Shaping Reputation: How to Keep Online Reviews Informational and Helpful

Сonsumers turn to online reviews when they plan vacations, need medical assistance, or suitable software. Reviews create value, and this is how you can ensure it.

Are negative reviews all that really counts? Online businesses often have to deal with unfavorable comments or a shortage of reviews. Addressing this issue requires a holistic approach, including cooperation with reviewers, offering incentives, and regularly reacting to negative and positive customer remarks.

Reviews are equally essential for advertisers and buyers. And any negative customer experience or feedback is an opportunity to learn and evolve for both.

The Role of Online Reviews

Today, consumers have the power to influence the buying decisions of other people. Before, it was only about sharing experiences with relatives and friends. However, the rise of the Internet and digital marketing enabled influencers and individual industry experts to shape or adjust public opinion and social proof.

The latter is an excellent tool to influence consumers who are on the fence about purchasing a service or a product. In fact, online reviews are a form of social proof that consumers find particularly efficient when struggling to overcome indecision.

When considering any product, a person wants to double-check whether the expectations match reality. So the first thing any modern consumer does is look for online reviews. Naturally, a successful influencer can attract attention and push a person to buy anything. However, the experiences of other people remain more convincing and reliable.

As for negative remarks, it is a common practice for business representatives to follow up with the comments. One of the main reasons to do that is to prevent a possible churn.

Negative comments can highlight challenging issues and pain points. That is why businesses create customer support teams. Their main goals are collecting data like specific issues or pain points, passing this data on to dedicated teams, and demonstrating that businesses are invested in solving the highlighted problems.

The dedicated work of reputation management and customer support teams can ensure higher retention rates and improved customer satisfaction.

But getting favorable reviews is not an easy job if you do not know what makes a good review. So let’s unpack this a bit.

What Makes a Useful Review

Let’s face it: trust in online and offline businesses is fading. According to HubSpot Research, consumers tend to trust recommendations and references from family members and friends over advertising.

But chances are, there will be no reliable recommendations available offline. In this case, more than 80% of customers tend to turn to online reviews as the only credible source of information. Even so, businesses often hire reviewers and accumulate positive buzz around brands. That is why only around 60% of buyers trust online reviews unconditionally.

So what can you do to create value and build brand trust through reviews?

#1. Optimizing content

It is crucial for businesses to ensure that consumers can leave reviews or any other feedback type on their websites or social accounts.

That is why they need to optimize their social media profiles, websites, blog posts, and emails to offer easy access to the review pages.

#2. Creating incentives

It is no secret that time is valuable. That is why businesses need to give users and customers a good reason to leave a review or feedback.

Let’s look at the example. Back in 2014, Airbnb came up with the idea to offer a $25 coupon in exchange for customer reviews. As a result, the brand saw a 6.4% increase in review rates. But it does not mean that offering financial incentives is the only way. Businesses can also motivate and encourage users by offering gifts or status badges.

#3. Responding to every comment and review

As mentioned before, it is crucial for companies to respond timely and thoughtfully to every positive and negative customer remark.

Let’s say that you got a one-star review. If you manage to respond respectfully and thoughtfully, a customer will likely appreciate the feedback and pay tribute to your customer service. In the long run, reputation management will pay off with high retention rates.

#4. Providing only constructive feedback

A useful review provides detailed information on a service or product. It should include all the factors that contributed to the positive, neutral, or negative experience.

If you want to assess your company’s service, you can request information on what your company is good at and how it can improve its service.

But bear in mind that the review section or website page should remain friendly.

#5. Using reviews as additional proof

The more feedback your brand gets, the more validation your business can earn. In fact, BigCommerce states that around 50 reviews per service or product result in a 4.6% increase in CR.

#6. Creating multiple spaces dedicated to customer feedback and reviews

Before purchasing, most potential clients research the product or the company itself. That is why businesses should make sure that any potential or loyal consumer can get detailed information and find customer feedback on multiple platforms.

Final Thoughts

Implementing and adjusting reputation management strategies is the best thing you can do for your business. Regardless of the industry, reputation management starts with creating high-quality customer support.

If you overlooked or underemphasized the importance of online reviews, it is about time you started asking your clients for feedback. Realizing your pain points and managing them is what every business needs to measure progress and track performance.