If not, do not worry. But reading Moz’s new local business review report makes one thing clear: customer reviews can have an enormous effect on their decisions and on the health of your business.

Here are a few other interesting statistics from the same report, which may help you understand how to handle customer reviews and encourage them:

• 68% of consumers trust customer reviews. By contrast, only 11% of customers believe brand messaging — which brings us back to the old saying: people trust other people, not brands.
• 65% leave negative reviews because of poor customer service, followed by poor products (63%), then poor quality of work (38%) and misleading information (29%).
• 38% mean to write a positive review but simply forget. It happens — we are all distracted. Fortunately you can build an email sequence to remind them, or offer an incentive such as a gift, a discount or free delivery when they do.
• Bear in mind that 30% of buyers say the review process is unnecessarily complicated. If you suspect yours is too, it may be time to do something about it.
• 62% would give you a second chance if you resolved the problem. If a customer points out something they did not like and you do everything you can to fix it, they will be inclined to change their review.

A chance to improve what you do and get good publicity at the same time? That sounds like an easy decision.

How to get more positive reviews

Now that you know how much customer reviews matter, what can you do to get more positive ones? A few suggestions:

• Concentrate on delivering excellent customer service. It is the single most important factor in avoiding negative reviews. Make sure your staff are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Do everything you can to keep your customers happy.
• Ask for reviews. Do not be afraid to ask customers to leave one, particularly if they have had a positive experience. You can do it in person, by email or even on social media.
• Make leaving a review easy. Include links to your review profiles on your website and in your email signature. You can also make it easier by adding a review button to receipts or creating a QR code they can scan.
• Reply to every review, positive and negative alike. When a customer leaves a positive review, thank them for the feedback. When a customer leaves a negative one, apologise for the problem and tell them what you are doing to resolve it.

Using company reviews to improve your business

Customer reviews are not only about collecting more stars. They can also be a valuable source of feedback you can use to improve your business. A few suggestions:

• Read all of your reviews, positive and negative. Look for common themes. What do customers say they like about your business? What do they say they do not like? That feedback will help you identify where you need to improve.
• Use reviews to improve your products and services. If you see many customers complaining about a particular product or service, take it seriously. Investigate the problem and see what you can do to resolve it.
• Highlight positive reviews on your website and social media. It shows potential customers that you are a business worth trusting.
• Respond to negative reviews promptly and professionally. Apologise for the problem and let customers know what you are doing to resolve it. It shows that you care about your customers and are committed to giving them a good experience.

Conclusion

Customer reviews are essential for any local business. By concentrating on excellent customer service and making it easy for customers to leave reviews, you can build a strong reputation and attract more customers. And using those reviews to improve your products and services will help you stay competitive.

Would you like your business to be more successful? Write to us at info@waymakers.lt, call +37067603353 or fill in the form on the get a quote page.

Sources

1. Moz. (2023). Local Business Review Survey 2023. Retrieved from https://moz.com/blog/2023-local-seo-success
2. BrightLocal. (2023). Local Consumer Review Survey 2023. Retrieved from https://shoutaboutus.com/blog/brightlocal-releases-its-local-consumer-review-survey-for-2023-and-some-of-the-findings-might-surprise-you/
3. Software Advice. (2023). How Effective Are Companies at Responding to Online Reviews? Retrieved from [URL Software Advice How Effective Are