In today’s digital landscape, online reviews are everywhere. Whether you’re browsing a website, shopping online, or researching services, you’re likely to encounter customer testimonials and feedback.
The prevalence of reviews is not just a coincidence; it’s a reflection of their crucial role in driving business success. Online reviews have become a powerful tool that influences consumer behavior and shapes the reputation of businesses across the globe.
How to Automate the Collection of Reviews
To simplify the process of gathering and syndicating online reviews, consider the following strategies:
1. Hire an Online Reputation Management (ORM) Company
If you’re serious about maximizing the benefits of online reviews, hiring an Online Reputation Management (ORM) company is a wise investment. These companies specialize in managing your brand’s reputation across the internet, automating the process of collecting, monitoring, and responding to reviews.
ORM companies excel in automating the process of asking for reviews. They handle the timing, method, and medium for requesting reviews, taking the guesswork out of the equation. Should you ask for a review immediately after a purchase, or wait a few days? Is it better to use SMS, email, or a phone call? An ORM company can determine the best approach and execute it consistently, especially beneficial for businesses that deal with a high volume of customers daily.
2. Integrate Review Collection into Your Website
One effective way to automate review collection is by integrating the process directly into your website. For instance, if you run an online retail store, most eCommerce platforms allow you to add a section where customers can leave reviews about specific products or services. This integration simplifies the feedback process, making it easy for customers to share their experiences without you needing to chase them individually.
3. Prominently Display Your Review Listings
Make it convenient for your customers to leave reviews by prominently displaying your Google, Yelp, and Facebook listings on your website. People are not always naturally inclined to leave reviews, so providing easy access to your review pages can significantly increase your response rate. The easier you make it for customers to share their feedback, the more likely they are to do so.
4. Utilize Shopper Approved for Review Syndication
Among the various companies that offer review collection and syndication services, Shopper Approved stands out as one of the best. Shopper Approved not only automates the process of gathering reviews but also syndicates them to major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This syndication ensures that your reviews are visible across multiple platforms, enhancing your online presence.
Importance of Online Reviews
The significance of online reviews cannot be overstated. Here are some compelling statistics that highlight their impact:
- 88% of consumers incorporate reviews into their purchasing decisions, using them as a trusted source of information.
- 92% of consumers actively read online reviews before making a purchase, underscoring the critical role they play in the decision-making process.
- 51% of consumers prefer to choose local businesses that have positive reviews, indicating the influence of online feedback on local commerce.
- 48% of consumers will visit your website after reading a positive review, translating directly into increased web traffic and potential sales.
- 73% of consumers only need to read about six reviews before forming an opinion about a business, showing how quickly online feedback can shape perceptions.
Given these numbers, it’s clear that online reviews are essential to business success. But the question remains: how do you effectively collect and manage them, especially if you’re dealing with a large volume of customers?
Automating Review Collection
While manually collecting reviews may work for small businesses with a limited customer base, it becomes increasingly challenging as your business grows. Let’s consider a small-town jewelry store as an example. With only a few customers each day, the owner might have time to send personalized emails, make phone calls, or send SMS messages asking for reviews.
But what happens when the business scales up? What if you own a bustling retail store with hundreds of customers daily? Manually following up with each customer becomes impractical and inefficient.
This is where automation comes into play. Automating the process of gathering online reviews not only saves time but also ensures consistency and effectiveness in how you collect and leverage customer feedback.
The Role of Store and Product Ratings
Online reviews also contribute to star rating extensions that appear in Google organic searches and Google Ads. These five-star ratings are a powerful tool for attracting customers, as they provide a quick and visual representation of your business’s quality. Google has reported that businesses with star rating extensions in their ads can see a boost in Click-Through Rates (CTR) of up to 17%.
Shopper Approved is one of the few companies licensed to syndicate both Store and Product ratings, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to automate and optimize their online review strategy.
Conclusion
Online reviews are more than just a collection of opinions; they are a vital component of your business’s success. They influence consumer decisions, shape your online reputation, and drive traffic to your website. By automating the collection and management of reviews, you can ensure that your business consistently benefits from the power of customer feedback. Whether you choose to integrate review requests into your website, prominently display your review listings, or partner with a company like Shopper Approved, automating this process is a crucial step in maintaining and growing your business’s online presence.
