How to Encourage Your Customers to Leave Positive Online Ratings and Reviews

Business for a while, have a loyal customer base, and great word-of-mouth – but how do you translate that into online ratings and reviews? It’s a question that a lot of business owners are asking themselves as sites like Yelp and Facebook grow in importance when it comes to making buying decisions. Positive reviews online translate into that last little nudge that moves people from looking to buying. So how can you prompt some of your long-term and loyal customers into leaving a positive review? We’ve got some tips and tricks that might just tip the balance.

3 Tips and Tricks to Get Positive Online Ratings and Reviews

How important are those ratings and reviews? 80 percent of customers depend on online reviews just as much as they do personal recommendations. Furthermore, 92 percent of customers will use a local business if it has a four out of five star rating. You can see that it makes a huge difference in how people find, research, and eventually use your business. However, you have to get those ratings and reviews before this can happen. Here are some tips and tricks to help you.

• Do not Astroturf! Astroturf is when you have either friends or pay freelancers to review your business. People can generally tell when reviews are Astroturf, and there are tools out there to help them do it. Think of reviews the way that Amazon does verified purchase reviews. The more detail and the more realism that your customers bring, the more likely the review is to be taken seriously. Even if you simply meant to boost your rating, people will not trust you if they believe your reviews to be false.

• Follow-up. After a customer makes a purchase, follow up with them in an email. Ask them for review on Yelp, Facebook, or whatever other venue you are using. Do not offer goods, discounts, or coupons in return for a good review. This constitutes paying for a review. When a customer posts a good review, leave a like or a comment to acknowledge that you have seen the review.

• On your blog and social media posts, ask for customers to share their experiences with your company. These can be invaluable when it comes to getting a potential customer off the fence and to the cash register. Even if they’re not star, if they are there and readable, they can make all the difference.

If you’re not certain how to handle your social media presence, you’re not alone. A lot of business owners work with marketing professionals who help them to manage all aspects of their online presence. You don’t need to be a big business to have a big presence. You don’t need to have big money, just smart money and a little bit of patience. Nothing happens overnight, even on the Internet, but will see results. Contact 4 Step Studio today and find out how we can help you get the online ratings and reviews that your business needs.

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