Customer reviews are very important for businesses because they help in providing feedback to your brand, a positive ranking factor for local seo, and social proof to minimize the risk for potential customers. 90% of customers stated that reviews play a significant role in deciding their purchasing decision.
Positive reviews can boost your business’s visibility and help attract new customers. The impact of Google Reviews is huge. Businesses in the local map get 126% more traffic and 93% more calls and website clicks. Enhancing your local SEO allows you to connect better with your customers and enhance local visibility. 80% of US customers search online for local businesses every week.
In this article, we’ll learn why collecting reviews is important and how difficult it is. Also, learn how to collect and manage reviews!
Why collecting reviews is important for Local SEO
Search engines like Google want to give excellent experiences to their customers. When someone searches for a product or service, Google looks for the most worthy, trustworthy businesses that are well-reviewed. Here are some of the reasons why collecting reviews is important
- Local Search Ranking: Google’s algorithm considers review quality, quantity, and frequency for ranking local businesses. Businesses that have more high-quality reviews will be allocated a higher rank in search engine result pages.
- Click-through Rate: A business that has a good amount of positive reviews will stand out in the search results. When a user sees a business with high rating stars, they are more likely to click on it rather than on a business with zero or fewer reviews.
- Trust & Credibility: Would you use a salon with a 4 -5 star rating based on reviews or a salon with a star rating? Most customers rely on social proof when making a purchasing decision. Reviews influence purchase decisions and build credibility.
- Conversions: More positive reviews lead to more business. If a user is considering buying your product, then a high rating can influence or compel them to purchase it. It increases the conversion rate.
- Engagement: Google rewards businesses that engage with users. When you respond to reviews, either positive or negative, it means you are active and considerate.
Why collecting reviews is difficult
Despite so many advantages, it is difficult to generate or collect reviews
- Customer Forget: Many customers want to leave a review, but forget to do so. Unlike complaints, positive experiences or leaving positive reviews are overlooked.
- Lack of Strategy: Many businesses don’t have an accurate and efficient plan to collect and manage reviews. Without proper planning and a structured approach, businesses miss the opportunity to collect positive reviews.
- Fear: Some businesses avoid asking for reviews as they risk receiving negative feedback. However, positive and negative reviews show transparency and professionalism for gaining customers’ trust.
- Time Constraint: It can be time-consuming to collect and manage reviews. If your team is limited, then they have to juggle between multiple tasks such as analytics, review management, etc.
- Lack of Process: If your review collection process is complicated and long, chances are users will avoid leaving a review. Make your review collection process simple and easy. You can send a QR code to users that directs them to the review section.
How to collect and manage reviews
For best results, you must know how to collect and manage more reviews. Here are a few ways to collect customer reviews
- Timely: Target customers who have recently purchased from you. The period can be limited to the last three days. So that the experience is fresh in their mind.
- Social: Use social media to send review requests to your customers or followers. Facebook has a built-in review system that allows customers to review businesses directly on their platform.
- Accessible: Include links to the review page on the company’s website. You can include such links in emails or sales receipts so that the customers know where to leave the reviews.
- Send Reminder: Satisfied and happy customers are happy to leave reviews, but it is not their priority. A friendly email reminder can remind them to leave a review and increase the number of reviews businesses receive.
- Set Tone: The first review influences or sets the tone of your subsequent reviews. Hence, it is important to ask happy customers to ask for reviews. You can integrate review sites and include their reviews on your webpage.
- Easy: Users will leave a review if they get clear instructions on where and how to post it. Remind customers about their recent purchase and suggest that they leave a review.
Online reviews can either make or break your local success. Small businesses that engage actively with their customers and encourage them to leave reviews and manage them well have a competitive advantage in search ranking and winning customer trust and conversion. By implementing a review strategy, you invest in long-term goals and success. Many businesses use a third-party tool to manage and monitor their reviews. Lumia 360 offers a review management system that manages and monitors online reviews to ensure higher search engine rankings and boost sales. To know more about our review management system, email us at info@lumia360.com or call 514-668-5599.
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