If you are into any business, you want to know what people think or say about you. The times have changed, and many rely on the reviews shared by different people. You can say that people rely on the information shared by the people they trust. The same goes for the online reviews where the consumers put their confidence in the words of strangers than they do in marketing.
The best part of online reviews is that you can even pacify a dissatisfied customer through your etiquette response. So when you are into an e-commerce business or an organization that is completely based on public reviews, you should know why etiquette response is essential. Thus, here is an overview of the online reviews, their importance, how to ask for feedback, and how to respond to a negative review.
Views on the consumer world:
You can see a drastic change in the world of consumers. Experts say, in 2019, online shopping trends started to take a toll on in-house stores for the first time. Once there was a time when consumers used to hold things, check, and purchase. However, it is usual to get opinions from friends and relatives on the purchase. You can say it is human nature, or why put yourself in a situation to experience something that is not worth the money?
So, the popularity of online shoppers has grown drastically, and believe the pictures that are posted on the portal. You can also find sites that allow you to visualize the item by placing them at your home to know what it looks like.
Another thing that should be noticed is that many look forward to the reviews before purchasing any product. Even though you may be a great salesperson in the industry, it alone cannot make you successful . You have to ensure that your business gets the possible positive light through the reviews.
You may think is it necessary to care about reviews? Indeed, you have to. Do you know that around 95% of consumers come to your store by seeing your reviews? Reviews can change a consumer’s decision-making and improve the management’s reputation. Not all businesses are trustable. Some may display products that are not accurate to the actual ones or do false advertising. Hence, good reviews help to gain confidence and trust from the buyers.
Thoughts on review sites:
You can find numerous review sites that can impact heavily on your business. Whether you run a plumbing business or flower shops in Fort Worth, reviews can make or break your business. Yelp, Tripadvisor, Gatello, and Google maps are the most reliable review sites that significantly impact customers’ purchase decisions.
Trustworthiness, visibility, and accessibility are the primary reasons to use reviews sites to express their thoughts. These reviews are often visible to the customers even when the business is inactive. For example, when a user searches for a local company, the Google search results will display the company’s contact details along with its rating.
Similarly, these review platforms are easily accessible from different search engines, mobile applications, and related media platforms. Customers believe that online reviews are trustworthy and decide depending on this. However, some hire individuals to post positive reviews, or the competitors leave untrue comments on the site to make the company look bad. Thus, online reviews can make the customer reluctant to make the purchase.
How to ask a customer for feedback?
The most crucial part of business marketing is getting feedback from a customer. It is a delicate process that can be annoying sometimes.
Now think of yourself as a customer and say when the last time you left a comment was? Was it because of your bad experience, or did you like the product? According to marketing statistics, it is noticed that customers who are not satisfied or had a bad experience tend to review negatively to let out their frustration. However, with the help of the right approach, you can make them sound positive.
So, we have got you some suggestions to get positive feedback for your brand or business.
- Through calls and invitations:
A customer will express his gratitude if he likes the product or service. In that case, you can ask the person whether he wants to fill out the online review. However, in many businesses, you cannot get a response through an in-person invitation. So, you can ask them to convey their thoughts through calls. For example, if a customer calls your business to register his complaint, you can ask them for the reviews if you have resolved the situation.
- Personalized mail:
This type of approach can make your customer feel valued and appreciated. So, as a business owner, you should know a set of regular and loyal customers. Now send them a mail by thanking them and saying how important they are to you. In the end, have a special platform for the reviews where your customer can share their thoughts. By this way, you are making the process easier for your customers.
- Thank-you message:
It is one of the approaches to get positive feedback from your customers. So, when a customer makes a purchase, send them a thank-you card or e-mail to show your appreciation for them. Thus, ask them about their experience with the business in a non-pushy way.
Managing negative feedbacks:
If you haven’t received any negative reviews from your customer it is well and good. But negative feedback can have a snowball effect on your company’s reputation and ignoring them can be even worse. So, respond to those with sincere apology and if needed you can explain the situation without hurting the customer. You can even offer them a product or free coupon for the things to get settled.
So, ignoring negative feedback will never take you anywhere and make sure you work with the internal customer services for better customer support.
Online reviews are an integral part of the management’s reputation and responding is not the easiest task but improves the business.
