Getting Past Zero: Tips for New Businesses
So you’re a new business and just signed up with OPIO- now what? You’ve probably read all the statistics on how important online reviews are, but how do you get started? Luckily we are here to help and have outlined some tips below.
Tip #1: Get moving on day one!
We know opening a new business has many risks and daunting aspects, but this does not mean that you should put your reviews on the back-burner. Instead, you should see your reviews as your best marketing tool. If 9 out of 10 consumers read online reviews before visiting a business, you need to offer a review for them to read! You need to start working for your reviews from day 1.
Tip #2: Don’t be afraid to ask for a review.
When speaking to our clients, we often hear that the toughest part about review management is asking for a review. We know it can be daunting to finish a transaction and follow up with an ask from your customer, so make sure you have different tools in your back pocket. Whether you ask on the spot, send an email or text reminder, or follow up with a phone call, find whats best for you and your customers.
Tip #3: Use all initial feedback to your advantage.
Once you get your first review- don’t panic! You need to remember that all businesses start from somewhere and the first reviews are your best resources. Finding out what your early customers think is incredibly important for you and your business. It’s pretty much everything. If you get below a 5 star review- do not worry! No one gets it right the first time around. Instead, take any feedback you get and use it as a teachable moment. Any constructive criticism should be viewed as just that, constructive. You are at the beginning of building your business and some construction is always necessary. Instead of letting reviews get you down, be sure to respond to the user and identify what you can do better the next time around (we have some tips for responding to negative reviews in a separate blog post too). Additionally, research shows that 68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad reviews. So bad reviews can help your credibility since consumers realize no one is perfect.
Tip #4: Set monthly review quotas for you and your team to hit.
One of the most important aspects of online reviews is keeping your reviews relevant and updated. When you search a business and find that the most recent review was from three years ago, you are bound to question the quality today. Thus, as a business, you need to constantly encourage your team to request reviews and hit monthly or annual quotas. There are many ways to do this, whether incentivizing employees with bonuses for high volume reviews or automating review requests for each customer that comes in. Ultimately, it is up to you and your team to figure out how you want to track your reviews and keep them up to date.
Tip #5: Engage your customers. Engaging your customers
in post-transaction conversations helps you turn new customers into repeat customers. 95% of consumers say they will return to a business after a bad experience if the business is able to resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. This means monitoring your reviews to make sure you comment and follow up on both negative and positive feedback to let your customers know their voices are heard.
