Have you ever read an online review before purchasing something? If you are online, you probably have. Those reviews might range from simply a ‘star’ rating to a few words, to a well-thought-out review detailing the positives (or negatives) of a product or service. Whether a review is complete or lacking in details, it still has a powerful effect on your audience and your brand.
Online reviews can provide your audience with reasons to do business with you right now or give them pause to consider a second (or third) option. They really can make or break a sale.
Why Online Reviews Matter For Your Business
Buying Decisions
The U.S. Bureau of Statistics data suggests that 93% of consumers regularly read online reviews, 85% trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Meaning that 85% of consumers will trust the experience of a total stranger as much as they would from a friend. In fact, 40% of consumers form an opinion after reading one to three reviews.
With these staggering statistics, the reviews your business receives on a variety of platforms, good or bad, will influence the majority of your potential customers.
How to Get Reviews
Although there are times when consumers will leave reviews without being asked, that is not the norm. However, more than two-thirds of consumers will leave a review if asked. If you collect e-mail addresses from your customers, do you follow up with a survey or questionnaire asking for their feedback? The responses you receive from an after-purchase survey could be used on your website or other promotional materials.
It is against the terms and conditions of some platforms, like Yelp, to directly ask for reviews. However, by making it clear in your survey that you are on certain platforms and providing links to those profiles, customers can more easily provide a review for you. If they don’t provide a review after one purchase, it doesn’t mean they might not do so after the next purchase.
Managing Reviews
Whether your business receives a positive review on Facebook or a negative one on Yelp, you want to be sure that you are following up with those customers. On Facebook, a business can ‘Like’ a review and thank the customer for their positive review or comments. If a review is negative, a business can ask for more details or provide a follow-up with more pertinent information for those that read the review.
Businesses can also provide responses to reviews on Yelp and other platforms. There are times when a negative review is posted from a fake account. It is very hard for those reviews to be removed from your profile. But a clear and concise response noting that the user did not purchase a product or use a service, if you can confirm that, is important for other consumers to see.
If you do not follow up, consumers only see what is written in the review. Keep in mind, a consumer may take one or two negative reviews in stride if there are many more positive reviews. Even so, it is important to manage your online reputation on a regular basis. You don’t want a negative review to be the first thing a consumer sees of your business.
A Community of Learning
Between Spring Green and the many franchise owners, there is a community of entrepreneurs who have been in business – and in the Green Industry – for many years. There is a lot that they have already seen with respect to a business’ online reputation.
There is also a community of Spring Green franchise owners. The ability for franchise owners to interact with each other during peer groups, national conventions, and Spring Green online forums provides a tremendous amount of support for each other. Together, they learn how they handle situations, see who might be doing something a different way, and hear ideas from others who do what they do.
Whether you are in the Green Industry and want to diversify or are looking for a turn-key franchise, Spring Green may be the perfect fit for you. Learn more about the Spring Green franchise opportunity.