Author: AnaBerestean

Don’t Be Scared of Customer Feedback (There Are More Upsides Than Downsides)

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Every business owner has nightmares of a single negative review ruining their company’s hard-earned and well-deserved reputation. Ironically, it’s this trepidation that prevents businesses from realizing the powerful effects of customer feedback. In reality, there are far more upsides than downsides when it comes to actively seek out client testimonials. Plus, the negative aspects can be avoided if you use the right strategies.

 

The benefits of customer feedback.

Increased online exposure.

Many business owners operate under the misconception that customer reviews are simply an informational resource potential customers use after finding their company. However, customer feedback plays a critical role in boosting a business’s online exposure. The more testimonials your business can garner, the easier it is for people to find you online.

How does that work, exactly? Well, every customer review acts as a unique piece of content relevant to your business that allows search engines like Google to rank your business higher in related search results. In general, businesses with more reviews are regarded as more authentic and higher-quality and, therefore, more worthy of exposure.

Boosted customer loyalty.

Customer loyalty is just one direction of a two-way street. The other side is maintained by businesses that actively seek out customer feedback. Clients are eager to share their experiences with your business and are more likely to keep coming back when they feel as though their opinion matters.

When you consider that repeat customers comprise a hefty percentage of a business’s overall income, the impact of increased loyalty shouldn’t be underestimated. Plus, potential customers will notice the loyalty of current clients and develop an improved image of your business as a result.

Improved customer experience.

Positive customer feedback is fantastic, but that doesn’t mean negative testimonials are a waste. In fact, it’s these reviews that make it possible for businesses to continue refining their customer service. Critical feedback can point out shortcomings in the customer experience that might have flown under the radar, giving business owners a valuable heads-up.

When handled properly, negative reviews actually have the power to push the needle of progress forward. The same can’t be said about positive reviews that act as a reinforcement rather than an opportunity for improvement.  When you respond proactively and constructively to critical feedback, customers will view your business as responsible, mindful, and caring.

Better conversion rates.

Getting people to your site is only half the battle. The most challenging part is converting these visitors into paying customers. Unsurprisingly, this is where most businesses have trouble. Although there are a number of factors that contribute to optimized conversion rates, too many business owners overlook the power of customer testimonials.

The numbers are quite clear. 93% of customers only consider purchasing a product before reading reviews. On top of that, nearly 55% of consumers read a minimum of four testimonials before whipping out their credit cards. When displayed prominently, customer feedback can act as your business’s most powerful marketing tool.

 

The problem with standard customer review sites.

There’s no denying the advantages of customer reviews, so why are so many businesses wary of feedback? Unfortunately, it’s review sites like Google and Yelp that hold the blame. Instead of allowing businesses to oversee and manage their customer reviews, these sites grant zero control. This leaves real, hard-working, and high-quality businesses at the whim of mysterious algorithms that leave little-to-no recourse.

 

How to make the most of customer testimonials.

In order to harness the true power of client feedback, business owners need to reclaim ownership of their reviews. hapigood is a unique customer review and reputation management software that helps companies escape from the Googles and Yelps to have greater say over what happens to reviews. Constructive feedback is properly channeled to customer service, and positive reviews are posted so everyone can see them. You no longer have to shy away from reviews!

 

Feel free to contact us today to learn more about hapigood and how it can positively impact your business.

Why You Should Encourage Customers to Share Their Experiences

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Many business owners are reluctant to encourage customers to talk about their experiences. Everyone’s heard horror stories about a one-off negative testimonial that never seemed to go away no matter how many satisfied customers share their thoughts. Unfortunately, this fear keeps companies from tapping into the plethora of benefits that come with customers talking about their experiences.

 

6 Reasons to Encourage Customer Testimonials

1.    See what customers really think.

As a business owner, you’re always looking for ways to improve your services and products to keep customers happy. But, when’s the last time you went straight to the source to gauge how clients felt about your business? If you’re like most companies, it’s probably been a while. A customer testimonial – positive or negative – is an invaluable piece of information. It tells you what your business is doing right, what it’s doing wrong, and how it can improve.

2.    Boost brand exposure.

Customer testimonials can also help to increase brand awareness across the internet. Every piece of online content that mentions your business boosts its online exposure including customer testimonials. Google prefers companies that have a lot of testimonials, interaction with real people, and authentic content. Each testimonial that mentions your business’s name will increase the likelihood of it showing up in relevant searches.

3.    Improve customer service.

Better customer service is a greatly overlooked benefit of having customers share their experiences. People love when companies are eager to hear about their thoughts whether they’re positive or negative. On top of that, having consistent testimonials makes it easier to detect repeated issues with your business’s customer experience. This way, you have the insights needed to consistently improve customer service overall.

4.    Increase customer loyalty.

Customers place a premium on businesses that actively seek out their thoughts, questions, and concerns. It adds a level of trustworthiness and authenticity that most companies simply don’t offer to clients. When you actively encourage customers to share their experiences no matter what, it can help to increase customer loyalty. People will always prefer to work with a business that cares what they think.

5.    Get ahead of problems.

No amount of effort, due diligence, or investment can guarantee every single customer has an awesome experience. Regardless of who’s at fault, minor issues will arise from time to time. It might sound counterintuitive, but businesses are better off having customers share their negative thoughts rather than crossing their fingers or ignoring the problem. This way, you have an opportunity to get ahead of the issue before it blows up.

6.    Gain more control.

Motivated customers are going to find a way to share their experiences online with or without your encouragement. When you actively encourage it, you have greater control over where those thoughts are shared. Businesses can free themselves from the stranglehold of popular review sites like Google or Yelp by directing their customers to share their experiences on a preferred platform.

 

Harness the power of customer testimonials.

A lot of the hesitancy business owners feel about customer reviews stems from the lack of control they have over sites like Google and Yelp. These popular sites make it nearly impossible for you to keep up with reviews or reach out to customers to rectify issues. Everything is completely out of reach. That’s where hapigood comes into play.

This game-changing software puts businesses back in the driver’s seat of their reputation. It allows companies to harness the power of customer testimonials by offering greater control, avoiding the constraints of Big Tech, and simplifying the process overall.

Tired of having no control over what customers say about your business online? You’re not alone! This is something businesses in all industries struggle with on a daily basis. Now, there’s a solution. Hapigood gives you control over your business’s online reputation by putting all reviews in one convenient place. This allows you to respond to negative customer experiences and boost positive testimonials. Contact us today to learn more about what we offer and how your business can benefit.

How Reviews Can Improve Your Company’s Relationship with Customers

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Customer relations is a foundational aspect of running a successful business, especially for small-to-medium-size companies with less exposure than their larger rivals. A business’s relationship with its clients has an impact on everything from conversion rates and reputation to marketing success and so much more. Although focusing on high-quality products and services can improve customer relations, there are other important components to take into account. Here, we’ll explore the various ways reviews can improve your company’s relationship with clients.

 

It’s an accurate measure of customer satisfaction.

A key to optimizing customer relations is knowing how customers feel. If you have a well-defined and accurate understanding of how your current and potential clients perceive your business, you’re in a better position to improve the experience. You’ll know what you’re doing right, what needs some tweaking, and what you should get rid of altogether. Reviews are the single most effective way to gain a precise, real-time, and unfiltered understanding of customer satisfaction. It’s a great way to save time, energy, and money all while gaining an accurate gauge of how your customers feel.

 

Customers feel heard.

Whether you’re responding to positive or negative feedback, customers appreciate it when businesses interact with their comments. It shows that you genuinely value their opinion and eagerly want to improve your business. Engaging with great feedback reinforces the client’s positive experience and encourages them to continue working with your business. On the other hand, responding to constructive feedback shows clients that you take their concerns seriously and want to solve the problem. In both scenarios, the customer will feel heard and understood which increases the likelihood they’ll decide to work with you again.

 

Reviews can improve customer service.

The benefit of client feedback on customer relations isn’t just limited to positive reviews. In fact, some of the best changes can come from critical reviews. While positive feedback is great for building reputation, loyalty, and awareness, it does little in way of improving how your business operates. Conversely, critical reviews highlight areas where your business is falling short in the customer experience. Addressing these issues can drastically improve your company’s relationship with existing and future customers. The trick is seeing critical reviews as opportunities for improvement instead of an attack or threat to your business.

 

Potential customers love client testimonials.

People spend hours, days, and sometimes even weeks researching a business before spending their money. With customer testimonials influencing 93% of purchasing choices, it’s clear what potential customers care about the most: reviews! Although it’s crucial to include information about your offerings and company online, you make it so much easier for potential clients to make an informed decision about your business by curating feedback from previous customers. It lends a level of credence that your brand can’t achieve alone. By simplifying the research process for clients who are on the fence, you’ll further improve your relationship with customers.

 

Why most review sites fail businesses.

Some of the biggest obstacles preventing businesses from making the most of customer feedback are actually the review sites themselves. Google, Yelp, and other conventional review platforms severely limit the control businesses have over their client feedback. Positive reviews aren’t properly bolstered for potential customers and critical reviews aren’t effectively channeled to resolve issues that arise That’s where hapigood comes into play!

 

This one-of-a-kind customer review and reputation management platform is designed to put businesses back in the driver’s seat when it comes to client feedback. hapigood makes it easier for businesses to source reviews, promote positive testimonials, respond to negative client experiences, and reap all the myriad benefits of customer feedback.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about what hapigood can offer and how your business can benefit, contact us today. We’re already helping a host of small businesses improve their review and reputation management. Your business should be next!

7 Tips for Boosting the Number of Customer Reviews for Your Business

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Customer reviews are a powerful tool that can help your business boost online exposure, improve reputation, perfect customer service, build loyalty, and so much more. The more reviews you have, the more potent the benefits. If you’ve been struggling to get customers to share their experiences, follow these 7 tips to open the testimonial floodgates.

 

1.   Ask for reviews.

The first step to boosting customer reviews is to ask for…well, reviews. That’s a painfully obvious starting point, but it’s also painfully underutilized. A whopping 70% of customers are more than happy to leave a review if a business asks. That’s right! Simply requesting a review can elevate the number of client testimonials your business curates. Most customers aren’t actively deciding to NOT leave a review. Instead, it’s not something that crosses their minds. A request is all the nudge most clients need to share their thoughts.

 

2.   Catch customers right after their purchase.

Recency is critical when encouraging customers to leave reviews. Generally, people are more motivated to leave a testimonial right after working with your business. As more time passes, that eagerness gradually decreases. The trick is to catch clients immediately after buying a product or paying for a service. This immediate follow-up increases the likelihood they’ll share feedback and ensures they remember specific details about what made the experience so great.

 

3.   Give a specific time.

Time is one of the top reasons customers refuse to leave feedback even after a positive customer experience. When presented with an open-ended request for a review, clients are uneasy about dedicating an undisclosed amount of time to leave a testimonial. This problem is easily solved by offering a fair heads-up about how long it will take to write a review. You can say something like “Take a few minutes to fill out…” or “It’ll only take 2 minutes to complete…”. A little transparency can go a long way.

 

4.   Offer the possibility of anonymity.

Some people are skeptical of sharing online reviews because they don’t want their information shared online. You can ease this concern by making it clear to potential reviewers that none of their personal info will get shared. Furthermore, you can allow a customer to omit their last or full name from the review, depending on their privacy preferences. You’ll be giving customers peace of mind knowing their information is protected while still getting the real reviews you need to improve your business.

 

5.   Ask for emails at checkout.

Despite the variety of modern marketing channels, email is still among the most effective methods of communicating with customers. In fact, 72% of consumers prefer email as their primary source of contact with businesses. What relevance does that have for customer reviews? Well, collecting emails during the checkout process – whether that’s in-person or online – is a great way to send follow-up review requests. It’s easy to implement, and there’s no burden on customers. Plus, you’re building an email list at the same time which will come in handy for marketing efforts.

 

6.   Offer an incentive for reviews.

Everyone loves free stuff, especially after spending money. Offering even a small thank-you for a review can considerably increase the number of clients willing to share their experiences. Coupons or gift cards for future businesses are an excellent strategy as you’re securing a review while encouraging customers to come back and spend more money with you. Be sure to make these incentives prominent so customers know what they’ll get in return.

 

7.   Use powerful review management software.

The unsung hero of an effective customer review strategy is a committed management system. Google, Yelp, and other common review sites fail to give businesses the oversight and management needed to make the most of reviews. hapigood, on the other hand, helps businesses curate, manage, and publish customer feedback in an organized, effective, and scalable manner. It funnels all reviews to one, convenient location where businesses can figure out the most appropriate way to utilize them.

 

If your business is struggling to get the most out of customer reviews, contact us today to learn more about how hapigood can help.

 

 

3 Ways Customer Reviews Boost Brand Awareness (And How to Take Advantage of Them)

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Brand awareness is the level of familiarity consumers have with your business. This recognition is a core component of building a successful business due to its positive ramifications. The greater the awareness, the easier it is to generate interest, convert paying customers, build loyalty, establish authority, and so much more. There are plenty of factors that contribute to a business’s brand awareness, but customer reviews are easily the most overlooked. Let’s see just how impactful testimonials can be on brand awareness.

 

1.   Customer testimonials improve SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) encompasses all strategies used to increase your business’s online exposure. More specifically, SEO methods are aimed at ranking a company’s websites, blogs, social media profiles, and other web-based content high on related Google searches. Generally, a business’s ranking increases in proportion to the amount of high-quality, authentic, and recent content published. Customer reviews are a perfect candidate since they demonstrate to Google that your business is well-regarded, serving real customers, and still open for business. Each testimonial acts as a boost to your business’s online exposure, making it easier for potential customers to find.

 

2.   It increases word-of-mouth advertising.

Word-of-mouth advertising might seem like an endangered species among the rapid evolution of modern marketing strategies. In reality, it’s still recognized as a highly decisive factor in a business’s overall success. In fact, 64% of marketers view word-of-mouth advertising as the most impactful marketing style. Customer reviews bridge the gap between real-world and virtual advertising because they encourage people to talk about your business. When customers leave a testimonial, they’re going to be more motivated to share that experience with others. People place a lot of stock in what their friends, family members, co-workers, and even acquaintances say about particular businesses.

 

3.   Potential customers learn about your business.

It’s tough to cultivate a sense of trust and familiarity with people who have yet to use your products or services. At the same time, establishing that confidence is essential for converting potential customers who are on the fence. Customer reviews resolve this dilemma by providing unbiased and dependable testimony to boost your business’s credibility and quality. The more reviews people have to read about your brand, the more familiar it will become. This is another foundational way customer accounts can further boost brand awareness. Although your business’s online information is important, online visitors tend to place more trust in what customers are saying.

 

How to harness the brand-boosting power of customer reviews.

At this point, it’s important to note that customer reviews can elevate brand awareness, but this benefit isn’t automatically realized. This is why so many business owners are afraid to encourage customers to share their experiences. With standard review portals such as Google and Yelp, businesses don’t have any sense of control over the impact of customer reviews. One bad review has the potential to undermine years of hard work. However, the problem isn’t customer testimonials but the poor design of the review sites. That’s where hapigood is different.

 

This one-of-a-kind review and reputation management system is redefining how businesses can leverage customer feedback to their advantage. Instead of automatically publishing reviews without your input, hapigood curates each customer testimonial individually to determine the most effective way to handle the review. Positive testimonials are published on your website, social media accounts, and other online platforms, and negative feedback is sent to your customer support team to resolve the issue. In short, hapigood reduces and responds to the negative while increasing and promoting the positive.

 

Tired of feeling like the impact of customer reviews is entirely out of your control? It’s time to get in the driver’s seat so you can take full advantage of what customer testimonials have to offer. Feel free to contact us today to learn more about hapigood and how it can help your business simplify review and reputation management.

6 Reasons Why Customers Prefer to Buy from Reviewed Businesses

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Every business owner understands that customer reviews can have a positive impact on success. However, do you know the extent of that impact? Here’s a quick rundown:

 

As the numbers plainly illustrate, customers overwhelmingly prefer to buy from a reviewed business. Here, we’re going to look into the motivating factors behind this phenomenon.

 

1.   They know your business is legit.

The internet is overflowing with sketchy, scamming, and downright fraudulent businesses trying to hook unwitting customers. As a result, people are highly skeptical when searching for companies on the internet. Customer reviews are an effective way to help potential customers ease their guard. Seeing that real people have had a great experience with your business can work wonders for developing trust and legitimacy online.

 

2.   Curiosity gets the best of us.

People are naturally curious. Even customers who are already decided to spend money with your business might check out previous reviews just to see what others are saying. In this scenario, a bunch of positive reviews can work to solidify their conviction to buy your products or use your services. However, a general lack of reviews or a slew of negative customer testimonials can cause those near-customers to backtrack.

 

3.   Customers want to see businesses that care.

Long gone are the days when consumers only cared about the quality of products. On top of premium-quality goods and services, people want an excellent customer service experience too. Review can instantly tell potential customers how a business interacts with its current clientele. The content of the reviews can illustrate what it’s like to work with your business, and your company’s responses to those reviews demonstrate your willingness to engage with clients too. A gesture that might seem minor to you goes a long way when people are on the fence.

 

4.   It shows your business is alive and well.

What’s posted on the internet sticks around forever, but businesses come and go. Everyone’s had the experience of finding a company online only to find out it no longer exists in real life. Often, potential customers search for customer reviews as a lifeline to make sure a business is still kicking. It’s important to note that simply having testimonials isn’t sufficient. You need to have recent customer reviews to prove that your business is running strong.

 

5.   Customers trust customer reviews.

It’s somewhat of a truism to say potential customers trust reviews from your past clients. After all, this is one of the more foundational reasons for encouraging and curating testimonials. Still, the impact might not hit home until you crunch the numbers. One revealing survey found that 84% of customers trust reviews just as much as a personal recommendation. This is the virtual equivalent of super convincing word-of-mouth advertising. The best part is these positive online reviews are up 24/7, generating more trust and garnering more attention round the clock.

 

6.   They show the quality of your products or services.

The most compelling motivation customers have for scouring reviews of your business is to gauge the quality of what you offer. Testimonials make it easy for potential clients to determine the standard of your products or services without having to spend a penny. Plus, no matter how many times you claim your business is the best (which it probably is!), people are going to remain skeptical until they read customer reviews that echo those claims.

 

If you’ve been struggling to make the most of customer reviews, you’re in the right place! hapigood is redefining the way businesses manage, curate, and optimize client testimonials by making it possible to handle feedback from one convenient location.

 

 

 

SEO Basics: How Web Management Will Improve Your Search Engine Rankings

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Search engine optimization is the fuel that rockets your website to the top of Google and other search engines. Without this fuel, sites are doomed to remain on the ground. The resulting lack of exposure translates to lower conversion rates, lost leads, and inevitably fewer sales.

Not only will users not be able to find your company through search engines, but they’re also less likely to work with a company without a professional site. Here are some ways web management will improve your search engine rankings and why your wallet will thank you.

 

The relationship between SEO and sales.

Before we jump into web management and SEO, it’s important to draw a clear connection between rankings and sales. Having a spot at the top of a Google search sounds nice, but is it really that important? Yes, it is! But don’t take our word for it. Let’s see what the research says.

On average, over half of the traffic your site receives will come from organic searches as opposed to other sources such as paid ads. What’s more, those leads directed to your site through SEO are 8x more likely to convert into paying customers. In other words, the more SEO you have, the more $$$ you’ll see. These are results earned through organic means which you won’t have to spend on ads to get.

 

Winning the virtual popularity contest.

If curating a website feels more like a popularity contest than a business strategy, it’s because that’s exactly what SEO boils down to: building the most attractive and well-ranked site. Taking this analogy a little further, the algorithms set forth by search engines are the judges which determine the quality of your webpages. Your company’s site receives an overall score based on several factors that ultimately determine your ranking in the search results. The most attractive and well-dressed sites are going to end up being more popular.

 

How a management team will improve your SEO.

Hiring a team to manage your site’s SEO would be like hiring an experienced coach to help you win that frustrating popularity contest. These experts not only know how to build an attractive site for visitors, but they also understand the factors that help it rank high in search engines. Here are some specific things a management team can do to improve SEO on your company’s site:

  • Running a blog.

Blogging isn’t just important for holding the interest of repeat visitors, it also plays a major role in determining your site’s ranking. In fact, companies with an active blog see 55% more visitors  than those with an empty site. Google views blogging as a badge of credibility and activity. With web management, you’ll have a team churning out high-quality content on a regular basis to help maximize these benefits.

  • Managing reviews.

Customer interaction is another metric search engines use to determine your site’s SEO ranking. When you’re busy dealing with the business side of things, a team managing your site will be working around the clock to organize customer reviews and respond to questions. All of this interaction helps to establish your site as a reputable authority.

  • Maintaining links.

Search engines like to see an interplay of links between your company’s site and reputable webpages. This gives your site a sort of “credibility by association”. A web management team knows how to maintain enough links both internally as well as externally to catch Google’s attention.

  • Integrating social media accounts.

Social media has a big impact on your site’s ranking. Being active on these platforms is a great way to strengthen link-building and can even convert visitors to your site. Using a team of experts will make it easier to integrate various social media channels into your company’s site to take full advantage of what these accounts have to offer.

  • SEO optimization.

There are a bunch of other ‘tweaks’ that a web management team would handle to further boost your site’s ranking. These smaller changes, typically thrown under the umbrella term SEO optimization, include image descriptions, the use of keywords, page summaries (a.k.a meta-descriptions), and much more.

 

If you’re finding it difficult to transform that napkin doodle into a real business, consider working with HostDoodle (a service of burnett media group) to handle all of your web-based needs. Our team will tackle website hosting, development and design, domain registration, and everything in between so you can focus on building your business in other areas.

6 Ways a Professional Social Media Team Can Boost Your Business

Posted on by AnaBerestean

Business owners who understand the importance of a social media presence may still question the efficacy of outsourcing this work to a professional team. Many people worry that this investment won’t yield sufficient returns in order to make it worthwhile. While it depends on the quality of the team you hire, social media has proven to have a significant ROI. Instead of accepting that with no proof, let’s take a look at some tangible areas where your company can benefit. Here are 6 ways a professional social media team can boost your business.

 

Increased exposure.

The foundation of a good marketing scheme is getting your company’s name in front of as many people as possible. Employing a social media team to handle your marketing efforts will successfully tap your company into some of the most active, flourishing, and attractive online communities. A professional social media team will know exactly how to market to your niche audience in order to raise brand awareness and establish your company as an authority.

 

Improved customer relations.

Social media platforms are excellent resources to boost your customer relations when leveraged properly. The 42% of social media users who expect companies to respond to comments within 60 minutes illustrate the climate of immediacy and connectivity required online. Small businesses without enough time or manpower inhouse can still meet these expectations by outsourcing to a professional social media team that can help improve the customer experience.

 

More spare time.

Small businesses that are reluctant to join the social media bandwagon often cite time limitations as their primary obstacle. Even those that dabble still feel they’re wasting time when no results are produced. And with 58% of businesses spending less than 1 hour each week on Facebook, it’s not surprising why. By outsourcing all of your social media strategies to a dedicated team, you can avoid this problem without missing out on the myriad benefits that social media marketing can offer your company. You’ll have more spare time to focus on other aspects of your operation to keep things running smoothly.

 

Customized plan.

When working with a reputable social media team, your business will receive a customized social media marketing plan. A one-size-fits-all approach isn’t going to cut it in such a crowded market. These professionals will take the time to understand your services or products, your target audience, and your voice. They’ll tailor an entire plan around these parameters in combination with their expertise in the field for a more effective social media strategy.

 

More website traffic.

Websites play an important role for small businesses in lead generation, list building, sales, and much more. A boost in traffic to a company’s site almost guarantees an increase in all associated metrics. Through the promotion of related content and direct links, a social media management team can help increase the number of visitors to your site. This boost in traffic can come from your current social media following or through the use of dynamic and targeted ad campaigns available on these platforms.

 

Using the best tactics available.

As a business owner, you understand the unpredictability of the market. Social media platforms aren’t an exception to this turbulence as algorithms are subject to change, competition increases, and new platforms are always emerging. A team of social media professionals can help keep your company stay ahead of the competition by implementing the best tactics available and always staying abreast of the most recent changes. Since these professionals focus solely on social media, they’re able to create dynamic strategies guaranteed to yield a competitive ROI.

 

Even if you understand the importance of social media, that doesn’t mean you have the time to dedicate to it. If you’re short on staff or know-how, consider outsourcing your social media strategies to an expert in the game. Burnett Media Group has a division that specializes in customized and effective social media services. The Burnett Media Group “Soshily” is a dynamic social media management team with the right programs to fit your needs.

 

How Customer Reviews Can Improve a Small Business’s Reputation

Posted on by AnaBerestean

As a small business, reputation is one of the most effective tools you have for maintaining current customers and attracting new ones. Every positive customer experience has the power to improve how people view your company. The more positive things people hear about your business, the higher the likelihood they’ll use your service or buy your products. There are plenty of ways businesses can boost their reputation, but customer reviews are among the most powerful. Unfortunately, they’re often overlooked or underutilized. Let’s look at some ways testimonials can improve your business’s reputation.

 

Customers want to be heard.

In a world of outsourced call centers, endless dial tones, and faceless customer service, customers are craving to be heard. Small businesses are actually at an advantage here when compared to large corporations that constantly search for ways to spend less at the expense of customer experience. Small businesses that actually encourage customers to share their thoughts will instantly stand out. It might seem like a small gesture, but it means a lot to customers who constantly feel as though their opinions don’t matter to companies This can create improved customer relationships overall.

 

Reviews build brand awareness.

A whopping 95% of people read customer reviews before spending their money with a business. This is how a company with decades of experience and better products can lose out to an inferior company with more reviews. A small business with a significant number of customer testimonials online is instantly viewed as more trustworthy and higher quality than the competition. A wealth of customer testimonials describing the amazing experience clients had when working with your business lends a level of credence that’s difficult to achieve in other ways.

 

They improve customer service.

Many small businesses fear that a single negative review will eviscerate everything they’ve done to keep clients satisfied. When handled properly, negative reviews can actually work to boost customer service instead of harming it. The key is to get in front of critical reviews before they’re broadcasted to the world so you have a chance to resolve them. Businesses that can reach out to customers who had a negative experience will develop a reputation of being proactive, helpful, and caring. Contrary to popular belief, negative reviews are a great opportunity to gain a happy and loyal customer. Which brings us to the next point.

 

Testimonials instill brand loyalty.

Most small businesses rely heavily on repeat customers for their success. As a result, the value of customer testimonials isn’t limited to their ability to convert new customers. When leveraged properly, customer feedback can establish, solidify, and increase brand loyalty among your business’s current clientele base. People are going to feel more comfortable spending their money again with businesses that openly and actively encourage reviews from customers. This commitment to quality is mirrored by an increased customer loyalty that makes a business even more attractive to potential clients.

 

They boost business SEO.

There are countless factors that determine how high your business ranks on search engines. One of the most overlooked and powerful drivers of high ranking is actually customer reviews. When curated effectively, every customer testimonial has the potential to become a unique piece of content. And the more relevant content your business publishes, the higher it shows up on search results. On top of that, Google prefers to show potential customers reputable and authentic businesses. Real customer reviews can prove to search engines that your business is dependable and real.

 

Are you having a tough time making the most of customer reviews? You’re in the right place! hapigood is a one-of-a-kind customer reputation and review management solution that puts business owners like you back in the driver’s seat. Instead of keeping client feedback out of your control, hapigood brings testimonials back into your sphere of influence where they can be properly handled and curated. Feel free to contact us today to learn more about what we offer.

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