reviews on your own website.
Yelp, TrustRadius, TrustPilot and TripAdvisor are some of the most well known, but others may be more suitable depending on your industry.
Ask for Reviews
Once you have chosen your preferred online review sites, make sure you ask your customers for their reviews after they have experienced your products or services.
This does not mean soliciting only positive reviews. Instead, simply let them know that you always appreciate feedback, and direct them to some of the third-party review sites where they can leave their honest opinions.
Obviously, they can leave reviews on any sites they want, but you can make the process easier for them – and get more reviews on your preferred sites – by pointing them in the right direction.
Some reviews will come organically, but asking for reviews will really help. This is especially effective when asking customers who you are fairly sure have enjoyed the experience.
You could even make this an automatic process. For example, a few days after a customer makes a purchase, send out an email thanking the customer and mentioning how much you appreciate feedback.
Strengthen Your Presence on Social Media
Many people will seek out the opinions of others on social media before making a purchase. Your business will get mentioned on social media, so it makes sense to have a strong presence on various channels so you can have more control over the conversation.
If you have a strong presence, and you interact with your customers and thank them for their comments, there is a better chance that your future customers will read positive things about you on social media.
Don’t Be Afraid of Negative Reviews
Some companies put off building reviews because they are worried that this will also lead to negative reviews. But this is nothing to worry about, as long as you are providing a good service.
All businesses will receive negative reviews. As long as the majority are positive, this should not be a problem. In fact, it can look suspicious if all your reviews are fantastic.
Link to Review Sites
You don’t even have to ask for reviews directly from your customers. You can also simply include a link to your favourite review sites in your email signature, social media accounts and other online properties where you have a presence. That way, over time it could help to increase your number of reviews without you having to do anything.
Show Off Your Reviews
Once you have built up some reviews, make sure you make the most of them. Show them off by publishing them on your website and on your third-party web properties. You can even use them in your AdWords ads by using the review extensions to pack more punch into your ads.
However you use them, make sure you start building up your online reviews so that you can take advantage of the extra trust they will provide potential customers in your products and services.
As a specialist digital marketing agency consisting of a number of highly experienced digital consultants, Web Results Direct is expertly placed to support its clients with advanced, and strategic, digital marketing consulting services. To learn more contact us – call us now on 01483 429222
