How To Get More Online Business Reviews

You’re looking for someone to remodel your kitchen, and you find a company that does beautiful work for a great price. You’re about to click on their website to read more, but you see that the company is only rated 2 stars. Instead of reading more about the business, you continue scrolling through your options.

Does this sound familiar? Online ratings influence our decisions as consumers, either encouraging or discouraging us from buying a product, trying a restaurant or hiring a certain professional.

As a business owner, you cannot ignore the importance of online reviews. If you’re still not convinced, check out the review statistics below.

• 92% of consumers read online reviews
• Only 14% of consumers would consider using a business with a 1 or 2-star rating
• 94% of consumers would use a business with a 4-star rating
• Star rating is the #1 factor used by consumers to judge a business
• 88% of consumers form an opinion on a business by reading up to 10 reviews

OK, so online reviews are important. Great. But what can you do to set your business up for online review success?

Set up your business profiles.
People can’t leave shining reviews for your business if you don’t have the right profiles set up. There are additional websites you can use depending on your industry, but Google Business Profile and Yelp are the most popular review platforms.

Provide an easy way for clients to review you.
The hard thing with online reviews is that most of us are more inclined to share about a negative experience than a positive one. Rather than sitting around and hoping that clients will post an online review of their amazing experience with your business, provide them with a non-pushy reminder to review your business online.

Here are a few ways you can remind your clients to leave you a review:

• Review cards

If you choose to use review cards, make sure they include a QR code leading people to your business profile, where they can easily leave an online review.

• Follow-up emails

Sending a follow-up email after the completion of service or payment is a hassle-free way to prompt your customers to review your company.

• SMS text messages

If your client base is more apt to check text messages than emails, sending an SMS text message might be the way to go. You can include a link in the message that directs the user to your business profile, making it quick and easy to review your business.

Be proactive.
In our digital world, the business with the best reviews will most likely win. Review cards, follow-up emails, and text messages can bring in more online reviews for your business, resulting in better ratings and more customers. Don’t just sit around and hope that reviews will come; be proactive in getting great online reviews for your company.

If you’re ready to step up your marketing game and attract higher quality leads, contact us today!