When was the last time you bought something expensive without bothering to look at the reviews or ratings? While it may still be early days for customers to trust online reviews more than the real-life opinions of their friends and family; the influence of a review is growing in this digital age.
If you’re wondering just how important online reviews are for your business, check out these statistics:
- 93% of consumers report that online reviews had an impact on their purchasing decisions
- 81% of consumers use Google reviews to conduct research on local businesses
Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for any business. In fact, online reputation has the potential to make or break a business. Your brand’s reputation in the digital words affects your business opportunities and sales. Reputation management is a proactive approach to controlling the way consumers see your brand. If a customer has a bad experience with your business, they are going to post it on their social media accounts, along with how they felt about it. If your company has a bad reputation, it could very well affect your bottom line.
But how do you identify the need for online reputation management? Let’s find out.
What is Online Reputation Management?
Online reputation management (ORM) is the process of monitoring how people perceive your brand. It also involves taking strategic action to improve your brand’s image when required.
Online reputation management isn’t a one-time thing but a continuous process. It helps your brand maintain a positive perception among people and address damaging situations.
Signs Your Brand Needs Online Reputation Management
Your Brand Losing Credibility
No matter how much you try to keep your customers happy, your brand is bound to get some negative and even hate comments over social media.
But, you can manage such situations by handling a negative brand mention correctly. By replying to reviews, comments and mentions, you build credibility and turn naysayers into advocates
Your Brand is Losing Customer Engagment
Online reputation management is also helpful when you want to boost customer engagement. Less engagement means your brand is less likely to be seen on other people’s feeds. It also means that your brand will be less talked about.
But, you can keep customers invested in the brand by responding to user comments thoughtfully, providing special offers, and staying active on social media.
This way, your customers will also be less tempted to choose your competitors over your brand.
You Want to Boost Sales
Do you know that 83% of online shoppers prefer reading at least 3 reviews before purchasing something? Customers may prefer choosing random brands to shop for stuff, but most of them spend a good amount of time researching the brand before purchasing.
They say one strong negative review may be enough to change the customer’s perception of your brand. The higher the positive reviews, the more the chances of increasing sales. On the contrary, negative brand mentions lead to the customer opting for your competitors.
Your Want your Customers to Believe that You Care
In the end, building a lasting relationship with the customers is the key to business growth. Therefore, you must monitor and address what is being said about your brand, be it positive or negative.
While you may want flattering comments every time, negative comments are a source of valuable feedback. So avoid ignoring disheartening opinions, and make sure to respond to all types of comments. This will let customers know that you care, and they will want to stick to your brand.
Final Thoughts
Customer service has become increasingly complex in recent years. Any feedback from customers – be it positive or negative – should be viewed as a gift, as they are taking time out of their day to tell you what they think of your product or service. Haters, or people who give you low ratings, can be your most important group of customers. This is because they provide you with an opportunity to improve your business and show them that you’re willing to change based on feedback. People who are indifferent towards your business, or who don’t give you a chance to improve, are less helpful in the long run than haters.
It may not be possible to answer every complaint or compliment immediately, but the effort to embrace complaints will go a long way in keeping customers. It is never too late to start interacting with customers. Fortunately, there is the technology that can help. One effective way for online reputation management is using an ORM tool. Alternatively, you can get in touch with our experts for a no-obligation coffee chat.
Customer expectations are increasing each day. With the dawn of social media, online reviews and networks, your online reputation is becoming more and more important in the overall scheme of your business. Mobile technology makes it easier for your customer to connect or complain and ignoring the feedback is no longer an option. If you are interested in learning more about how you can generate more positive reviews, respond to negative reviews in a more timely manner and benefit from effective online review management we have got you covered. We can support your desire to create phenomenal customer experiences and set the bar for what’s possible.
Sources:
http://learn.podium.com/rs/841-BRM-380/images/2017-SOOR-Infographic.jpg
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/online-review-stats