Nowadays, reviews can make or break your business. Before making a purchase, people often first look at the reviews. As an entrepreneur, it's important to respond to this. In short: how do you collect positive reviews about your company? But perhaps even more importantly, how do you limit the damage if you've received a negative review from an unsatisfied customer?
Make it Easy to Leave a Review
Many people find it a chore to leave a review. Make it easy and ensure that the customer doesn't have to search for the page. After the order, you can send an email requesting a review—a simple link is sufficient. Use one platform where potential customers can read all the reviews. Don't turn it into an online casino where customers have to guess which page they need.
Leave Useful Reviews
A review left without any explanation is not very useful for your company. Allow customers to not only give a star rating but also provide an explanation. This way, a customer has the chance to mention why they are leaving a positive or negative review. You then immediately have a good idea of what you could improve to prevent such complaints in the future.
Always Ensure Satisfied Customers
The most important point to get positive reviews is to sell a good product and provide good service. Business owners often think their product is good because it makes money, without thinking about its value to the customer. To get positive reviews, it's important to listen to your customers. Learn from negative reviews and test your products with specific target groups. A survey is also a good way to find out what your target group needs.
Play on the Herd Instinct
It's well known that people are herd animals; reviews create a sense of belonging. People are easily influenced by the opinions of others. Reviews paint a picture of your company, and new customers therefore form a prejudice. New customers are also influenced by existing reviews; if many people have given 3 stars, the next person is likely to do the same.
Detect Problems Early
By detecting problems early, there's a smaller chance that someone will leave a negative review. Mistakes are human, but must be communicated to the customer. If you know a mistake has been made in a shipment, communicate this directly to the customer. By looking for a solution together, the chance of receiving a negative review decreases.
Respond to Reviews
Responding to both positive and negative reviews makes your company look reliable. If you only respond to positive reviews, it seems like you're not taking the negative reviews seriously. If you don't have time to keep track of all this, choose to respond to negative reviews. Let them know in a reply that you want to solve the problem, or admit where things went wrong.
Consumer Trust
It's always good to see how consumer trust stands. Consumer confidence was at its lowest point ever in August 2022, measured by CBS. The cause is often found in companies that have repeatedly violated consumer trust.
In General
You can do many things to receive positive reviews. Often you also have it partially in your own hands—multiple delivery options, favorable rates, and efficient work contribute to a positive consumer experience. As your company grows, reviews become increasingly important. No wonder large companies employ people to keep track of this or to contact customers who have had a negative experience.
