A needed component for online marketing
Customer reviews are a much needed component for any business’s online marketing efforts. These reviews play a key role in how potential customers will perceive your business and also in how search engines, such as Google, rank your website. Despite this, some businesses choose to turn off the reviews feature on platforms like Facebook and Google. Sometimes this is done out of fear of receiving negative or not wanting to take the time to collect the reviews. However, this decision to turn off and ignore reviews can be detrimental to online success.
The Importance of Reviews
Online reviews are important not just for potential clients but also search engines. These reviews are so much more than just feedback to a business and random kudos. Reviews are a powerful tool for building trust and improving visibility.
- Increases Customer Trust: Potential customers often look to online reviews before making a purchase or making key decisions. Many times, consumers are found to trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This means they trust the Facebook and Google reviews of your company as much as they trust the recommendation from their mother or best friend. Turning off or deactivating the reviews on platforms like Facebook and Google can lead to potential customers questioning a business’s or products overall credibility. When I find businesses that have these reviews disabled, I often find myself wondering if they have something to hide.
- Boosts SEO Rankings: Google places great value on fresh and authentic content. Online reviews are just that. Each time a new review is added for a business, it adds unique content to the business profile. This helps improve Google’s view of the business and local SEO rankings. When Google sees that people are actively engaging with a business, it views that business as more trustworthy and relevant. The more trustworthy and relevant Google views a business, the more likely they will be to receive higher rankings in search results.
- Provides Valuable Feedback: Reviews provide great insights into what a business is doing well. Just as importantly, they provide great insight into where there could be room for improvement. Online reviews offer a direct line to customers’ thoughts and feelings. This information is invaluable for making informed business decisions.
Fear of a Bad Review
One of the common reasons businesses will turn off or disable online reviews is the fear of a bad review. No business ever wants to receive a negative or low star review. If it happens, it is important for that business to remember that no business is perfect, and negative reviews are inevitable. What they are not, is the end of the world. They can provide a great opportunity.
- Addressing Negative Reviews: Instead of fearing bad or negative reviews, businesses can use those reviews as a chance to showcase their commitment to customer satisfaction. A well-handled response to a negative review can turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal and repeat customer. By handling these responses promptly and apologizing if necessary, businesses can offer a solution to the given complaint. This can help to mend the relationship with the unhappy customer and also show potential customers that the business truly cares about the customer experience.
- Building a Positive Reputation: It is always recommended to any business to encourage happy customers to leave reviews. The more positive reviews a business has, the less of an impact a negative one will make. The more frequently new reviews are being left, the sooner a bad one will drop from the top of the list. A balanced profile with a mix of reviews tends to look more authentic to potential customers. To help with this, businesses should be sure to frequently ask for 5-star reviews and make the process as easy as possible. This can all be done by emailing clients and asking for a 5-star review and including a link to where to go or having signage up in a physical store.
- Learning from Feedback: Sometimes negative reviews can highlight true issues with a business’s product or service. Sometimes these issues might not even be noticed by the business owner or key management. Businesses can use this feedback to make (sometimes much needed) improvements. Showing that a business is willing to listen and grow can improve the business’s reputation.
- Bogus Bad Reviews: It is rare, but does happen, where a business might receive a negative review that isn’t connected to them at all. Sometimes reviewers can get confused and leave the review for one company accidentally on a competitor’s profile. Sometimes the businesses aren’t even in the same category. This happened to Full Scope Creative many years ago. A very negative review was left and said that the product that the client received didn’t fit their machinery at all. I knew this wasn’t one of our clients. Not only did I not recognize the name, but it doesn’t sound at all like any work we do. I reached out to the reviewer and explained that they had the wrong company and was able to get them to correct the review and delete it. If it is a bogus review by a client that has never worked with a business, that business can appeal to Facebook and Google as well for getting it removed.
Keep the Reviews On
Turning off and not having reviews on platforms such as Facebook or Google may seem like a safe way to protect from receiving negative reviews and feedback, but it can end up causing more harm than good. Reviews are crucial for SEO rankings, customer trust, and general business progress and improvement. Instead of fearing bad reviews, businesses should embrace them as an opportunity to grow. By keeping the reviews feature on, businesses can show transparency and a commitment to providing the best possible experience for customers and potential customs.
