- On
- 25 Jan 2023
- Reading time
- 4 minutes
Every small business owner and large business owner alike in the country knows the importance of customer reviews and online reputation.
What they also know is that it is incredibly difficult to get a satisfied customer to share a positive review of their business but all too easy for a disgruntled one to take to Google to vent their frustrations.
If you’re a business owner and are looking at ways to improve your customer feedback ratings or just want to know a little bit more about the world of online reviews, read on to find out everything you need to know on the topic.
Why Are Customer Reviews Important?
Business has always relied on reputation. Whether that be before the internet age when word would spread around the community about your excellent customer service or bargain basement prices, or nowadays, in our increasingly online economy.
The best way to build a reputation as a safe, trustworthy and reliable company online is by garnering as many positive customer reviews as possible. Recent consumer surveys have found that 95% of customers read through reviews before buying products or services online.
In the saturated and highly competitive world of online gambling, customer reviews can be the difference between companies posting a profit and being in the red. These reviews can also either help or hinder new online casinos entering the competitive market. This is because the majority of gambling customers use comparison websites to find their next online casino providers.
A string of bad reviews can leave providers way down the rankings or even off the first page, which as any online business owner will tell you, could signal disaster. Whilst the example of online gambling may sound a little dramatic, it just goes to show the importance of customer reviews and online reputation.
There might not be a comparison website for your industry and business, but Google, with their review system, are just as good as a comparison site.
How Many People Leave Reviews?
Those who disregard the importance of customer reviews often claim that they are unimportant because no one leaves them and those that do, are angry and neurotic. Whilst it might feel like that’s the case at times, it’s not exactly accurate.
Consumer studies have found that 72% of customers are likely to leave a review for an online business under one specific condition – that they are asked to. The reason for the disparity in positive reviews most of the time then, is that business owners simply don’t ask their customers for feedback.
If you’re struggling with customer reviews, you have to ask yourself if you’ve really pushed to get positive feedback. If you haven’t, you might be wondering…
How To Get Customers To Leave Positive Reviews
Ask them. That’s all you have to do. Copy the question above and search it on Google and you will find hundreds of articles with convoluted, confusing ‘techniques’ to get your customers to leave positive reviews when the answer, is actually way more simple – ask them.
If you’re communicating via email with your customers, at the end of your message politely ask them if they could take a couple of minutes to head over to Google and leave a review about their experience and then copy a link into your Google business page.
If you’re speaking to someone over the phone or in person, ask them to go online and give your business five stars when they get a spare minute. It might not work every time, but if you adopt this approach consistently you will be astonished at how many positive reviews you receive.
Dealing With Negative Reviews
There are no failures, only learning opportunities. Yes, that might sound like the type of clichéd quote that you would see on a motivational TikTok, but when it comes to online reviews it’s the gospel truth.
If a customer has left a negative review of your business it is because they have had a bad experience. If you can, contact them privately and find out exactly what it is that has disappointed them with your service.
Then go to whatever lengths necessary to rectify the problem for them and ensure that you don’t repeat the same mistakes with future customers. Whilst the original customer might not go back and change their review, future customers will be likely to leave positive feedback for the issue that initially garnered negative feedback.
What’s more, is that the customer who gave negative feedback is more likely to shop with you again if you successfully resolve their issue.
In short, then, every single customer review that your business receives is an opportunity, and to get more all you have to do is ask. Good luck out there review hunting!
