How do Online Reviews Benefit Small Businesses?

Many small business owners have a stormy relationship with online reviews. While it is easy to embrace the positive remarks from customers, negative feedback can cause stomachs to drop. Good or bad, it’s necessary to recognize the importance of online reviews in our digital world. Let’s look at three benefits of online reviews for small businesses and then we will explore a few methods of soliciting new and positive reviews.
Reviews Build Credibility
Did you know that as many as 90 percent of consumers will read online reviews before visiting a new business? Positive reviews are key to bringing in first time customers. By monitoring your business’ online reputation and soliciting and embracing feedback, you can make it easy for new clients to say yes to visiting you thanks to all those five star reviews.
Reviews Offer Feedback
Online reviews are the perfect way to learn how customers are responding to your goods and services. Through online reviews you can see what people love, and what could use some improvement. By responding to reviews you can become a part of the online conversation regarding your business. Acknowledging possible flaws and saying thanks for great reviews shows potential customers that you care about what’s being said about your company.
Reviews Help Businesses be Found in Search
One of the greatest benefits of online reviews is that they can move your business up in search results. Google, for example, considers review rankings from multiple sites, such as Yelp, Facebook and its own review platform, to provide the most qualified search results. The more positive reviews your business earns, the more likely it is to show up high in searches conducted by real, local shoppers seeking products and services like the ones you offer.
How does a Business Earn Reviews?
Now that we know how online reviews benefit local businesses, let’s take a moment to consider how to earn new positive reviews. Among the most useful tactics is asking face to face during a moment of customer happiness. Catching clients at their best and nuding them to leave a review is a proven method of earning five stars. Another great option is to capture customer email addresses and use your eBlasts to link them directly to review platforms. Chances are, if a customer signed up for your enewsletter, they will have some positive feedback to pass on.
If you’ve yet to embrace online reviews as a powerful marketing tool, now is the time to do so. For assistance garnering positive online reviews, connect with the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. With our WebStar Reputation Management platform you can control the online conversation surrounding your business. To learn more about this web presence management tool, give our team a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this simple contact form . Partnering with MORBiZ is partnering with success!









