Online reviews
More than 90% of customers read a review online before they decide to visit your company (Local Consumer Review Survey, 2020). And that makes sense: before you do business with a company, you want to know what other people’s experiences were, so called social proof. By putting reviews on your website (and on Google!), visitors see that your products or services are convincing and reliable. At JKC Media we even offer an automatic integration, so the reviews show up on your website and on Google right away. Besides their effect on the purchase decision of visitors, reviews help you rank higher in Google. Reviews even come out in the top 3 of ranking factors (Moz). Google sees reviews as a sign of the quality of your company. Reviews often include important keywords, which you can respond to with even more relevant keywords (but be careful: do not overdo it). Sometimes the number of stars is visible as well, which gives visitors even more clarity about the quality of your organization.
Different platforms
You can collect reviews on various platforms. Of course there is our big friend Google, with Google My Business, and Facebook, where visitors can share their opinion. But there are also dedicated review platforms such as TrustPilot and Klantenvertellen. We ourselves recommend Google My Business. Those reviews appear in the search results, which improves your SEO results. That way customers see your reviews right away when they look up the name of your company. On top of that, Google My Business is seen as a reliable platform that a lot of people use.
Collecting reviews
To get reviews, the first step is asking for them. For example, a few days after you deliver your product or service, you can ask the customer whether they would like to leave a review. We can arrange this for you with an automated email from your webshop, among other options (using MailChimp). Do not be too pushy about it. Wait a few days after the purchase and do not send ten emails reminding customers that they still have to leave a review. That would drive you crazy too. Ideally you want good reviews. Keep an eye on the following, for instance:
- Make sure customers can create one easily, with a simple, short form.
- People are more inclined to leave a review for you if they get something in return. That does not have to be big or complicated. Think of a simple giveaway or a certain discount. Because one good turn deserves another, right?
Handling negative reviews
Unfortunately you can never get everything perfect, which is why you will probably have to deal with negative reviews. These can be incredibly frustrating. Especially when someone complains about something you consider nonsense. But it is important to respond to them the right way. Follow these steps:
- Above all, do not get angry.
- Read the complaint carefully to find out what the customer was unhappy about.
- And respond to that substantively. Not: ‘Sorry to hear things were not to your liking. We will work on it.’
- Address the complaint. Name a possible cause for the negative experience and say specifically what you are going to improve. The complaining customer, the other visitors who read the review and your reply, and you yourself all benefit from that.
