Consumers frequently consider company reviews before making online purchases.
At the same time, pushy advertising campaigns have increasingly turned off consumers in recent years.
That is to say, people dislike sales tactics.
In addition, the customer journey is increasing in length and complexity, which means consumers are more hesitant to trust brands they aren't familiar with.
Therefore, you must start utilizing different online channels to collect customer reviews and testimonials to establish credibility for your brand.
Yet, no two businesses are entirely alike, which means every small business has customers with unique interests, preferences, and needs.
Hence, choosing the appropriate platforms for your business type and brand will encourage your customers to submit critical reviews and testimonials to support your marketing strategy.
Given these points, this post will discuss four channels for collecting reviews and testimonials for your small business.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile is a free tool for managing your online business listing and presence on Google, including Google Maps and Search.
Notably, a well-optimized Google Business Profile makes it easier for consumers to find your business location on desktop and mobile devices.
Additionally, Google reviews appear in search results, which supports your SEO strategy.
With this in mind, consumers can easily submit reviews on Google, which makes it an ideal place to build your brand's credibility since consumers conduct numerous searches on Google daily.
Thus, businesses compete heavily to display at the top of SERP results.
Be that as it may, you must first verify the information for your small business as part of your Google Business Profile registration.
Set Up Your Facebook Business Page
Facebook is a social media platform where users can upload pictures and videos, send messages, connect with friends and family, and engage with their favorite brands.
At the same time, creating a Facebook Business Page allows your customers to follow and interact with your business and leave reviews detailing their experience with your brand.
Considering this, reviews on Facebook are widely seen and shared by users.
To be sure, Facebook has become an increasingly popular review site.
Moreover, business reviews are prevalent since many consumers already have a Facebook account.
Remember, consumers frequently talk about businesses, whether they realize it or not.
Not to mention, your business's Facebook Business Page is likely to show up in user search results.
Consequently, you must monitor your social mentions at all times.
Using Yelp for Collecting Customer Feedback
Yelp is a business directory site where users can write reviews about local businesses.
And, with over 200 million reviews and counting, it is quite popular.
Therefore, you should know what Yelp consumers say about your business.
Considering this, few consumers will consider purchasing from a small business if they see mostly negative reviews on its Yelp customer review page.
However, it is worth noting that Yelp allows small businesses to address negative feedback and respond to reviews.
Even so, as with Facebook, monitoring your Yelp reviews is crucial for managing your online reputation.
Collect Customer Reviews and Testimonials on Your Website
If you haven't already, you should start displaying customer reviews and testimonials on your website.
Specifically, you should post them on a dedicated, easy-to-access page.
For example, you can showcase your reviews and testimonials on your
Testimonial Page.
Notably, creating a Testimonial Page makes it easy for visitors to see your reviews in one place.
With this in mind, many people trust online reviews as they would recommendations from family and friends.
So, make sure your business reviews are easy to find.
Nonetheless, ensure you have permission before posting third-party reviews on your site while crediting the original review site.
Accordingly, you should link to the source regardless of where the review originated.
Finally, after receiving permission, promote your review page to showcase the excitement your small business generates for its customers.
In Conclusion
As shown above, leveraging the power of customer reviews and testimonials is paramount for building trust and credibility for your small business.
Thus, employ the feedback of your satisfied customers to drive success for your small business.
Hope this helps,
Erik
We implement creative, results-based digital and hybrid marketing strategies for local business clients.
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