What is the first thing you notice when you search for a business online?
The number of Stars and Reviews, right?
- Reviews are a basic building block of your total online presence to help customers and prospects come to Know, Like and Trust you.
- Reviews are also a critical factor in whether or not your business shows up in maps search results.
- Reviews are digital referrals, the word-of-mouth you need to grow your business, whether or not that referral is delivered face-to-face.
So what is your plan for consistently asking for and publishing reviews from your best customers?
Here are some quick tips for improving your online reputation:
- Consistently ask for reviews from your best customers – every day, every week, every month – through a regular communication program
- Respond to your online reviews to show potential customers how you handle your business
- Monitor your reviews across all of the most relevant sites to your business – Google and Facebook are absolute minimums, but nearly every industry has more niche review sites not to mention more general review sites like Yelp.
Sticking with a reputation management plan will improve your search rankings and move potential customers that much faster to Know > Like > Trust your business.
If you’d like help getting this work done, let’s get started!
P.S. Your business does not have to have a 5.0 rating, studies indicate that most people interpret 4.0 to 5.0 stars equally positively. Besides, having a range of ratings helps your business be more authentic to searchers.