How to Save Time with Online Review Management
Your business’s online reputation precedes you when it comes to consumer purchase decisions. Word of mouth travels fast, especially online, thanks to social media and the countless review sites that allow consumers to post their experiences and opinions. This makes online review management crucial for not only building a positive online reputation, but for growing your business and increasing your customer base, as well. However, keeping up with your online reviews takes time, which is hard to come by when you’re a business owner. Below are some tips on how to save time with online review management.
Follow the Rules
Many review sites have rules and general content regulations that businesses must follow in order to be listed and have reviews published on the site. The way you respond to reviews could determine whether they stay published or get removed. For example, responding to reviews with advertising messages, breaches of privacy or criticisms of the publisher are just some instances that could cause your responses to be removed. Save time from having to address the same review more than once simply by following the site’s rules.
Don’t Bribe Customers for Positive Reviews
Not only is this unethical and a violation of FTC regulations, but it would be a great waste of your time to ask your customers for positive reviews by offering incentives and bribes because they won’t be genuine reviews, and this can give past and prospective customers a negative impression of your business. Similarly, posting fake reviews can also be damaging, whether you post them yourself or ask friends, family or employees to do so. Reviews from anyone who hasn’t been a customer can be illegal and cause great suspicion among consumers. Spend your time wisely when it comes to managing your online reviews, and acquire them in a way that is ethical, such as displaying review site logos in your store and on your website so customers know where they can leave reviews.
Don’t Delete Negative Reviews
Instead of going to the ends of the earth to remove or hide negative reviews, use that time to respond to them instead. Negative reviews can be damaging to your business’s reputation, but only if you ignore them. In fact, addressing negative reviews in a timely manner and making a genuine attempt to right any wrongs can encourage unhappy customers to return to your business. So, even if a customer has a negative experience, properly managing your online reviews can prevent you from losing customers and future business.
Know How Reviews Affect SEO
Not only is online review management crucial to your business’s online reputation, but it also plays a vital role in your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. If you’re taking the time to acquire and manage your online reviews, keep in mind that search engines favor businesses with reviews that are high in quantity and quality. These factors, along with how recent your reviews are and your presence on third-party review sites, contribute to your ranking in organic and local search results.
Let Strategic Marketing Help You Manage Your Online Reviews
Strategic Marketing is a full-service advertising agency that has a solution for businesses looking to get a handle on their online reputation. Our reputation management software, SmartRep, makes managing and generating online reviews simple. Once you are set up, our automated software will filter your reviews and publish positive reviews to various review sites and social media pages. Negative reviews are brought to your attention so you can respond immediately. Everything is available to you in one easy-to-use dashboard. To learn more, contact us today by calling (561) 688-8155.