Why you should generate negative online customer reviews

"online customer reviews are essential for the reputation of local businesses and professionals."

Here are four steps to take to manage your online reviews:

1. Connect Digitally: Be present online and know where to look for your customers' comments online.
2. Listen Closely: Actively monitor those sites for reviews and proactively seek to have your customers add to them.
3. React Quickly: Strategically respond to the good and the bad before issues can snowball.
4. Respond Personally: Engage constructively and publicly with the individuals involved.

How do I deal with a bad review?

Did you know that 30% of people don't trust reviews when they only see positive reviews. So whilst receiving a bad review doesn't feel great, enabling it to be shown publicly can enhance the trust people have in the positive reviews you've received. In addition, how you deal with public feedback can say a lot to potential new customers as they can imagine themselves in that experience and how they'd feel about the way you've interacted. The ability to engage with a disgruntled customer is a real sign of strength. By logging in to Advisr you are able to reply to your reviews, both good and bad.

So, how can I gain more positive reviews?

1: Build seeking customer reviews into your process: Try adding a prompt for customers to review you as part of your customer engagement process, and be disciplined to do it with all customers. 2: Be proactive with clients who love you: Ask great customers, for whom you've gone above and beyond, to provide a review and make it super easy for them to do so. Then remember to say thanks once they've done it. 3: Leave reviews for others: Reciprocity is the feeling that people have when you've done something for them and they feel the need to respond or reciprocate. With online reviews, providing a review for your clients can lead them to ask you if they can do likewise. That provides a great opportunity where you can direct them to online sites, like Advisr, where you'd like to leave a review.  

So why build customer reviews on Advisr?

Still need to be convinced?

• 92% of customers now read online reviews - that means nearly everyone!
• 88% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, this has increased from 83% in 2014. The number of people who trust and value online reviews is growing.
• 58% of consumers say that the star rating of a business is the most important consideration. So getting and keeping a good star rating can be very valuable.

So why wait, start building your online profile and reputation, win more business the digital way and reach more customers.