Are Lack of Reviews Effecting Your Small Business?

Reviews are a great way for your small business customers to get an idea of what your business is like. Through reviews they know what services you offer, how well you offer them, and the quality of your products without even leaving their home.

Reviews are also a valuable tool for a small business to know what their customers think about them. It’s a convenient way to get honest feedback of your services and find out what you need to fix to keep your customers satisfied.

What your customers say about you is just as much advertising for your business as any marketing strategy you could employ. It’s unfiltered, honest, and sometimes a bit dramatic.

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While reviews can be loud and sometimes deceiving, no reviews at all can garner the same effect. Are no reviews better than bad reviews? Read ahead to find out.

Is your business good or bad? No one knows…

90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. If there are no reviews, there’s no way for a potential consumer to know whether your business is worth visiting or not.

Google has made it convenient to avoid businesses that have a bad reputation without setting foot near their actual establishment. Ensuring good customer service, professionalism, and reliability are now easier than ever.

While this has made the shopping process easier on the consumer, the same can’t be said for small businesses. Why would a customer visit a business with no online reviews when they can find a place that people can confirm they will have a good experience?

Place yourself in the mindset of a consumer. When you’re looking for a product or service, chances are you are not in the mood to experiment with quality and service. A business with a lack of reviews leaves much to the imagination.

Unfortunately, reviews are one of those things that without them, people will stay away. How do you get more reviews to establish the authenticity and reliability that you know your business has?

• Encourage customers who buy a product to review your business at the check-out counter or shopping cart
• Follow-up with a customer to see how they like their product or service and ask permission to publish their responses or quotes

Customers can’t trust your business

As with anything, rather than jump into something they know nothing about, customers like to do a little research about a business before they visit. They want to know all about who you are, what you do, and how you do it.

It’s fair to say you wouldn’t hand your money over to a stranger. Neither would a potential customer trust a business they know nothing about.

For instance, if you’re looking to get your wedding cake made, an online review of a local bakery could go a long way. What does this bakery offer? What do their cakes taste like? Are the bakers experienced in making what I want? Will they deliver on time?

You’re not going to go to a bakery that has no reviews. What if you get stuck with a cake that looks terrible or tastes… not like cake?

Your customer is the same. 72% of customers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more an 88% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Don’t make the review process a chore

It’s common for people to think “I had a good experience with this company. I don’t feel compelled to write a positive review because if my experience wasn’t positive, then I would let people know about it”.

This mentality follows the idea that people are more likely to post negative reviews rather than positive ones. You need to encourage your customers to move away from this mentality and share their good experiences, just as they share the bad.

Just because there are no positive reviews doesn’t mean there are no positive experiences—but your customers don’t know that. Increase the amount of positive reviews for your company by making the review process as easy and attractive as possible:

• Send a direct link to your profile on review sites
• Encourage your customer to rate your company on Facebook
• Provide incentive for posting a review
• Create a memorable customer service experience worth sharing

A few reviews are better than no reviews. Make it a point to share your positive reviews across social media platforms for maximum visibility.

The importance of online reviews

Business that are “comfortable” with their following and can’t complain about their profits tend to ignore online reviews. They are satisfied with what they can see in front of them, but they have no idea how the internet could ruin their reputation or stunt them from growth.

Online reviews influence:

• Buying decisions
• Online rankings
• Conversion rates

Customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews. Businesses that neglect the importance of online reviews are missing out on profits. They’re not necessarily losing money but they could be making a lot more.

There will always be competitors. Online reviews affect how you fare against local competition and can keep you aware of your shortcomings.

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The more honest reviews you have, the more your product will sell because customers must find out for themselves if what is being said is true. These reviews are sincere and show that your company has nothing to hide.

By Martin Goldthorpe    Business Marketing Mastery