Reviews In Focus

The average online consumer expects to be able to read multiple reviews to help them in their choice of purchase. Therefore, if a business has no reviews they may lose the client.  

 

Think back to your experience of using reviews to help you in making a choice. Whether it be a hotel, a trades person, a car, an item of clothing or shoes, most of us take note of the reviews that the retailer publishes and this will have a bearing on our decision.  

 

It is also worth noting the details that you may have noticed along the way. Were the reviews recent? Were they easy to read? Did you click a link and go to another platform to view them? Did you feel that they were genuine? These and any other details are all valid in considering how to show your connections and ultimately build an online reputation. 

 

The first step in helping to make your business more visible online through reviews, is to consider how you will collect them. If you are using one or two platforms, then consider when you can ask for reviews through the contact that you have with your customer. Always seek permission to share, so if someone has left you a review and you want to share it or add it to your testimonials page on your website, then make sure that the reviewer is happy for you to do that.  

 

Managing multiple review pages is a consideration and in planning ahead, you are covering all bases. Your website should be at the centre of your strategy so the client at some stage early in the process who finds you somewhere other than your website, will seek to find your website to make sure that you are credible. It is here that you need to have up to date testimonials that back up the data that they may have seen elsewhere. You can have a widget on your website to display data from platforms like Trustpilot or TripAdvisor, see our Trustpilot Reviews on our Home page. 

 

Some businesses ask for a review on their receipt, say a shop for example. Others like trades people or graphic designers may ask for a review once their service has been delivered. Incorporating requests for reviews into your processes is a good idea and reminding customers to leave a review a little while later is also advisable in case they have forgotten. 

 

As mentioned above, your website is your 'shop front' and is the prime place to promote your reviews. As with your website as a whole, where you shout about it makes a difference as to how often it is seen. Social media provides an outlet to show off your best reviews and as well as linking people back to your website, you can tag the client into your post (if you have their permission), and this confirms to any sceptics that the review is genuine.  

 

Video content is favoured by Google, so a video review from a client will not only promote you in a dynamic and engaging way, but will also help with your website's ranking if you embed it on your website.  

 

Finally think about your marketing materials, signs, business cards and sign written vehicles. You could show off your reputation on these items too. There are many possibilities and don't forget to leave a review for the best service or product that you receive in Ipswich or around Suffolk this month, as it really can make someone's day!