A good or bad reputation can mean the difference between a business thriving and expanding or closing its doors for good. In the digital age, a business’s reputation is highly influenced by customers using online review platforms like Yelp, Google, and Facebook to publicly comment on the quality and trustworthiness of a business. The good news is that businesses can easily monitor and manage this part of their online reputation, a power they can put to good use by responding promptly to the reviews they receive.
While negative reviews often get the most attention, positive reviews are as or more important! It’s essential to respond to positive reviews to thank customers for taking the time to review your business and to encourage others to do the same.
With 92% of consumers reading reviews online, businesses can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. An effective review response will help ensure that a happy first-time customer becomes a regular, and 70% of complaining customers will come back if you resolve the complaint in their favor. The first step is to be aware of reviews when they happen and quickly engage with them.
How to respond to positive reviews
It’s simple. Thank the customer, name drop, promote and tell the customer what to do!
- Say thank you and be specific
No one would let a compliment pass them by in real life. Apply that same principle to a review response! And make sure to reiterate your customer’s compliment to let the customer know that a real person took time out of their day to acknowledge them, and that feels good. - Use the business name and keywords
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to drive your business up in search results—positive reviews work wonders in search. Referring to your business name, location, and category (restaurant, coffee shop, hotel, etc.) helps to index those reviews online. - Market, market, market
Is your business famous for a certain secret sauce? Are you having a promotion next month? A review response is a great place to get the good word out. - Give your customer a task
Not as scary as it sounds. Invite reviewers to try something different the next time they visit or bring a friend!
As you can see, there’s a ton of potential hidden in a positive review response. Instead of a canned response for all positive reviews, treat each review as an opportunity to promote your business!
- June 8, 2021
- David Vinge
- Reputation Management, Reviews
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