Creating Different Channels For Reviews and Testimonials

So what’s the big deal with customer reviews and testimonials? Well, over 90% of online consumers incorporate reviews into their buying decision. Thus, for your business to keep attracting new customers, you need to collect more reviews.

Today, consumers have become increasingly blind to advertising and marketing strategies. Also, the buyer’s journey is becoming increasingly longer, and most consumers are slow to trust companies.

So, what should a business do? The answer is to build credibility. And it starts with customer reviews and testimonials.

Creating different channels for customers to review your business and give their testimonials should be the first thing in creating a solid customer review strategy.

Why?

The answer is because all businesses are different, with different target customers who have different interests, habits and needs. Thus, choosing where to collect reviews and testimonials is key in connecting with your target audience and motivating them to review you.

Whilst it’s essential to create more than one channel for collecting reviews, not all of them will be appropriate or even necessary for your company. Focus on your target audience and the nature of your business when choosing if one of the popular review sites is perfect for your business.

Four Different Places to Leave Reviews and Testimonials

1. Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google, including Maps and Search. Google is the best place to leave reviews and testimonials because more and more consumers conduct multiple searches on Google daily. As a result, many businesses are vying for top SERP results.

To complete your Google My Business registration, verify your information.

Google My Business puts business information on Google+, Maps and Search. This makes it easier for consumers to find your business location on their smartphone or desktop. Plus, Google reviews appear in search results, which bolsters SEO. Google reviews are therefore crucial if you want to build your brand’s credibility.

It’s easier for customers to review a business on Google. Because of this, it’s easier to get more reviews. Plus, Google My Business is a great place to collect reviews and testimonials as it gives your product or service credibility.

2. Facebook

Businesses can create business profiles on Facebook to allow their customers to follow them and leave business reviews based on their experience with the brand. Today, it’s common for customers to leave reviews on social media.

Today’s consumers interact more with brands through social media too, and Facebook is one of the most social networks to do this. That means business reviews on Facebook are seen and shared by many potential customers.

Remember, consumers are always talking about a business, whether that business knows or not, and regardless of whether that business has claimed its business profile. It’s therefore crucial to monitor your social mentions at all times.

Facebook is becoming an increasingly popular review site, especially because of the sheer size of its user base. And because many consumers already have a Facebook account, reviewing any business is relatively frictionless.

In other words, it’s essential to collect reviews on Facebook, because your business’s Facebook page is likely to show up in search results when customers do their search.

3. Yelp

Yelp is a site where users publish reviews about local businesses. Also, Yelp helps small businesses respond to business reviews, hosts events for Yelp reviewers, and provides data about businesses such as health inspection scores.

Yelp is a popular business review site with over 184 million reviews and counting. Thus, it’s time to focus on what consumers are saying about your business online, and especially on their Yelp reviews.

Most consumers won’t give a business any attention if all they see are negative reviews on their Yelp customer review page.

With the growing popularity of review sites such as Yelp, it’s crucial for businesses to monitor their reviews to manage their online reputation.

4. On Your Site

If you aren’t displaying reviews and testimonials on your site, now is the time to start. After collecting your business reviews, place them on one easy-to-access page. You can showcase your reviews and testimonials on your testimonial page.

According to research, 91% of 18- to 34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from their friends and family. So it’s essential to make your business reviews easy to find.

The goal of creating a testimonial page is to make it easy for visitors to see your most glowing reviews at once, instead of having to search across the internet to see what people are saying about your brand.

To do this, credit the original review site. If the review came from Yelp, Facebook, or Google, it’s a great idea to link back to the original source.

Start by seeking permission before posting third-party reviews on your site. And once you get that permission, waste no time. You’ve worked hard to create something others are excited about. So, don’t be afraid to promote your review page.