According to a survey by BrightLocal.com, around eight in ten people trust online reviews as much as word of mouth recommendations.
Consumers read online reviews to help them decide if a local business is a good business, and it usually takes less than six reviews before they form an opinion.
Online customer reviews not only provide users with trust about your business, they can also increase clicks through to your website and its ranking in search engine results.
Understandably, some businesses worry that if they receive negative reviews, it might put customers off. However, bad reviews offer the opportunity to start a constructive conversation with your customer, helping to resolve any issues. When you reply to a negative review, it gives you a chance to show your great customer care to potential new customers who are reading the reviews. That’s not to say you should encourage negative feedback(!) but how you deal with this feedback when it inevitably arrives could make all the difference.
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