The Dollars and Sense of Online Reviews
If it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense.
That’s not just a great saying; it’s a valuable one.
When you own or manage a business, every penny you put into your business matters and you want to make sure you’re going to get a return out of it. Online marketing can be a difficult pill to swallow since it’s another place to invest your money, but online reviews are a piece of marketing you can always count on.
Online reviews are becoming more important with the usage of internet for research increases. Now, making sure your business is represented in the best light is more important than ever.
The Cost Of An Online Review
I should be saving this exciting tidbit of information until the end, but I’m feeling gracious…
AN ONLINE REVIEW IS FREE!
You do not (and should not) pay your customers to leave reviews, and your customers do not pay to leave reviews. Setting up your business’s profile on review sites is free and customers can set up profiles of their own for free also.
As such, only reviews are free and will give you a return on your business, as we will cover next. With so many other aspects of marketing that be painful on your budget, it’s time to take advantage of the aspects that are free. Once you provide your customers with a great experience, simply asking for their feedback becomes easy!
The Value Of An Online Review
Take a walk down main street in your city this weekend and tell me how many people you see with their heads buried in their phones/laptops/iPads. You might even literally run into a few people not paying attention!
Consumers are using their smart devices to research where to take their business. The word-of-mouth advertising that your parents used isn’t as prevalent anymore. When looking for a business, you used to look to your friends and family for recommendations. These days, online reviews are taking the place of what used to be the best advertising you could get because it’s coming from your own customers.
In fact, 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as friends. (via Inc.)
With online reviews, you’ve expanded the reach of word-of-mouth from friends and family to everyone checking the internet for recommendations. This aspect of online marketing is extremely valuable and can help to grow the business you’ve been putting your blood, sweat, and tears into.
It’s All In How You Ask For An Online Review
We have all heard the saying: “There is no such thing as a stupid question.”
This saying also applies to asking customers for online reviews! When you provide customers with exceptional customer service, you should want to ask them to tell others about their positive experience.
Now, I understand sometimes you can forget to ask or the customer doesn’t have time to do it right then while they’re in the store. Then this is the perfect time to implement an online review management software, such as RepCheckup.
With RepCheckup, a text and/or email will simply be sent out after the customer interacts with their business. Which allows them to access the message on their own and leave feedback about their experience!
Online Reviews Make Dollars and Sense
Well, it looks like reviews lives up to the old saying – the make dollars and sense.
Remember, online reviews are free for both you and your customers, they bring value that word of mouth used to when the internet didn’t exist, and there are tools (like RepCheckup) to help you get more reviews.
It’s time to make this part of your marketing strategy and don’t put it off like you have in the past. We are offering a free trial of RepCheckup, which can be set up in less than two minutes, and there is no credit card needed!
