As a business owner who aims to be successful, there are several factors to put in place to achieve this goal. Trust is a big part of your success story, and it is the only reason anyone would invest time and money in your service or product.
Now, how do you get trust? It starts with having customer reviews or feedback. If you have been in the online market long enough, then you know that ‘reviews’ is a buzzword. There are two major reasons you need to take your review game seriously:
- Seeing your business reviews helps to reduce the perceived risk a prospect might have about working with you or your company. Reviews show that others have already taken the risk.
- Reviews favor the ‘crowd’ mentality of most prospects. More people want to buy from someone with a large number of reviews.
Google and Facebook are the most review-friendly platforms, as they allow you to ask and receive reviews from clients easily. Hence, every business owner should take advantage of them. To do this, you need to apply the right tips and in a few seconds, you will learn about them.
The first thing to note is that Google and Facebook are two different platforms. Google sits at the heart of online marketing and offers you the widest customer base. In fact, it is aptly described as the king of online search and business reviews!
Facebook is the world’s biggest social network. It has evolved from just a platform for connecting with friends to a platform where businesses are discovered. The rating and review system on Facebook is not the same as Google but serves its unique purpose.
Here are the practices to use:
- Claim all listings and pages
Google has a Google My Business Profile, where businesses can control their online reputation. If you are yet to claim this listing on Google, do it soon or create a new account.The same thing should be done with your Facebook business page. Claim both listings and work on improving visibility and credibility. Remember to always ensure consistency with the information provided on both platforms.
- Learn to solicit for reviews
More is always best with reviews. However, do you know that clients who had a bad experience are motivated to leave reviews more than those who were satisfied? Yes, so asking for reviews helps you strike a balance and prevent the negative from overruling the positive. - Use proper timing
Asking a customer to leave a review is tough, but with proper timing, it can become beneficial. The ideal time to ask is right after a job/purchase is completed. During this time the purchase is still on their minds, and they probably haven’t left your page yet. - Make it easy
The easier it is for customers to leave a review, the higher the chance they will do so. Create a link or system to make reviewing your business smooth, quick, and easy. You can send direct links through emails or leave a prompt on your business page. - Be honest about it.
Avoid asking only specific clients for a review because you are certain it will be positive. Google and Facebook are meant to provide an accurate picture of your business. If they discover that your reviews are biased, you could lose credibility and your business reputation online.
