Online customer reviews have tremendous value. When buyers are saying good things about you and your business, it adds a sense of credibility to all of your marketing. New prospects feel more comfortable buying from you, or visiting your store, because they know others have had a good experience.
Occasionally, we meet with business owners and marketers who have plenty of happy customers that would be glad to say wonderful things about their businesses, but aren’t sure where those reviews should actually go. They don’t know where the testimonials they’ve gathered can have the biggest impact. With that in mind, we want to share four of the destinations that are likely to be particularly important to your online marketing plans…
#1 Google +
Google + is often treated as a minor social media site, and it’s true that it has failed to gain popularity with millions of people who prefer Facebook and Twitter. However, Google + ties in with Google Business and the world’s largest search engine, which means positive feedback left for you on one platform could show up within the search listings and help you attract more visitors to your website.
#2 Yelp
For local retailers and vendors, Yelp is a resource like none other. Gather some strong reviews and recommendations, and thousands upon thousands of potential customers will be able to see that others in the area love your business. That can give you a huge boost in your marketing, and lead to greater walk-in traffic to your retail location.
#3 Facebook
Positive customer reviews on your Facebook business page can be seen by others who visit or like your company. The big advantage here is that you can utilize that feedback to reinforce your advertising campaigns and earn referrals from buyers across the country, not just your local town or city. And, the cumulative effect of having lots of good reviews can help you stand out to potential customers.
#4 Your Website
With social media and mobile apps being so important these days, it can be easy to forget that your website is also a great place to post feedback, testimonials, and case studies. Ultimately, lots of men and women who are thinking about working with you are going to end up on your pages. Why not use them to make buyers feel better about your products, services, and pricing?
Bonus Mention: TripAdvisor
If you work in an area with lots of tourists or business travelers, TripAdvisor could be even more important than all of the other review platforms others combined. It’s the one place people go for feedback on hotels, restaurants, and local services when they’re away from home, so take advantage of the site if it applies to your market.
You probably can’t control which customers are going to leave reviews for you, or where, but you can encourage them to heap their praise in the places where other customers are most likely to see it. So, make sure you have complete and professional profiles on each of these websites, and then ask customers who love your work to say so in a place that is convenient to them, and useful for you.