Tag: online reviews

Why Reviews Matter and How to Make the Most of Them

Post author By Rallio
Post date August 9, 2022

Online reviews have been around since the dawn of the internet — it seems that people have always had opinions they want to share. But it’s only recently that they’ve become more important — and more visible — than ever, especially for business owners. Reviews are especially crucial now because of social media and our dependence on digital word of mouth. If you’re wondering why reviews matter, consider how people search for things online: they often look for other people’s recommendations or experiences in their search results before making a purchase decision.

This presents both challenges and opportunities for business owners, who are charged with constantly monitoring and responding to online reviews so as not to leave any feedback unaddressed. In the following guide, we walk you through the many ways that online reviews matter and how businesses can make the most of them to drive local business.

Why Online Reviews Matter

Reviews are a crucial part of both the online shopping experience and the ability to drive traffic to your brick-and-mortar location. A whopping 92% of consumers will think twice about buying a product if there are no reviews left by customers. And an even higher percentage, 97%, say that customer reviews influence their purchasing decisions.

This is why it’s critical not only to have customer reviews for your business but also to ensure that every review is handled appropriately. Having positive reviews helps you build credibility and trust with your audience, which can lead to more sales and conversions. In addition, should you ever receive a negative review, responding in a professional manner demonstrates that you are willing to resolve issues quickly.

Like it or not, customer reviews are the lifeblood of your business. They make up the bulk of the information people use to make buying decisions, and they help you build a reputation as an expert in your field. Having a system in place to view and respond to all of your customer reviews ensures that no customer is left hanging and you’re able to capitalize on opportunities to thank your customers for their business.

How Online Reviews Impact SEO

When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), the goal is to get your website ranked higher in the search engines. The higher you rank, the more traffic you can expect from users searching for relevant keywords. But did you know that Google ratings and reviews can also affect your SEO? It’s true! If you’re not taking advantage of this powerful tool, then you’re missing out on a great opportunity to boost your site’s visibility. Online reviews are vital to your SEO strategy, impacting your business in several key areas, which we’ll dive into below.

Online reviews influence customers’ purchasing decisions

In today’s digital age, online reviews are one of the most influential factors in shaping consumer behavior and have transformed the way people make purchase decisions. Additional data suggests 91% of people read online reviews regularly, and 84% of users report trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family.

So how does Google come into play here? Google is the review site of choice: According to multiple online reviews statistics and ReviewTrackers data, over 63% of consumers say they are likely to check Google reviews more than any other review site. Not only do they check them, but they are more likely to click through and make a purchasing decision based on the Google reviews they read.

They affect search engine rankings for your business

Moreover, Google views online reviews as a sign that your business is worthy of appearing in search engine results. If your brand consistently gets 4.5+ stars and a higher number of reviews than competing sites, it’s more likely that Google will favor your business in search engine results pages (SERPs).

In other words, your reviews determine, in part, how high you rank in search engine results pages — and the higher your rankings, the greater your social trust, which leads to further lead generation. Although reviews are not necessarily a part of Google’s ranking algorithm, they do influence search results, primarily through:

Map searches. When people search for businesses nearby, Google Maps displays the “highest rated” results first. This means that ratings and reviews can impact whether or not Google deems a business to be relevant and shows it prominently in results featuring nearby businesses.
Mobile search. Google accounts for average ratings and reviews counts when displaying results for mobile searches.
Local carousel. Ratings and reviews may impact a business’s position in the carousel, which is the horizontal row of images at the top of search results.

In short, Google reviews are a powerful component of search engine rankings, conversions, and lead generation that you cannot afford to ignore.

Benefits of Online Reviews for Businesses

Reviews are a great way for businesses to increase their visibility and build trust with potential customers. They’re also a valuable source of information for consumers. Below are just some of the potential benefits of having a steady stream of online reviews and why you need to be paying attention to them.

You’ll get valuable feedback

While there are occasionally customers who decide they have a bone to pick even with businesses that provide stellar products and services, many online reviewers actually provide insights that you can use to better your business. As you read your reviews, you’ll get a better picture of what the general perception of your company is, understand where to improve, and find out what customers are loving that you could highlight even more in your marketing or use as positive feedback for your team members.

You’ll build trust with potential customers

When you have a growing collection of positive reviews, it will make it easier for customers to trust you. Think about the last time you went searching for a certain new local business: Were you more likely to trust the businesses that had several 4- and 5-star reviews and appeared high up in search results over any business with few reviews and farther down the search rankings? In fact, did you even bother to look at any business that didn’t appear at the top of the list with glowing reviews?

It’s free advertising

The more people see your company’s name at the top of search results, the greater your brand awareness will be. It’s essentially free advertising when customers leave online reviews, and even more so when you engage with your reviewers, thank them for their feedback, and demonstrate you’re a responsive business that cares about its customers.

You’ll boost your rankings

As discussed previously, reviews influence search engine results by enabling your business to rank higher the more often your business is mentioned online, which in turn leads to higher conversions and more leads.

You can increase sales through social proof

According to a Search Engine Land report, businesses with more reviews generate 54% more revenue. Furthermore, those with more than the average number of reviews bring in 82% more in annual revenue than businesses with a below-average review quantity. In part, the increased revenue is due to businesses having claimed their Google Business Profile and other listings across the web; Search Engine Land reports that businesses that didn’t claim their listings averaged $72,000 less in annual revenue. It’s also due to consumers’ inclination to buy from businesses that respond to their reviews, perhaps under the assumption that such businesses provide better service.

Businesses that take things a step further can bolster sales even more by showcasing positive comments from customers. This can be done by displaying star ratings, reviews, and testimonials on your website, in email marketing campaigns, or on social media pages.

Best Practices and Tips to Maximize Reviews

Online reviews have a significant impact on consumer behavior — in fact, customers trust other customers more than they trust brands. So if you want to win over new buyers, you need to encourage current customers to leave reviews on your products or services and then follow up with every piece of feedback. Here are some tips to make the most of online reviews for your business.

Respond to all reviews

According to a Bright Local survey, 89% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews. When writing a response, personalize it with a name if available, acknowledge what the customer wrote, and add remarks if steps will be taken internally. See negative review responses as an opportunity to rebuild trust with your audience. Why?

33% of customers who received a response to a negative review subsequently changed it to be more positive, while 34% deleted their negative review.
45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business if it responds to negative reviews.

Input keywords in your review responses

Your customers’ reviews will sometimes contain keywords, but responding gives you the chance to ensure Google knows exactly what your business is about. Relevant keywords to consider in your review responses include:

Business name
Location
Keywords related to the products or services you sell; use a keyword analysis tool to find keywords for which you want to rank

Know when to ask customers to leave you a review

Every sale is an opportunity to ask for online reviews, not only at the point of sale but afterwards. Here are some optimal times to ask:

After a purchase
After a product has been delivered
When a customer re-purchases or re-orders
After a customer tags your brand on social media
When customers are browsing your site for other products/services
If they refer another customer
Before a customer walks out the door

Share reviews to other social networks

When you get a glowing review, share it online! It just makes sense that you should spread the good news and share what others are saying about your work. Here at Rallio, we always talk about the importance of getting more local content out on your pages, and this is a great and easy way to do so! Just copy and paste somebody’s 5-star review, put it in a template, post it on your social profiles, and watch the great engagement flow in.

Keep your information on review sites up to date

Update your social and review profiles and business listings so consumers can always find up-to-date, correct, and consistent information for your business. Rallio’s Business Listing service makes it easy to update all of your information across the web in seconds.

Learn more: Why Your Online Reviews Are More Important Than Ever

Take Care of Your Reviews, and They’ll Take Care of You

It’s easier than ever for consumers to post an honest review about their experiences with your company, and you’ll find that if you just ask, most people are happy to provide feedback. By being proactive with customers and asking for reviews, you can often head off problems before they get published online while also seizing the opportunity to highlight customers’ positive experiences.

Positive reviews are so important for any business owner or marketer aiming to increase sales with online marketing efforts, connect with their customers, and build a thriving local business where customers are eagerly coming through their doors. With Rallio’s technology continually pulling reviews into your dashboard, you’ll always know what customers are saying about you — and always have an opportunity to thank them for their business.

Tags online reviews

Reputation

Responding to Online Reviews in 3 Easy Steps

Post author By Rallio
Post date July 30, 2021

At times, you might find yourself staring at a new online review, wondering how to respond to your customer. Sometimes, the response will come easily, like when a customer leaves glowing feedback about your product or service. Other times, you might find yourself responding to online reviews that are more negative — and trying to oh-so-delicately approach the topic and smooth things over so you don’t further aggravate your customer.

In any case, responding to online reviews is a crucial element of your online marketing efforts. Not only does it improve your search rankings, but it also shows your customers you’re a business owner who cares about your customers’ needs.

Sometimes, it helps to bring a little humor into the task, and there’s nobody more up for the job than our own lovable canine friend, Roscoe. In this episode of Social Spots, Roscoe gives us some tips on responding to online reviews — and kicks it back to his glory days in the ’90s. Give it a watch to start responding to online reviews like the pro that you are, and see the summary of Roscoe’s tips below anytime you need a refresher.

#1: Never Ignore a Positive Interaction

If you were talking to someone in real life and they gave you a compliment, would you thank them and show your appreciation for their kind words? Hopefully, your answer is yes, and you should apply the same philosophy to responding to online reviews.

Let’s say a customer posts an online review stating that you have friendly customer service, you always have a large selection of products, and they go out of their way to shop with you just because they love your store so much. As a busy business owner, you might either miss this online review because you’re not paying attention to the review platforms, or you might think it’s not necessary to respond to your customer because the feedback is positive.

Let us be the first to tell you that in both cases, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Even if you’re not paying attention to your online reviews, they’re still happening. It’s common for customers to take to online platforms to give feedback about a business.

Also, in the same way you wouldn’t ignore a compliment in real life, you shouldn’t ignore a positive engagement with a customer, either. A simple “Thank you for the nice review” is better than nothing, but if you really want to step things up, try something a little more personal, such as: “Thank you for taking the time to leave such a great review. We love seeing you in our store so frequently, especially when you bring your sweet daughter along for the trip! We can’t wait to see you again soon!”

#2: Admit Your Mistakes

If someone had a real issue with your products or services or their in-store shopping experience, it’s imperative that you address the problem and try to make it right. Rather than react with anger or frustration, keep a cool head and respond with professionalism.

No response at all is also not a good strategy for responding to online reviews. A negative online review needs your attention just as much as a positive online review. Even if you disagree with the customer, you need to show the world you’re willing to listen and remedy the situation.

The best-case scenario is if you can take the conversation offline rather than hash things out publicly. Let your customer know how to direct-message, email or call you or someone on your team, and tell them you’re happy to discuss the matter in further detail.

Also, feel free to correct any misinformation the customer may have posted (again, with professionalism). For example, if they said your store doesn’t carry a certain product and you know for certain that you do, you can say something like:

“We actually have a large inventory of XYZ product, and we’d love for you to come by and take a second look! Would you like me to set one aside for you? As a thank-you for your troubles, please mention this message for 10% off your entire order.” (Oh, and make sure your entire team is in on the discount offer so they can apply it at checkout and not cause another negative experience!)

Related: John Bronze in Code Revv

#3 Stay Cool

This tip comes directly from Roscoe himself. There’s nothing worse than coming across as rude, impatient, unfriendly or short-tempered with a customer — even if that’s the way they interacted with you. Considering that online reviews can live in perpetuity long after you’ve posted a response, you need to make sure you keep a cool head.

If you’re ever unsure whether you’re responding to online reviews effectively, ask yourself, “What would Roscoe do?” And of course, we’re always happy to help here at Rallio. Our Rallio Local team can handle all of your online reviews if you’d like, and our Revv reputation accelerator platform helps you get more positive online reviews while discouraging negative online reviews.

Want to learn more about how our technology can help when responding to online reviews? Head over to our rallio.com to request a demo, or book a call here.

Tags online reputation, online reviews

Reputation

3 Tips for Responding to Your Online Reviews: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Post author By Rallio
Post date March 22, 2021

Getting a great online review for your business has a way of putting a spring in your step, doesn’t it? Whether your Love Language is “words of affirmation” or you just love to hear someone singing your praises, positive online reviews tell you that you’re doing something right. And most importantly, you’re making your customers happy.

Negative online reviews, on the other hand, have a way of ruining your day. It’s like if the waiter comes along and takes your plate away while you’re away at the restroom. “Oh, you were enjoying yourself there? Not so fast!”

In either case, it’s important that you respond to all your online reviews — both the positive and the negative. The more you engage with your audience and let them know you’re listening, the more professional, approachable and trustworthy you become. That’s especially true when it comes to negative online reviews. If you handle yourself with grace and avoid lashing out, you will come across as the cool-headed business that wants to solve problems and make things right.

Sometimes, particularly with negative online reviews, you might be unsure how to handle a review or find the right words. Even positive online reviews can be tricky; if your response lacks feeling and appears canned, it’s almost worse than saying nothing at all.

To help you hone your review-response skills, we’ve compiled some imaginary online reviews. With each one, you’ll see responses that fall within the “good, bad and ugly” range. Aim for the “good,” and your review responses will get an instant upgrade. Avoid the “bad.” And although it seems outlandish that anyone would venture into the “ugly” territory, we just never know, so we’re throwing it in there. If nothing else, it may give you a good chuckle.

The Thankful Patron

If you want to improve your responses to online reviews, the easiest place to start is by replying back to customers who like and appreciate your products or services. Oftentimes, business owners overlook these positive reviews, thinking, “Well, they’re happy! Nothing else to see here.”

In reality, customers want to hear from you even if their words are positive. In fact, they might actually be offended if you ignore them when they took the time to sing your praises. Imagine a great review going south just because you didn’t express your thanks!

Hypothetical positive review from Mark Smith: “We had such a lovely time dining at Marvin’s Steak House. The food was exquisitely prepared, the service was exceptional, and we never felt rushed to finish our meal. The entire experience was nothing short of magical. The to-go box even had a voucher for a free dessert on our next visit!”

Good response: “Mark, we are so thrilled you enjoyed your experience with us. In these challenging times for restaurants, it’s people like you who remind us of why we love doing what we do. We can’t wait for your return visit, and we promise to have a fresh tray of desserts ready for you.”

This response is personal, calling out specific details of the review. It shows that a real human actually read the review and took the time to respond — about the same time it took Mark to write it. Mark is going to hang on to that dessert voucher and hurry back in for a visit soon.

Bad response: No response at all. Or how about just “Thanks”? How quickly do you think Mark is going to hustle back to the restaurant?

Ugly response: “Glad you liked the service. Your tip didn’t really reflect that though, eh?”

The Irate Customer

Sometimes, you’ll get a customer who is upset about something that happened at your business. They may have a valid point, or they could just be overreacting. But whatever the case may be, this is your chance to act like the professional that you are.

Hypothetical irate review from Jane Painter: “This place is the worst. I needed help picking out a paint type for my ceiling, and the salespeople were either on their phones or talking to each other, paying no attention to me. I ended up leaving and going to the paint store across town. I’ll never be back.”

Good response: “Jane, we are so sorry you had this experience at our store. We really let you down when you needed our help, and we regret that you didn’t see the best version of us on that particular visit. We will be sure to address the customer service issues you mentioned with our staff, and we’re using your review to improve our service. We’d love an opportunity to make things right with you, if you’ll give us a second chance. We have a gift card we’d love to send to you, if you could please email [address] and let us know where to send it.”

Professional and reasonable, this response accepts responsibility and makes an effort to smooth things over. It’s up to the customer how they respond at this point, but in the public’s eyes, the business did everything they could to ask for forgiveness.

Bad response: “We are a high-volume store, and we don’t always have time for every little question. Our website has answers to a lot of FAQ. Next time, just get our attention!”

Yikes. Jane is about to fire off another negative online review about you now.

Ugly response: “lol if you don’t know how to paint, just hire someone!”

The Fibber, the Faker, the Turmoil Maker

Still other times, someone might flat-out lie in their online review. It’s frustrating, but it happens.

First off, if someone says something that just plain isn’t true, you may have some recourse with the review platforms. In some cases, you can ask that a review be removed if it contains information that isn’t factual. Check with individual platforms if this happens to you, and if necessary, follow their process for requesting that a review be removed.

In the meantime, while that process is underway, you’ll want to post a reply. It’s possible that your review will remain posted even if you go through the proper channels to have it removed. So just be sure you post a public response.

Hypothetical lie from Sarah Liesalot: “I tried to take a class at Sir Spins a Lot, and I was refused entry because I didn’t have shoes with me. The website says they rent shoes! What a joke!”

Good response: “Sarah, we regret that you left our facility with incorrect information. We do not rent out shoes, due to current health regulations in our county. Our website does not state that we rent shoes, and in fact, it states that bringing your own shoes is a requirement for entry. This information is also stated in our waiver, which you signed prior to taking class. If you have any further questions about our policies and procedures, please reach out to us directly at [email or phone].”

By sticking to the facts and avoiding the “liar” label, the business educates both the reviewer and the public. New students will be more likely to bring their own shoes, and Sarah will either do so the next time or avoid the business in the future (win-win).

Bad response: “You’re a liar. We don’t rent shoes. Nowhere on our website does it say that we do. You signed a waiver stating you would bring your own shoes. How about you read the waiver before you sign it, hmm?”

Name-calling and being confrontational only makes you look bad and further aggravates the customer.

Ugly response: “Nope. We don’t rent shoes, lady. Show me one place on our website that says this. Yeah, I don’t think so!”

Online Reviews Are a Delicate Matter

One final thought about responding to online reviews: Some people will never be happy, no matter how accommodating you are. Avoid getting into back-and-forth word battles, which are ultimately losing efforts. Do your best to resolve any issues quickly and professionally, and invite the customer to take the conversation offline if needed.

Knowing how to respond to your online reviews is one of the most valuable skills you can attain as a business owner. By the way, the same goes for any direct messages and comments you receive on social media.

Your customers are already using social media and review platforms as customer service channels. They expect quick responses to complaints, and they also expect quick responses to compliments.

If you lack the time to handle this kind of volume of incoming messages, consider letting Rallio do some of the heavy lifting for you. Our dashboard pulls all of your comments, reviews and messages into one central inbox so you can easily see and respond to them all. We also have Social Strategists who can do the responding for you through our technology, if you would rather get an expert eye on your reviews.

Head over to rallio.com to see how it works and request a demo. And if you like, send us a message. We promise our response will fall in the “good” range — and steer clear of the ugly.

Tags online reputation, online reviews

Reputation

Why Your Online Reviews Are More Important Than Ever

Post author By Rallio
Post date April 7, 2020

We’ve written about the importance of online reviews before, but never before have they been more important than they are right now. As we work to disseminate information that may help our clients and other businesses dealing with COVID-19, we’d be remiss if we didn’t impress upon you how critical it is that you’re getting customer feedback at this time.

With the COVID-19 crisis, customers are relying almost entirely on digital communications and resources to find out information about a business. Are they open? Are they wearing gloves and masks? Do they offer contactless options, pickup, delivery? How about free delivery? These are the types of questions you need to get ahead of right away, in a way that inspires fresh, current reviews about your business.

When your business suddenly relies on nearly 100 percent digital contact with customers and prospects, you need to make sure your online presence is on point. Reviews posted a few months ago don’t mean anything to customers who are looking for the most up-to-date information about a business before they decide to leave the shelter of home or place an order over the phone or online. Let’s look at some of the issues you may be up against and how you can resolve them.

The Problem: You’re Lacking Current Reviews

That’s a real problem because it’s not giving customers the confidence they need in order to give you their business in the here and now. Customers want to know what they can expect today — not three, six or nine months ago.

And while you may be understandably caught up in the details of running your business right now, maybe even making sure you stay in business and keep your employees, you also have to realize that getting those reviews is the exact thing that’s going to keep you in business as well as help you grow.

Why This Might Be Happening

There can be a few things going on if you’re not getting any new reviews or if you seem to be just getting negative reviews posted:

Google My Business has hit “pause” on the ability for any business to add new reviews due to their own staff shortages related to COVID-19. So even if customers are leaving reviews on this platform, they’re probably not getting published.
The second reason you might not have new reviews is you’re not asking for them. Many people simply won’t take the time to post a review if you don’t send them a link asking for that immediate feedback.
When left to their own devices — i.e., you haven’t asked for feedback and customers are simply finding your page on the review platforms — the customers leaving reviews are likely to be the ones who have something negative to say. That means that many of the reviews getting posted could be negative.

The Solution

Provide a way to get feedback that encourages positive reviews. Our Revv app allows you to ask for feedback immediately after a transaction takes place. Customers who have a negative experience, if any, are invited to contact you privately so their concerns can be handled right away. They’re less likely to post a negative review if they’re asked to take the conversation offline and provided with great customer service.

With Revv, customers who have a positive experience are asked to submit a review on their review platform of choice based on where businesses direct them. It gives businesses so much more control over the review process! Rather than rely on customers to go and post positive reviews “just because,” Revv actually asks for those reviews and guides customers to the appropriate platform.

Key Takeaways

If your business is open right now, you can count yourself among the fortunate. Maybe your business is able to be conducted online, or maybe you’re a food business continuing to provide meals to the public and perhaps even to healthcare workers and law enforcement personnel.

No doubt, your customers are grateful for the products and services you’re continuing to provide. You’re offering some sense of normalcy — you’re an open business! You have an opportunity to shine and provide the best possible service. And you shouldn’t underestimate the kindness with which you’ll be met if you ask your customers to support you by leaving a positive review.

Thank you for your order When you get those great reviews, be sure to thank your customers for them and highlight them on social media. If your customer mentions that James did a great job of getting an order to them quickly and took the proper safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, you can spotlight James on your social media pages. And then boost the post to extend the reach even further!

With Revv, it can become a simple, automated, ongoing cycle of delivering great service to customers, asking for feedback, making your business better as needed if any negative feedback gets submitted, and publicizing the positive feedback on review platforms and social media.

Reach out to sales@rallio.com to find out how it works and what we can do for your business in particular. We have some affordable options that are helping many businesses continue to grow despite these challenging times.

Tags coronavirus, online reviews, social media marketing