Posted On
February 6, 2018

Your First Online Review is Always the Hardest

Your First Online Review is Always the Hardest 1

Starting a business is a daunting task. There are so many things to that need to get done. Resources are scarce… or non-existent. No one knows who you are. You’ve got little history or track record, let alone a large amount online reviews. I know the feeling well; I’ve started a couple of businesses myself.

Why Your New Business Needs Online Reviews

You have so many things that need to get done. You have to find customers, close deals, perform services, do the books. The list goes on, and on, and on. You are probably thinking, why should I focus time on my online reviews?

Well, online reviews matter. Especially for a new business. Remember, when you’re starting out, you don’t have a brand that people trust. You don’t have a long history of wowing customers with your service. This means potential customers are more likely to do research about your business online.

What will they find? If you are new, and not focusing on online reviews, they’re not likely to find much. A business that isn’t fully online is disappointing to customers, because their expectation is that a great business has a great online reputation. They expect businesses to have a number of online reviews, press mentions, and stories written about them.

If you don’t have these things, you’re going to experience an uphill fight to convince customers to work with you.

Your First Online Review is Always the Hardest

Many say that getting your first customer is the hardest thing to do in business. I say that getting your first online review is the hardest thing to do in business. Why? You actually need to do a great job for your first customers.

This is no easy task. You’re new to business. You have so many things that need to get done. You have to find customers, close deals, perform services, do the books. The list goes on, and on, and on.

You probably aren’t focused on what happens once you’re engagement is completed. You likely forget to ask the customer for an online review after the completion of services. You get distracted. Life moves on.

That’s why getting your first online review is so damn hard. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Getting Online Reviews When Your Business is New

As we’ve discussed, online reviews are important. They are also hard to get. This is quite the problem if you’re a new business. Luckily, there are a few things new business owners can do about this problem.

Here’s what you can do if you’re new: (To start getting online reviews)

Provide a great product or service

This is a no brainer, but the better the product or service you provide, the easier it will be to get positive online reviews. It will also naturally motivate customers to leave an online review without you even asking.

Negotiate leaving an online review into your agreement

When you’re just starting out, you’re going to get asked for concessions all the time. One way you can give a concession, but gain something in return, is to work into your agreement that the customer must leave an online review after the engagement or sale.

Ask every time you complete a customer engagement or sale

Sometimes all you need to do is ask. Studies show that merely asking a customer for a review is enough to push most of them to actually leave one.

Implement online review software to automate the process

If you have the budget, you should get started with an online reputation management tool from the start. These tools can help you out with soliciting reviews from customers, and monitoring your profiles. This will not only save you time, but make getting new online reviews much easier.

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