Are You Responding to Online Reviews? Here’s why you should be…

Feedback can be very helpful; this is the customers taking time to reply you. It gives you an image of where you are from the perspective of the customer. You should be very happy you are getting to know a customer’s mind as to your product or service. If there is a need to do better, it can be done faster. You should be very attentive and smart to online reviews. As much as you listen to try to engage the customer, you can put in a little marketing. Being responsive helps your brands and more customers will be encouraged to respond.

Here are some reasons why you should respond to online reviews.

It is the polite thing to do

When customers take out time to review your product and you fail to respond; you shouldn’t expect another review on another product. It is just polite that you accord the feeling of importance to the customer by responding. Your response means a lot. There should be a PR personnel who is charged with replying reviews amongst other things. It is just like someone complimenting you on a nice pair of shoes and you decided to keep mum. There should be a “Thank you”.

Everyone is looking

Even your competitors, everyone is watching to see how responsive you are to reviews. If you reply, more reviews can come flooding your website. If you don’t, you shouldn’t be surprised that your competitor is using online reviews to draw your customers. You should be aware that you are on the internet marketplace where there are billions of people and a lot of things don’t fly past with people not noticing. You cannot afford to be a snub on that platform; it rubs on your reputation.

It encourages others to participate in that conversation, and generate more buzz and visibility for your website.

With people watching your reaction to reviews, you will encourage more reviews about your products or services when you are in the conversation yourself. Invariably, your website is bound to have more life, be more popular and you are more visible. You do yourself a lot of good by reacting, positively, to reviews. You are getting more attention for your sight and more customers are drawn to your brand because of your responsiveness.

It affects search ranking

Because the keywords of your products are constantly used, you are chosen to have more insight on the keywords so you rank high on search engines. Your search engine visibility is improved because of the activities on your website.

Here’s how to respond to reviews.

Thank the customer for the review and be specific

Be thankful; the review is doing you a lot of good. When a customer gives a review, show that you appreciate the review. It is the way to start. Being thankful can endear people to you. You are a brand and the way you approach matters has to always put you in good light. Be specific on what the customer is addressing. Don’t fuss too much about it. If there is an issue to be addressed, go straight to it. You have to be economical with words but still pass your message clearly.

Use the business name and keywords in your review response

This will increase your visibility. Try to incorporate your business name and keywords when you respond. You are indirectly telling your customer to use the name and the keywords in subsequent comments. Your brand image is something you have to always put forward and the business name is a fundamental aspect of it. Thus, when you reply, let it be with a strong sense of the brand’s message.

Add a little marketing to your review response

Use every available opportunity to draw customer’s attention to an awesome aspect of your business. When you respond, do some advertising. Get a new product and offer it to them. You never know, they might be interested. You are a business entity and selling is a major goal. You can even let them know of subsisting promotional offers and discount sales.

Invite the customer to do something in your response

You can invite the customer to conduct a survey or try a beneficial offer; you should get them to do something. Don’t just respond to reviews; see how they can further be of help to your brand. However, don’t be pushy in your approach as people get put off with that. Be convincing in your approach to getting them to do what you are asking.

How do you get more positive reviews?

Ask in person

When you sell to customers online or offline, ask them politely for reviews on your website. Especially if it is online, suggest reviews to them frequently. Many customers may not be aware that you have a provision for review on your website but with your suggestion, about 3 in 10 would respond. However, if you don’t get the reviews you asked for, keep asking customers. Make it a practice to always know their view and opinion on the product.

Ask Online

On your website and social media platforms, you need to ask them for reviews. Let it be something you constantly ask of. Customers who have tried your products and really got satisfaction with it would be enthusiastic to give their reviews on your products. Let the customers know how important reviews are to your brand and how seriously you effect changes suggested in them.

In conclusion, reviews are very important and you should encourage them. Your brand benefits immensely in the long run. Respond to reviews and be polite when you do; even if the review is not positive. Your approach as a brand matters. When you reply, use the opportunity to sell your brand and even get them to take an action like purchase more products or take a short survey of your website. You can ask them for reviews in person or on the website.

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