Online business reviews are more important than ever for local businesses. They help you attract new customers, and they give people looking for the best local companies a way to find you. The key to getting good online reviews is asking your customers for them after they’ve had a good experience with your company.

Online Reviews: What Are These?

An online review is simply what it sounds like: a customer’s evaluation of your business published on the internet. It could be a blog post, a comment on social media, or even something as simple as a Google Maps or Yelp review.

As local businesses increasingly compete for attention online, reviews can be a deciding factor for customers. For example, 88% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations; local business reviews are also one of the main factors influencing Google’s search algorithm. So if you want your local business to rank well in search results, you need to ensure you have many positive reviews.

Why Online Business Reviews Are Important

There are several reasons why online business reviews are essential. Here are our top picks:

1. They help local businesses attract new customers.

Reviews received from happy customers can help local businesses attract new ones. This is especially true if the review is posted on a popular website or blog, as it increases the business’s visibility.

2. They improve local businesses’ search engine rankings.

As we mentioned before, local business reviews are one of the main factors influencing Google’s search algorithm. Therefore, if you want your local business to rank well in search results, you need to have many positive reviews.

3. They help local businesses build trust and credibility.

In today’s world, it’s more important than ever for local businesses to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Online reviews can help by showing that other people have had positive experiences with your business.

4. They give local businesses valuable feedback.

In addition to helping local businesses attract new customers and improve their search engine rankings, online reviews can also be a valuable source of feedback. Customers’ evaluations of your products or services can help you identify areas where you need to make changes or improvements.

5. They can help local businesses stand out from the competition.

In a competitive market, local businesses need to do everything to stand out from the crowd. Online reviews can help by giving potential customers another reason to choose your business over the competition.

6. They’re easy and affordable to get.

Unlike other marketing tools, online reviews are relatively easy and affordable. All you need to do is ask your customers for them after they’ve had a positive experience with your business.

7. They’re a valuable source of customer insights.

In addition to being a valuable source of feedback, online reviews can also provide local businesses with valuable insights into their customers. This can help you better understand your target market and make more informed decisions about your marketing and advertising strategies.

8. They can help local businesses increase their social media reach.

If a customer leaves a positive review for your business on a popular website or blog, it can help increase your social media reach. This is because people who see the study will be more likely to share it with their followers, which can help you attract even more new customers.

So now that we’ve gone over why local business reviews are critical, let’s take a look at how you can get more of them.

10 Tips for Getting More Local Business Reviews

1. ASK FOR REVIEWS

This may seem obvious, but it’s essential to ask your customers for reviews. You can’t just assume that they’ll leave one without being prompted. The best time to ask for an appraisal is right after the customer has had a positive experience with your business. This could be after they’ve purchased, used your service, or even just had a good interaction with you or your staff.

2. MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM

Don’t make your customers have to jump through hoops to leave a review. The easier you can make it, the more likely they will do it. For example, provide links to popular review sites or create a landing page on your website with instructions on how to leave a review.

3. RESPOND TO ALL REVIEWS

It’s essential to respond to your reviews, both positive and negative. This shows that you are engaging with your customers and care about their feedback. If someone leaves a negative review, take the opportunity to turn it into a positive one by responding professionally and helpfully.

4. OFFER INCENTIVES

One way to encourage customers to leave reviews is to offer them an incentive. This could be a discount on their next purchase, a free product, or even a thank-you note. Make sure the incentives will entice people to leave a review and be sure to follow through on your promise.

5. RUN A CONTEST

Another way to get people to leave local business reviews is to run a contest. This could be a social media contest where people have to like and share your post to enter or something more creative. Be sure to give clear instructions on how to enter, and make the prize something that will be appealing to your target audience.

6. SEND EMAILS

Sending out emails is a great way to remind customers to leave a review. You can set up an automated email that goes out after a customer makes a purchase, or you can send manual reminders to people you know have had a good experience with your business. Just make sure not to spam people with too many emails, or you’ll do more harm than good.

7. USE SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is a great way to reach out to customers and ask for reviews. You can post your local business reviews on your page or create a dedicated social media campaign. You can also use social media to respond to positive and negative thoughts publicly.

8. ASK FOR FEEDBACK

Another way to encourage local business reviews is to ask for feedback from your customers. This could be in a survey or just a casual conversation. Be sure to let them know that you’re open to positive and negative feedback and appreciate their candidness.

9. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

The best way to encourage local business reviews is to listen to your customers. Please pay attention to what they’re saying, both in-person and online. If you see that people are generally happy with your business, they’re more likely to leave a review. On the other hand, if you see that people are unhappy, take the opportunity to improve your business before asking for a review.

10. MAKE IT A HABIT

The best way to get local business reviews is to make it a habit. Get in the habit of asking customers for reviews, responding to reviews, and monitoring what people say about your business. The more you do it, the easier it will become, getting more local business reviews.

The Best Ways to Respond to Online Reviews

No matter how great your local business is, there will always be the occasional negative review. It’s important to remember that responding to these reviews is an opportunity to show off your customer service skills and turn an unhappy customer into a lifelong fan.

Here are some tips for responding to local business reviews:

• Thank the customer for their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative.
• Apologize for any issues that may have caused a negative review.
• Offer to help solve the problem that the customer is having.
• Ask the customer to contact you directly so you can resolve the issue.
• Thank the customer again for their feedback and let them know that you appreciate it.
• Keep your responses short, sweet, and to the point.
• Don’t take negative reviews personally – use them as an opportunity to improve your business.
• Always respond professionally, even if the customer

Thanking the Customers

Whether the review is positive or negative, always thank the customer for their feedback. This shows that you appreciate their time and take their input seriously.

Apologizing for Negative Reviews

If a customer leaves a negative review, it’s important to apologize for any issues that they may have experienced. This shows that you care about your customers and want to make things right.

Offering to Help

If a customer has a problem, offer to help solve the issue. This shows that you are willing to go above and beyond to ensure that they are satisfied with your product or service.

Asking for Direct Contact

If a customer leaves a negative review, ask them to contact you directly so you can resolve the issue. This shows that you are interested in solving the problem and available to help.

Thanking Customers and Appreciation

Again, thank the customer for their feedback and let them know that you appreciate it. This goes a long way in showing that you are grateful for their input and take their information seriously.

Short, Sweet, and to the Point

Keep your responses short, sweet, and to the point. You don’t want to ramble on and on or get into a back-and-forth argument with the customer. Instead, thank them for their feedback, apologize for any issues, and offer to help solve the problem.

Don’t Take it Personally

It’s essential not to take negative reviews personally. Instead, use them as an opportunity to improve your business and make things right for the customer.

Professionalism is Key

Always professionally respond to local business reviews, even if the customer is rude or unprofessional. This shows that you are the bigger person and interested in solving the problem.

By following these tips, you can make sure that you are getting the most out of local business reviews. These reviews can be a great way to attract new customers and improve your business. So make sure to ask for them, respond to them, and use them!

The Dos and Don’ts of Leaving Online Business Reviews

As a local business owner, it’s essential to understand the dos and don’ts of local business reviews. These reviews can be a great way to attract new customers and improve your business. But if you’re not careful, they can also damage your reputation.

Here are some Dos and Don’ts to keep in mind:

Dos:

• Take the time to write a review if you’ve had a good experience with a local business.
• Be specific about what you liked or didn’t like.
• Use your real name and include your city and state.
• Check for grammar and spelling errors before you submit your review.
• Make sure to leave a review on multiple sites for maximum exposure.

Don’ts:

• Don’t write a fake review for a local business – this is dishonest and can damage the business’s reputation.
• Don’t leave a negative review without first trying to resolve the issue with the business.
• Don’t use profanity or obscenities in your review.
• Don’t include personal information like your address or phone number in your review.
• Don’t write a review if you haven’t used the local business’s services.

The dos and don’ts will help you make the most of local business reviews. You can ensure that your thoughts are honest and helpful by following these tips. And that’s good for both local businesses and customers alike.

4 Steps to Get More Online Reviews from Happy Customers

1. Make it easy for customers to leave reviews.

The first step to getting more local business reviews is to make it easy for customers to leave them. This means providing links to popular review sites or a direct link on your website. You can also include QR codes that customers can scan to be taken directly to the review page.

2. Ask customers for reviews after they’ve had a good experience.

Don’t be afraid to ask customers for reviews, especially after having a positive experience with your business. A simple request can go a long way, and you may be surprised at how many people are happy to leave a review.

3. Provide incentives for customers to leave reviews.

Incentives are a great way to encourage customers to leave local business reviews. This could be something as simple as a discount on their next purchase or even entry into a contest.

4. Respond to all local business reviews, both good and bad.

It’s essential to respond to all local business reviews, both positive and negative. This shows that you’re paying attention and care about what customers have to say. If a customer has left a negative review, try to resolve the issue so that they leave a positive review.

Conclusion: Local Business Reviews Matter

If you own a local business, you know that reviews can make or break your business. Good reviews can attract new customers and help you build a good reputation, while bad reviews can do the opposite.

That’s why it’s so important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to get more local business reviews. And fortunately, it’s not that difficult to do.

Here at WowVisible, we provide local SEO services, and we’ve helped local businesses with their online marketing for years; we know a thing or two about getting local business reviews. If you want to know how to get more local business reviews, you can contact us, and we will be more than happy to help you.