Reputation management depends on getting plenty of positive online reviews. The majority of companies are aware of the importance of reputation management. Studies show that anywhere from 85 to 97 percent of consumers read online reviews. Over 90 percent believe online reviews. In fact, more people trust online reviews more than the opinions of friends and family. The validation of products and services from people we don’t know plays a huge role in the consumers’ decision-making process.
Why do ordinary consumers put so much trust in online reviews? People who write online reviews have no reason to lie. Typically, they want to share their opinions and to have a voice. How you manage these reviews is essential to your online reputation. The more you do to boost your brand reputation, the more reviews you will receive. The more reviews you have, the better your business will rank in local search results. The result? Your sales increase.
If you have been wondering if investing in reputation management software, the question is—can you afford not to? If your reputation is at stake, can you afford NOT to pay for reputation management?
The Cost of Getting Online Reviews
When talking about the cost of getting online reviews, we’re not talking about dollars and cents. We’re talking about the value online reviews can add to your reputation. However, if you fail to get plenty of online reviews, the price you pay can be a damaged reputation.
Negative online reviews can have a detrimental impact on your business reputation. Studies show that more than four negative reviews and companies can experience a 70% decrease in sales. Even if you regularly sit down to read your reviews, the damage may already be done. Are you willing to pay that price? Few business owners would be willing to pay that price.
On the other hand, excellent reviews add tremendous value to your brand. One study found that a steady stream of positive reviews encourages consumers to spend 31% more. Take a few moments to calculate your potential losses from negative reviews and possible profits from positive reviews.
It’s clear that investing in online review management software is cost-effective and saves you a lot of time.
How Reviews Boost Reputation
Online reviews boost your reputation in two key ways—visibility and influence. More potential customers can see your product, and they are then motivated to buy or not to buy.
Traditionally, companies would have to spend a fortune on advertising either in local newspapers or magazines. If the budget allowed it, radio and television were options. Companies now can benefit from free advertising thanks to reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and even social media sites like Facebook.
Social influence is how a person changes their behavior based on the actions, behaviors, or opinions of others. And this is nothing new. Advertising has used celebrities as a form of social influence in advertising for decades. Consumers want what the celebrity has. Because of this, people will spend a lot of money to buy the product. Social influence has become an essential factor in online reputation management since visibility has expanded since the internet took off.
Effortless Ways How Your Business Can Get More Reviews?
Let’s take a look at some easy and practical ways to get more reviews.
1. Provide outstanding service to get more reviews
Customers who are thrilled with a service or product are excited to tell others about it. The excellence you provide shouldn’t be limited to the point of sale. Positive customer experience starts when someone reads a review to the purchase and then through to the after-sale care.
2. Send follow-up emails
Sending emails to customers, inviting them to leave feedback, is an excellent way to get more reputation-boosting reviews. The ideal time to send an email asking for a review is in the morning and mid-week. These times generally get a higher response rate. Keep the email (or text message) short and positive, and thank them for choosing your product. Make it as easy as possible to leave a review. So, provide an easy link directly to the review website. Too many steps, and they may not complete the process.
3. Send thank you cards with the product
Customers can be pleasantly surprised when they open their package, and there is a thank you card inside. You can now include a QR code that customers can scan with their smartphone, and the review website opens up.
4. Ask for a review in person
Sometimes the most straightforward way to get more reviews is to ask. While you are chatting with the customers, invite them to leave feedback. Here at Starloop, our experience is that asking for feedback is better than asking a loaded question like, “can you please leave a review?” If your customer service is outstanding, this is the moment when they are the happiest. And your happy, valued client is sure to leave a positive review.
Although it’s relatively easy to get reviews, there are some challenges. For example, you could forget to ask your customer for feedback. Or, customers can also get easily distracted and forget. Also, sending every customer an email and following that up if they don’t respond is very time-consuming.
What is the best solution to strengthen your online reputation and get more reviews?
Benefits Of Reputation Management Software
Reputation management software is the perfect solution to manage your online reputation. Review management solutions monitor your online reviews and allow you to expand on the positive customer experience.
Here is what review management software can do for you:
- Help manage the reputation of large and small companies
- Allow you to resolve customer complaints faster
- Gain trust from your customers
- Promote business transparency
- Help you respond to negative reviews
- Highlight business opportunities
- Show customers that you care
Why is Review Management Worth The Investment
Review management software offers a single location that any member of staff can access. For example, one member of the team could monitor online reviews. At the same time, someone else has the responsibility to answer all types of reviews. You could also have a team member who knows how to respond to fake reviews on Google.
When customers leave a review, you receive real-time notifications. This enables you to respond to reviews in a timely fashion. Replying to negative reviews as soon as possible is one of the best forms of reputation management.
Finally, review management software contains all the tools you need to deal with reviews. You can organize the information and keep tabs on what people are saying about you online.
Why Should You Never Pay For Fake Reviews Or Positive Review
As tempting as it may seem, paying for reviews is a bad decision. Aside from being ethically wrong, you are misleading your customers. Customers look to reviews for honest and genuine opinions. If they find out that you are paying for reviews or that your reviews are fake, they will not trust your brand. What’s worse—Google can blacklist you if you pay for fake reviews.
If that isn’t enough to put you off, algorithms are used to help detect fake reviews and reviews that have been paid for. Not complying with review regulations can lead to fines and even criminal charges.
Why Starloop Is the Ideal Solution?
Starloop is review management software that will have you up and running in as little as 5 minutes. The automated software sends customers an email or SMS to invite them to leave a review. Because all you have to do is enter the customer’s email address, you save a lot of time.
You can track your reviews and reputation with the user-friendly dashboard. What’s more, for every review that is left, Starloop plants a tree. This is a powerful motivation for your customers to leave your feedback—they know that their genuine reviews help the planet, not just your business.
How much does reputation management cost? The crucial question is—what price are you willing to pay to improve your online reputation? Because your reputation is your most valuable asset, it’s worth protecting at all costs.
If you are interested in knowing how much reputation management costs in terms of dollars and cents, contact Starloop today. You’ll be surprised to learn how cost-effective our review management plans are and how easy it is to get more online reviews.
