Regardless of the online review is good or bad, it’s beneficial to respond, and in a timely manner. People don’t want to feel like they’re lost In the sea of your many customers. They want to feel heard, and valued, just like anyone would.
The Importance Of Responding To Online Reviews
Reviews are a great way to get first-hand feedback about your products and services. They’re also an awesome opportunity to humanize your business. You can show customers you’re attentive and care about their experience with your company.
If you need assistance keeping up with responding to reviews, we have your back. Our team is committed to maintaining all aspects and of your website. With our extensive experience responding to customer reviews, you can trust us to communicate professionally with your customers.
How To Respond To Good Reviews
When responding to positive reviews it’s good to keep things short and sweet. It’s okay to mention relevant news, but keep in mind not to take a sales-focused approach.
A simple “thank you!” will work just fine, but here are a few other examples of professional and friendly responses,
- “Thank you! We hope to see you back again soon”
- “We appreciate the feedback! Thank you for sharing your experience”
- “Thank you! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed the experience”
You can get creative too and personalize the responses you give to the reviews. For example, if the review is for a retail business, you could say something like, “We’re ecstatic you love the dress! There’s a whole new collection available for the rest of this month.”
How To Respond To Bad Online Reviews
Negative feedback is never fun to get, but of course, you have to stay professional. Your reviews and your responses are open to the public. So you want to react in a way that positively reflects your business.
Below are some tips on how to respond to negative reviews you may receive.
Respond in a timely manner
It’s especially important you take care of negative reviews in a timely manner. After writing a review, 20% of consumers expect a reply in one day. These customers are already upset, so it’s important you’re showing them you care.
From there you want to acknowledge their pain points. Offer your email or another offline form of communication to speak more about the problem. This way they know you’re hearing their concerns and making the effort to figure things out.
Don’t take bad reviews personally
Try to understand the experience that the customer had with your business. If you’ve made any mistakes, offer productive solutions to the problem.
On the other hand, if you’re not in the wrong and have a complicated customer on your hands, you still want to take a compassionate approach. Remain kind and professional, regardless of the review.
Signal To Other Consumers The Bad Experience Was Out Of The Norm
When you’re responding to bad online reviews, it’s wise to mention their experience was out of the norm, in a non-condescending way. For example, you could say something like, “We’re very consistent with producing high-quality products, we apologize your item wasn’t up to our standards”. Then, you can offer your email or another offline communication method to find a solution to the problem.
Remember, it’s imperative you guide the conversation offline. It’s unprofessional to communicate in the reviews, and it may agitate the customer further.
How To Receive More Online Reviews
Creating replies to online reviews is only part of the mission. First, you have to actually receive them and reviews can have a huge impact on whether or not someone will choose your business. In 2020, 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses. An additional 48% said they wouldn’t consider using a business with less than four stars.
Here are three simple ways you can receive more online reviews,
- Ask happy customers if they would mind leaving a review
- Communicate with reviewers
- Make it easy to leave reviews
Asking your customers to leave online reviews may seem like an apparent suggestion, but it’s simply okay to just ask. If a customer is happy with the services and products they received, oftentimes they won’t mind leaving a review.
When it comes to communicating in the review section, thanking your customers that leave good reviews is a great idea. This lets them, and other consumers know you’re appreciative.
To get more people to leave reviews on your website you may need to simplify the process. Avoid having to navigate through multiple pages to leave a review, and making the review process take too long. As we know, people enjoy convenience.
Does Your Small Business Need Assistance Responding To Reviews?
If you need assistance responding to online reviews, or even simplifying the process for people to leave reviews, we can help. Our team at Strategic Media Inc. understands the impact reviews can have on your business, and we intend to use that to our advantage.
You can contact us online or give us a call at 737-531-7622 for any questions or information.