Technology has brought in a number of changes to our lives and the way we conduct business. These days, due to the increased usage of the internet, customers are more knowledgeable than before, and they can search and compare your products or services with similar ones. In this regard, reading reviews is probably one of the first steps that many people take before making buying decisions. Based on some researches, 80 percent of the internet users consult online reviews before making a purchase. That shows the importance of using online reviews to get more customers and consequently more profit.
However, there are still many business owners who avoid putting their businesses on the review websites for a couple of reasons. First, they believe that negative reviews may ruin their businesses’ reputation. Second, they argue that the review websites like Yelp delete good reviews and keep only negative ones. To address these concerns, although there are still some issues with the review websites, many researches show that businesses which have reviews can create more trust with their potential customers. As an example, based on a research conducted by Reevoo firm, having an average of 20 to 50 online reviews for a product can increase the sale by 3 to 4.6 percent. In this regard, one of the interesting things is that even negative reviews can be helpful if you handle them properly for the following reasons:
- It has been proven that people trust businesses that have both negative and positive reviews more than those with only positive reviews.
- Negative reviews can help you learn about your business issues.
- If you see an injustice review about your business, you can explain it properly so others can read both the review and your comment and judge.
One of the best techniques to get more positive reviews than negative ones is to be proactive and ask your customers’ opinions and solve any potential issue in advance. However, you should keep in mind that even if you do your best, you may still get negative reviews, so like it or not, having negative reviews is part of the game.
To sum up, the following actions are suggested to take advantage of online reviews:
- Imagine yourself as a customer and write down whatever you would write about the product or service you offer. This practice can give you a great perception about your business.
- Don’t be scared of having negative reviews.
- Don’t only read your own business reviews. Read your competitors’ reviews as well and see how you can provide a better product or services.
- Respond to both positive and negative reviews genuinely. Don’t just copy and paste the same message for everybody.
- Don’t force your customers to write reviews for you. You can indirectly mention that sharing their experience through online reviews is important for your business.
- Avoid writing fake reviews. Review websites may remove all your reviews even the real ones.
Dr. Ali Asadi is an author, business coach and international speaker. He specializes in helping professionals achieve success in today’s highly competitive business environment. A well-respected entrepreneur who has written over 10 books and e-books purchased by professionals and success seekers in more than 78 countries, Ali’s wisdom on the many Golden Rules of business is widely acclaimed.
