In this era of increasing customer involvement you immediately know how many of your customers feel about your company as you can see what they think of your products and services on any number of review websites.
Most of us in business will look at Yelp and TripAdvisor, but think about other places where we can find reviews. If you sell through Amazon, or Angie’s List take a look at their customer reviews. Also check Consumer Reports, Google for Business, Yahoo listings, and don’t forget Facebook and Twitter.
While I was researching this topic, I found an article by Ankit Roy that gives some tips on using reviews to market your brand. He also gives a number of statistics that you should find interesting:
88% of people read reviews (Brightlocal.com).
72% of consumers say possible reviews make them “trust a local business” (Moresocialsuccesspartners.com)
Reliability, Experience and Professionalism are the most important reputation traits for local businesses (Invespcro.com)
88% of consumers trust online reviews “as much as personal recommendations (Mdfadvertising.com)
A customer is likely to “spend 31% more on a business” with excellent reviews (Webfeat.net)
Those are some impressive stats.
If you are not paying attention to reviews you are missing out on some important information from your customers. Reading them, of course, is only the beginning.
Once you have read the reviews, it’s important to respond to them in a timely manner, whether the reviews are positive or negative. A few words in answer to a positive review can make a customer who already likes you, like you even more and a response to a negative review can help change a customer’s mind if your response is helpful and solves the problem. Some of the most loyal customers are those that have had a problem with a company and seen it resolved to their satisfaction.
So check the reviews regularly (all the time) and share good reviews in promotional emails with the rest of your customers.
A tip of the glass from me to you.
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E Column
by Elizabeth “E” Slater, In Short Direct MarketingA recognized expert in the fields of direct marketing and sales in the wine marketplace. Slater has taught more wineries and winery associations how to create and improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing programs and to make the most of each customer’s potential than anyone in the wine industry today.
Follow E on twitter @esavant and facebook.
