After Google purchased Yelp in 2009, local business reviews became very significant. Although online marketers knew that comments and reviews are and have been beneficial for the business owner with an online presence, few others recognized how important those reviews actually were and will continue to be.
Why Should you Manage Your Local Business Reviews?
Local businesses should consider how reviews affect customer choice and loyalty. Google, Yahoo, Bing, Ask, and others give the customer an opportunity to voice their opinion – quite publicly – next to the business listing. Potential customers see what has been previously written and base their decisions on that information.
Local businesses need to actively encourage positive reviews. There is no way to erase a poor review, true or false. If you understand the importance of this side of social media, there are some things you should do to protect your brand.
A. Immediately engage that disgruntled client and publicly address that issue so that others can see what has been done in the face of a problem. Try to move the conversation offline until a resolution can be made.
B. Proactively engage happy clients to leave reviews, so that the poor review is not given the same credence as if it had been the only visible response to your company.
Don’t underestimate the power of online reviews. While they can have potentially damaging effects, positive power also exists that can catapult local business into greater visibility, if not brand protection for an already well-known and established business.
Local Reviews Matter
According to a 2009 local search study, when asked if reviews impacted purchasing decisions, over half of the respondents agreed that those comments and reviews had helped them make their ultimate choice. Even so, less than 30% of those decision-makers actually left reviews themselves. That being the case, reviews become the new word-of-mouth advertising.
Social media now impacts every aspect of local marketing, and needs to be taken seriously in all forms. The company ignoring this fact will inevitably suffer unnecessary loss – either through missed opportunity, or unforeseen negative public opinion.
Take charge of your online reputation by responding quickly to negative reviews, and encouraging happy clients to engage in the review process through coupons, give-aways, or discounts for participation.
How is your business managing your online local review process? We’d love to hear it.
Related Posts: How to Get Customer Reviews
Every day, consumers are capturing content at your locations and sharing it across their social networks. Don’t forget to include online reviews with your online reputation.