In the digital age, users have become more reliant on online reviews of businesses and services before taking any action. Given this trend, companies must take the necessary steps to ensure they don’t get left behind. No one cannot ignore the power of online reviews. A positive or negative review can make or break a business.
In fact, almost 90% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations when shopping for services or products. Moreover, over 80% of consumers read online reviews on company websites before buying from them again.
To remain competitive in the industry and connect with potential customers effectively, it’s essential to understand how you can take advantage of the power of online reviews and use them to your advantage.
What’s so great about online reviews?
The most obvious advantage of online reviews is that they help your customers understand what they’re getting into. After all, customers don’t want to be surprised by hidden costs or expectations they can’t meet. Reviews give them a heads-up on what to expect and how to best approach your product or service.
Moreover, reviews also provide you with helpful insights and tips that may not have been apparent otherwise. A positive review will often have a common thread that you can use to your advantage.
For example, you may notice that many customers mention that you have quick and easy-to-navigate payment plans. By highlighting these key points, you can avoid a potential misunderstanding with a customer, which can ultimately lead to more sales.
A negative review, however, can also provide insight into areas for improvement. When these are constructive, they give you a chance to make positive changes for future customers and show that you’re willing to correct your mistakes.
How to use the power of online reviews
When customers are allowed to provide feedback and reviews, they’ll often take it. This is your chance to secure their opinion and turn it into something positive. Before we continue, you can turn online feedback and reviews into something useful with the help of Delighted.
There are two ways you can use customer reviews. First, make sure to reply to as many of your customer reviews as possible. This shows that you’re actively monitoring them and willing to help in any way possible. You can also use these reviews to your advantage by highlighting common favorable points.
The second way to use reviews is to ask for them. If you’re not receiving enough, consider asking your customers for a few words about their experience with your product or service. This can be done directly on your website, or you may want to use an outside channel like Trustpilot or Google Reviews. Remember to be courteous and genuine when doing so, though, as this can quickly turn into spam and annoy your customers.
Create a User-Friendly Environment
The way you design and develop your website will have a major impact on how customers respond to your brand. Be sure to create a user-friendly environment that is simple and easy to navigate. You don’t want to frustrate your customers by making it difficult for them to navigate your site and find the information they’re looking for.
First and foremost, it is important to have an easy-to-read and informative homepage. Don’t overload your homepage with too much information, but also don’t skimp on what’s important. Make sure to include details about your business and your mission statement. This will help your visitors understand your company better and know why they should buy from you.
Again, your website should be simple. It should be easy to navigate, and all the information you want your customers to see should be easily findable. You don’t want your customers clicking on a link and getting lost or frustrated in an endless loop.
Develop a Responsive Website
A responsive website is a site that’s designed to work across multiple devices, including smartphones and tablets. This is important because more than half of all online searches are now done on a mobile device. Given how much time people spend on their smartphones, your website must be compatible and easily accessible on these smaller devices.
Not only will a responsive site look unprofessional if it isn’t compatible with mobile devices, but it also limits your potential customer base significantly. Keep in mind that your website must look exactly the same across devices for it to be considered responsive. If it looks noticeably different, it’s not responsive.
You should make sure that your website uses responsive design as early as possible. This will not only help your visitors find what they’re looking for, but it also makes sure they can do so easily on a smaller screen.
By ensuring that your website is responsive, you’re also ensuring that your content is optimized for search engine results. A responsive site will have shorter load times and better-quality code. This, in turn, makes your site more appealing to search engine algorithms and will help you climb the ranks.
Offer Customer Loyalty Program
A loyalty program is a great way to incentivize customers who are already enjoying your product or service and keep them coming back. These programs can vary greatly, and you don’t need to create a complicated system to make it effective. There are a few key components that you should consider including in your loyalty program:
- Eligibility: Who is eligible for the program, and how can they sign up? – Rewards: What are the benefits of the program, and how often can an individual earn them?
- Expiration: How long do points or rewards stay active?
- Points tracking: How do customers track the points they’ve earned? By creating a loyalty program, you’re showing your customers that they come first. You’re also providing them with a reason to come back to your business again and again. You should consider tailoring your program to your audience. Your program may work for one group of people and not another. You should make sure that your program is attainable and that customers can still benefit from it after a few visits.
Get People Talking About Your Company
Another way to take advantage of the power of online reviews is by getting people talking about your company. You can do this by leveraging the voice of your employees, setting up a social media campaign, and more. First, make sure to encourage your employees to leave reviews. If they had a positive experience working for your company, they should absolutely leave positive reviews.
You can also encourage them to leave critiques for areas for improvement. Another way to get your name out there is by hosting social media campaigns. This can vary greatly, but you can make it as simple as sharing your top review and asking your audience to do the same. By getting your audience involved and encouraging them to share their experiences, you’re getting valuable feedback and increasing your online presence.
Conclusion
The power of online reviews can make or break a business. It’s important to make sure that your company is receiving positive reviews and taking action to ensure that the positive comments aren’t one-time occurrences. The best way to do this is by using the tips outlined in this article. From creating a user-friendly environment to offering a customer loyalty program, there are plenty of ways to leverage the power of online reviews.
