You can build your brand and products by having customers post reviews on social media. Here's how you do it and why it's important.
Today, more than ever before, people are more likely to make a purchase of a product or service if others feel the same way. How customers feel about their purchase and what they say can help drive sales. Here are four reasons to get them talking:
- You become easier to find
- You look more professional
- You have a direct line to customers
- More customers talk about your business
Let's take a deeper look at each of these four reasons.
You become easier to find
Your success depends on how easy your business is to find on the Internet.
Many consumers use the Internet to research before they buy. Bing, Google, Yelp! and comments on Facebook have an impact on buying decisions, especially with younger buyers. The methods used by these sites to index and present your website and business to prospective customers is decided by algorithms. These algorithms can make or break your business.
The algorithms search engines like Bing, Google and others use to decide how to present search results are often based on customer reviews and comments posted online. Having a constant supply of positive comments posted can help your business rank higher on returned search results.
The higher your business is ranked by the search engine algorithms, the easier it is to find. This means possible customers view you and your business as being industry leaders ahead of your competitors.
You look more professional
Positive customer reviews make you and your business appear more professional than many of your competitors. After all, trust drives sales!
Think about when you’re shopping for something and see several businesses offering the same product. Do you find yourself leaning more towards the business with the highest rating? Your customers are the same. If a business or product has less than four stars, many potential buyers are turned off and look elsewhere.
What customers say about you or your business is just as important as how easy it is to find your online listing. Higher customer ratings often translate into higher sales conversion rates.
You have a direct line to customers
Customers posting reviews of your business or product are also expecting a response, especially if they encountered an issue. It’s important you look at customer reviews daily and respond to as many as you can. Make responses directly to each customer based on their comments in the review. Avoid using a ‘canned’ response as it appears you didn’t bother to really read the posted comment.
If a customer leaves a very negative, or personal comment in a review, remember to always respond in a professional manner as other customers and potential customers may be watching. If you can quickly address an issue mentioned by an irate customer, they may become someone who later recommends your business or product to others.
Many businesses also find the volume of reviews increases when they respond to customer comments or concerns quickly.
More customers talk about your business
It’s human nature to tell family and friends about a negative experience with a business or product than a good one. In other words, news travels fast! So make sure the news is good news! If a customer is unhappy with a product or service, make every attempt to get it corrected as soon as possible. When a customer’s issue is addressed, they may be more likely to share their experience on social media.
Getting more and more customers to post reviews is a great way to build your brand’s awareness. Sites like Google, Yelp!, TripAdvisor and others can shape your brand’s presence online, so encourage customers with good experiences to also post a review to help spread the word.