Your business needs customer feedback and reviews - are you getting enough? Studies show that 70% of customers will leave feedback - here's how to get it.
Is your business actively seeking customer feedback and reviews? If not, it's time to pay close attention.
Because in the ever competing online world, businesses with their finger on the SEO pulse are learning one important thing: customer feedback is no longer just a nice phrase; it's an important business strategy.
Customer Feedback as a Strategy
As you've been growing your business, you have constantly implemented strategies to attract customers and expand your reach.
Customer feedback and reviews now need to become an important strategy.
Why?
Because customer feedback is the lifeblood of any business. It's like pumping oxygen into your sales. And, in the online world, your reputation is the most important thing there is.
But you don't just want to be pleasing your customers with your awesome service. Making Google and the other search engines happy is equally important if you are going to expand your online visibility and presence.
Customer reviews and feedback send joy to the hearts of the Google web crawlers. And, this is a win-win for your online visibility.
So, your business needs customer feedback and reviews. It's an absolute must. But, are you getting those reviews?
Unsure? A little confused about what to do next? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
Here's our definitive guide to customer feedback and reviews, with everything you need to know and more.
Why Customer Feedback Will Grow Your Business
Customers Pay Attention to Reviews
Think about every time you search for a local business online. The chances are high that some sort of review will show up in the search, right?
Now consider this.
Potential customers are confronted with reviews about local businesses almost every time they search online. Those reviews can range from the great to the desperate and everything in between.
And people do read reviews. Research indicates that nearly seven-in-ten consumers base their purchases on the digital recommendations of others.
Reviews really do have the potential to impact customer behavior.
What does this mean for you and your business?
It means that if you don't offer reviews, you are ignoring a significant portion of your buying population.
Bottom line? You need to get customer reviews at every opportunity.
Customer Conversion
Reviews and feedback from your customers increase your conversion rates - and the awesome thing about this is that not all reviews need to be bursting with positivity.
The presence of bad reviews has a positive effect on your conversion rate.
This is because some shoppers seek out negative reviews in order to get a realistic picture of what you are really offering. Nobody is perfect and no business is perfect either. Many customers acknowledge this and view negative reviews in a more positive light as a result.
Search Engine Optimization
Most businesses need a good local SEO strategy - it's essential to show up high in Google rankings. And to do this, you have got to look at every aspect of your business, from your website to social media and online directories and more.
Customer feedback and reviews can become a powerful force in optimizing your search ranking.
Here are some reasons why:
The number of positive reviews you have on external websites has a big part to play in your search ranking. This is because Google's local search algorithm takes data from third-party sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor. The more reviews you have on these sites, and the more positive they are, the higher chance you’ll have at ranking in Google’s local 3-pack.
Every new review about your products or services on your site increases the amount of unique content your website offers on that particular product or service. This makes you more relevant. It also puts you forward as an authority.
You can microformat the reviews on your site so Google can index them directly and hold them as possible answers for user queries. This gives you more search visibility.
Customer Feedback and Reviews - How to Get Them
There are different ways to get the feedback your business needs. Here are some of the best methods:
On Your Website
Review Function
Have a review function on your website and ensure that it's micro-formatted for Google's web crawlers. If you don't know how to do this, get some help.
Comment Boxes
Provide a format for customers to insert their comments at the end of blogs and other pages where you want candid comments.
The key here is to be unobtrusive. You want a comment box to blend in with the user experience itself. Be sure then that these comment boxes don't interrupt a user while they're browsing the page.
Surveys
You can feature surveys on your site, but it's important to keep them short and relevant. Keep surveys targeted by asking one or two relevant questions.
Analytics
Onsite activity also plays a crucial role in providing you with feedback. What are your users telling you without telling you? Use some great analytic software so you know what actions your customers are taking - and, more importantly, what actions they aren't taking.
Presence on Review Sites
Carve out a presence on as many local review sites as you possibly can. This is imperative for your Google search ranking.
Social Listening
Understanding why your customers like or don't like your product or service is incredibly important.
Surveys and analytics will take you so far. Talking to your customer will take you even further.
Social media allows you to actively engage with your customers. This gives you a unique opportunity to gain powerful information that will serve your business into the future.
Social listening is all about asking your customers questions and listening to their answers. It means finding out how your customer is reacting to you, your business, your products and your mission. It also requires you to acknowledge feedback of all kinds - the good the bad and the ugly.
All of this adds up to a greater experience for your customer and, as we know, a happy customer is a repeat customer.
Customer Feedback and Reviews - You Cannot be Without Them
So, implementing a strategy that puts a premium on customer feedback and reviews is not only important, it's practically mandatory.
And there are a variety of ways to do this, some of which you can yourself.
But, should you need some expert advice, reach out and talk to us. We're always happy to help 🙂
Owner and Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Hall, and his team specialize in creating brand awareness / traffic and lead generation / marketing funnel and conversion optimization, while utilizing the appropriate marketing channels available within your industry. With diverse clients throughout the world, Jason's team is well connected within many industries to assist with your marketing strategies. With no long term contracts and various levels of service, Jason's team will increase the quality of your online traffic, leads, and sales.
About the author...
Located in the heart of the Emerald Coast - Destin, FL, founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Hall, and his team specialize in creating brand awareness / traffic and lead generation / marketing funnel and conversion optimization / and PR campaigns, while utilizing the appropriate marketing channels available within your industry.
With diverse clients throughout the world, Jason's team is well connected within many industries to assist with your marketing strategies. With no long term contracts and various levels of service, Jason's team will increase the quality of your online traffic, leads, and sales.
Request a digital marketing strategy session today and we'll show you what you've been missing!
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