More than 90% of people will read the reviews of a product, service, or business before spending money on it. This makes business review sites an excellent resource for consumers. They allow users to quickly and easily access honest first-hand accounts about something they’re interested in. Unfortunately, many businesses are put off by this exact feature of review sites. It’s understandable – we’ve all seen negative reviews and the effect they can have. You don’t want that to happen to your business. But if you’re running a good business, you shouldn’t have to worry about this. Instead, you need to start thinking of business review sites as a resource too. They can help generate leads for movers, build a positive brand, and spread the word about your business. So having a presence on business review sites is essential.
What are business review websites?
Business review websites are third-party sites where customers can leave honest reviews of businesses and the products or services they offer. Some are broad and all-encompassing. You can find reviews of just about anything from nail salons to moving software to children’s toys. Others are more specialized, local, or catering to a specific industry, for example. Among the biggest and most famous ones are Google My Business, Better Business Bureau, Yelp, Facebook, FourSquare, Yellow Pages, Trip Advisor, MyMovingReviews, and more. You’ll also want to check out local directories in your area for a more complete list.
Having a presence on business review sites instills confidence in potential customers
These days, pretty much every business needs an online presence. This includes having a website, social media accounts, and being on review websites. Before hiring you for your services or purchasing your products, potential customers are going to Google you and look for these things. They’re going to want to read reviews of your work. If the reviews aren’t there, this is a red flag. It is typically new businesses that don’t have reviews online or scams that deliberately delete reviews that expose them. So not having a presence on review websites will seem suspicious. If you want to instill confidence in potential customers and leave a good first impression instead, you’ll be present on review websites.
Having a presence on business review sites increases brand awareness and attracts customers
Sometimes, people don’t search for a specific business – they look for goods and services, read reviews of those, and then choose which brand to trust based on those reviews. When doing so, they often turn to business review websites. This means that people can actually learn about your business through review websites. Your presence on review websites will, therefore, supplement the work done by digital marketing agencies and help spread the word about your brand. What is more, if the reviews of your business are positive, they may entice people who read them to become your customers.
Having a presence on business review sites helps build a positive brand image
Your brand isn’t just about what you put out in the world – it’s a lot more about what people say about you. In that sense, reviews are vital to building your brand. More specifically, positive reviews are vital to building a positive brand image. Review websites can do this for you – they can be the source of the positive reviews you need in order to create a good brand that becomes a household name. They’ll be all the more powerful coming from a website that’s not your own; the fact that you cannot control which reviews are displayed inspires confidence in users that they’re reading genuinely positive impressions of your business.
How to make the most of business review sites?
To maximize your benefits from your presence on review websites, you need to curate the right kind of profile and image. Exactly what you can (and should) do will depend in large part on the specific review website in question. But as a general rule, you should:
Have a verified profile
On some websites, you can set up your own business profile or at least own one that already exists by proving that you own the business. If that’s possible, you should go for it. It will allow you to control the information shared on the profile and communicate with reviewers. Having a verified profile makes your business appear more reputable.
Share accurate information
Profiles on review websites are like profiles everywhere – they represent your business. So you want the information provided on them to be accurate. Make sure the name, address, and contact information are up to date. Include things you believe your customers will like: licensing information, a website quote calculator, awards you’ve received, photos of your employees hard at work. Finally, remember to link back to your website and other relevant profiles.
Communicate with reviewers
If you can use your profile to respond to reviews, you should. Anyone who reviews your business is either a customer or considering becoming a customer. Either way, it’s in your best interest to show them that you care about their review. If they have a question, answer it. If they have praise, thank them for it. And if they leave a negative review, don’t ignore it. It’s imperative to deal with negative reviews as well as positive ones. In fact, how you react to negative reviews can have a huge impact on your brand. It’s your chance to change someone’s opinion of your business and to show others that you can take criticism and improve.
If you’re confident in your work, you have nothing to fear
Some business owners avoid having a presence on business review sites because they’re afraid of potential negative reviews. But this shouldn’t scare you. First of all, you just need to do your job the best way that you can – if you’re confident in what you’re doing and you do your best to keep your customers happy, then you should have no reason to fear negative reviews. Secondly, you can’t escape a few negative reviews here and there.
Once in a while, there will be someone who is unhappy with your business. Review websites give you chance to clear the air with them and prove to others that you care about your customers. So they’re not something to be afraid of; they’re something to cherish and make the most of.
