In this new digital age, businesses must adapt or risk fading into irrelevancy. The widespread accessibility and usage of the Internet has placed new demands on business owners as customers increasingly look to online product reviews before committing to a purchase. The power of online reviews is indisputable. They can make or break a business. You can’t control whether or not customers choose to leave reviews or what they choose to write in those reviews when they do. However, you can influence customers by making it easy and accessible for them to post reviews. Also, occasional negative reviews are almost impossible to avoid, but polite, personal responses and follow-ups to negative reviews can go a long way and breed customer loyalty as well as satisfaction. The best way to get reviews is simply by asking.
Key Takeaways:
- When you inevitably receive a negative review, the best reaction is to reach out to the dissatisfied customer with a polite and personal message
- The best way to boost the number of online reviews you receive is also the simplest—just ask
- A whopping ninety percent of all consumers check product reviews online before committing to shop at a new business
“The days in which businesses defined themselves are gone. Online reviews have unsettled everything.”