Reviews are an integral part of branding. They not only fuel your SEO for a privileged ranking on Google, but they simultaneously secure trust and confidence in your products and services. Reports suggest that over 90% of consumers consider online reviews before making a purchase decision.

At the same time, the quality of your reviews and the frequency of positive and negative reviews further impact their decision to pursue or abandon a businesses’ products or services. The date and time of your latest reviews also matter, so if you aren’t working to collect new reviews, it’s time you get started.

To help you get right to it, the marketing experts at Webware.io have listed the following tried and tested techniques to collect business reviews online and boost your business through brand reputation management.

1. Set up accounts on trusted review platforms. 
Different people use specific platforms to research businesses. While some prefer Facebook, others choose Google Reviews, Yelp, or BBB. By launching your business presence on different review sites like these, you can ensure your brand receives more visibility.

2. Make it easy for clients to leave reviews. 
One way to do this is to integrate review platforms like Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, etc. with your website. Another is to bring the review platform to your client via email. When you email your clients review invites, you can include links to the review platforms you’re present on.

Similarly, you can request feedback through regular newsletters by including a link under your signature. Other means of communication are useful too, like text messages or Facebook messenger to direct your clients to your reviews page.

3. Time your review requests and reminders. 
If you wait a few days after delivering a product or service, the client will have sufficient time to try it out and identify the things they like most about your products or services. If your brand gets tagged on social media, you can use it as an opportunity to claim a review. In case you don’t get an immediate response from your clients, and you can remind them to review you after a few days. You can also ask for reviews after a repurchase or re-order. 

4. Respond to reviews - positive and negative.
As we’ve mentioned, before choosing a product or service, most people look through reviews and ratings to ensure they’re making a rational investment. That means your response to customer reviews will be visible to them, too. Many people appreciate a company that’s interactive with clients. It makes them feel valued and encourages clients reading to choose you and review you after a purchase. At the same time, when you get negative reviews, you can use it as an opportunity to show your clients that you appreciate their honesty and offer resolutions to their grievances.

While many business owners are tempted to get rid of negative reviews or reply to them defensively, it’s not the best strategy. To learn How To Deal With Negative Reviews On Social Media, please click here.

5. Share reviews with clients.
When you get positive reviews on different review platforms, you can highlight them as helpful reviews. You can even send them to your new customers by email or via text message asking your clients if they had a similar experience and if they’d like to share it. You can even ask if they are willing to help more people make a choice between you and other businesses. Showing people enthusiastic reviews can motivate them to write similar insightful reviews, and convince potential clients to purchase a product or enlist your services.

How Webware can help!
Your online reviews reflect your reputation in the market. They determine your commitment to positive customer experiences and decide where you rank in the market. That makes reputation management a vital component of your digital marketing strategy.

As a digital marketing expert, Webware.io provides you with different review collection strategies to build your reputation online. We take the time to understand your business and plan actions for fruitful results. Besides reputation management marketing services, we offer an array of other digital marketing services to ensure your online presence is well-established to leverage higher conversions.

To learn all about our services and complete digital marketing tool kit, please click here. If you have any questions about how we can help with your digital marketing needs, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our experts here.