HOW TO MANAGE YOUR REVIEWS ON THE WEB AND WHY THEY ARE SO IMPORTANT!

Today, reviews posted on the web are becoming more and more important in guiding the choice of Internet users towards a company. If you have created your Google My Business page or your Facebook page, you have probably received customer reviews. This is a real opportunity to make yourself known and to develop a relationship of trust with your customers, but also a risk to see false reviews or negative comments appear. 

The reviews and the reputation of a company on the web from the Google page or social networks has become a major criterion in the purchasing process of Internet users. When you are looking for a specific product or service, you will usually and naturally look at the reviews of the Internet users who have used the company you are interested in. That's why effective customer review management is now essential to differentiate yourself from your competitors, build customer loyalty and acquire new customers.

Reviews are very important for your business. That's why it is strongly recommended to adopt a strategy to get new reviews. The more reviews you have, the more your image and reputation will be enhanced. Getting new reviews can also help you to raise your average ranking on Google or Facebook for example.

To do this, you can send a mass email encouraging your customers to leave a review on your Google page for example. You can also set up an automatic email when one of your customers makes a purchase online to gauge their satisfaction. All means are good to get new reviews once the customer journey is over. Here are some more examples: 

• Post your request to leave a notice directly your point of sale; a poster with a QR Code, for example, can be useful!
• Add a note on your business card or loyalty card
• Create flyers to distribute
• Share the information on your social media

It is normal to receive negative feedback about your business; it may well be that the service or product did not meet the customer's expectations. Or that they did not meet their needs. But the most important thing is to be able to moderate your opinions in order to bring an appropriate answer to the perplexed Internet users.

That's why it is essential to be on the lookout for negative reviews that may appear on your local page or on social networks. You will be able to verify that this review is legitimate and has been posted by a user who is not satisfied with your services or products. It sometimes happens that people post fake reviews to damage your reputation. By replying to these reviews, you can provide a context that can be useful to users who will look at these reviews. You may also realize that the review is fake, and you can request that Google remove the review. Finally, you can apologize to the legitimately dissatisfied customer, by inviting him to contact you to correct the problem, or by offering him to settle the situation with a commercial gesture.

On the other hand, by responding to negative reviews on Google and social networks, you show Internet users that you care about the quality of your services and products. Responding to negative reviews shows that you take into account the feedback of all customers and that you are doing everything possible to improve your customer service.

Responding to positive reviews is probably as important as responding to negative ones! It is an effective way to thank your customers and greatly improve your reputation on the web. Internet users are very sensitive to signs of politeness and interest. A positive review is not only a way to raise your average rating on Google and social networks, but also to show that you are grateful. 

When you receive a positive review, you can then:

• Thank the customer for their message and for taking the time to provide feedback on the service or product offered
• Remind them that the company listens to its customers and is ready to do new work, offer new services

• Never respond to customer reviews on Google or Facebook in anger. Respond to reviews in a calm, indifferent manner.
• Keep a professional and courteous tone, and avoid spelling mistakes
• Instead of deleting a Google review, remain factual and ask for clarifications if the customer is unhappy
• Know how to recognize the quality of your service from a positive customer review and admit your mistakes, when there were some
• Don't answer the same thing to every review! A personalized message is a good way to build customer loyalty

Getting new customer reviews and managing these reviews is therefore essential to improve your e-reputation and get new customers. But the management of your customer reviews cannot be improvised! You need to know the ins and outs of it, and be very careful about what people say about you. At Dubuc Marketing, we can set up tools to get more reviews on your Google page or on your social networks. We can also advise you on how to respond effectively to the people who leave you reviews.

Need help to set up your e-reputation strategy? Do not hesitate to contact us.at our web agency located on the South Shore of Montreal in Saint-Constant!