Have you thought about how you can increase the number of positive online reviews your business gets? If it’s not something you’ve given much thought to, it’s time to think about how you can multiple your positive online reviews. Why is that? Because it will help your online marketing efforts in more ways than you might think!
One of the fastest ways to garner more positive feedback from customers is to improve your company’s online reputation. A digital marketing agency can help you enhance your online reputation management (ORM) using a combination of strategies that shape people’s perceptions of your business. Talk to our internet marketing company, Smart WSI Marketing, today to learn how tactics like social listening, review monitoring, and search results monitoring can lead to more positive reviews and increased sales.
B2C and B2B consumers alike check out a business’ online reviews and ratings before deciding to buy their products or services. 9 out 10 of people make the effort to read online reviews before making the decision to purchase a product or hire a service. Not only that, but people trust these online reviews as much as the recommendation of a good friend. People want social proof that they are making the right decision when it comes to their goods and services, and in the 2020’s that looks like online reviews. Furthermore, 97% of shoppers who read online reviews from other consumers say they also read the business' responses.
An experienced internet marketing agency knows that reputation management and monitoring are essential to building trust and credibility around your brand. The methods you choose can mean the difference between your online reputation being your greatest asset or worst liability.
If you’re wondering where to start, this post is for you.
Reputation management is a strategy used to promote, monitor, and gain positive brand content. It helps you increase sales by identifying what customers like or don’t like about the products or services you offer and your company as a whole. As a digital marketing technique, it’s used to market your business to new leads, as well as nurture relationships with existing customers.
Fortunately, implementing reputation monitoring and management is as simple as one-two-three!
There are several management activities you can use to carry out ORM, including:
Social listening tools that allow you to easily track mentions of your brand, product, or service on open social networks, news sites, forums, blogs, and more.
Review monitoring gathers data from review sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
Search results monitoring checks search engine results (predominately on Google) for mentions of your brand.
Theoretically, you can perform these activities manually, but technology makes it far less time-consuming. The best ORM tools do everything from identifying influencers to tallying the volume of reviews and measuring customer sentiment.
Everyone likes how a favourable review makes them feel, but the benefits of all that positivity go far beyond personal satisfaction. Positive reviews also improve organic search click-through rates, SEO, and conversion rates.
To build up the number of positive online reviews your business has, try one or more of these tips:
Another way to get more positive customer feedback? Ask for it! Most of the time, your customers are willing to complete a review for you, they just may need a little nudge to do it. The best times to request a review are after the close of a successful transaction or re-order, when a current customer refers another customer to you, or after they mention your business on social media.
An important component of your online reputation management strategy is to not only get reviews in the first place but to respond to reviews as well. ALL reviews. While it feels great to respond to positive feedback where a customer tells you about the fantastic experience they had with your business, it’s equally important to respond to negative reviews as well. Keeping in mind that not only will the person who left the unfavourable review see your response, but so will potential customers checking out your business before deciding to work with you, negative reviews should be viewed as an opportunity to convert a dissatisfied customer into a happy one. Every review response, both positive and negative, is an opportunity to show potential customers a glimpse of your company’s personality and commitment to customer satisfaction.
It can be difficult to keep composure and remain professional when a negative review of your business or a personal interaction leaves your feelings hurt or makes you angry. Perhaps your customer was just a miserable human being who likes to complain (hey, we all know those people exist!) Maybe you’re getting so many reviews you just don’t have time to respond to them all (good for you!) Either way, this is where working an agency can come in handy! As part of our comprehensive review management services, we handle review responses for you, ensuring that all reviews are responded to in a timely and professional manner, leaving emotions aside.
The greatest hurdles in online reputation management are time, resources, and the technology budget needed to do it effectively. If you want to take charge of your online reputation and build a positive brand image but lack the resources to do it, we can help. Smart WSI Marketing is an Edmonton digital marketing agency offering review management services that get you more positive reviews and improve your overall rating. To learn more about how we do it, contact us today.
Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.
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