Why Your Local Business Should Be Asking For Reviews

Customer feedback is really important, and that’s putting it mildly.

Often, just a few well-written phrases in a review can do more to sway consumers’ opinions than a whole website. If your product or service is rated higher than a similar one by a competitor, but only by a single star (or even a half star), the customer may decide to buy from the competitor instead. Furthermore, positive evaluations are the single most important aspect in local search engine optimization.

Asking for feedback from clients is essential if you want to see positive comments or ratings. This may seem insincere or self-serving, but the truth is that most individuals enjoy giving their thoughts and opinions when prodded.

Why do you need feedback anyway?

From your own personal buying experiences, you can attest to the credibility and usefulness of user reviews. Consider how often you have made a purchase from a company because of the reviews you read or because reviews existed at all. Perhaps you’ve always been sure of your purchase after hearing nothing but praise for it from friends and family.

Truth be told, what others, even total strangers, say about your business is more important than what you say about your business. Still not sure? Take a look at these numbers from review sites:

• The vast majority of consumers (84%), who have read reviews online, say they trust them as much as personal recommendations.
•  If you can increase your average review score by 1.5 stars, you might generate an additional 13,000.
• An increase of one star on Yelp can result in a 5-9 percent boost in business.

Here are some other numbers that may push you over the edge and into soliciting feedback for your own business:

• Customers are ready to buy. According to research conducted by BrightLocal, 76 percent of customers who are prompted to provide feedback actually do so.
  
• Reviews are very useful to consumers. Podium found that 93% of consumers find internet reviews for local companies to be just as helpful as reviews found on e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
  
• Consumers actively search out reviews. BrightLocal found that 98% of consumers browse online reviews before visiting a local business’s website.

Reviews and Feeback are vital for the success of local businesses. Getting ahead of it and soliciting feedback is a good use of your time and efforts. Ignoring your ‘reputation’ would be a mistake.

Need some help with this or need some ideas on how to implement a standard operation for soliciting customer feedback and reviews? Reach out to me. I’d be glad to help.