Online reviews are becoming even more important when people are making decisions about where to stay, where to eat or just where to purchase goods in an easy and safe way.
TripAdvisor has been called out for fake reviews and action taken against them by one B&B in Scotland. You can read about it here where they deny they are subject to Scottish law.
So how do you deal with reviews of your business? Are you even monitoring what is being said about your business? Do you know how to monitor your business mentions online?
In planning a trip overseas, I am very aware of the attraction of finding good quality reviews to use to support the decisions that I am making when choosing places to stay. But I am also conscious that there are so many people gaming the system and paying for fake reviews that it does make it hard to sort the real reviews from the fake ones.
Some ways to build credibility online:
- Make your website, blog and Facebook consistent with your identity
- Make it easy to contact you.
- Have a physical address where possible
- Respond to enquiries quickly
- Make it transparent when people are paying you money
- Ensure your emails (and service) is always in a friendly tone
- Respond to negative comments and take the follow-up offline
- Thank people who comment on your website or blog or social media page.
- Use widgets on your website that show other local people who have Liked your page. This allows for "social proof" to work for you.
- Make sure that you have updated your Google+ Local entry online.
- Manage your reputation online at all times.
- Ask happy customers to recommend you online and make it easy to do.
All in all the best strategy for business is to provide as many ways as possible for customers who don't know us to get good insight into who we are, our good reputation and our stability in terms of being around to sort out any problems, and put would-be customers at peace that we are legitimate and real people who can be found and trusted to deliver what we promise.
Lindy Asimus
0403 365 855
Businesses increase local sales with internet presence
Great article, as always Lindy...
ReplyDeleteAppreciate your insight. These three really stand out in my thinking
<1.Make your website, blog and Facebook consistent with your identity
2.Make it easy to contact you.
3.Have a physical address where possible
4.Respond to enquiries quickly
Thanks Chuck.
ReplyDeleteI am really seeing what this is like as I am researching for a trip and you'd think some businesses what to keep what they do secret. Honestly we need to approach this stuff with new eyes like a customer sees.