News in online reviews

Remember when we covered online reviews? We have updated news in online reviews.  Modern tech gives the lowdown and review on about any product or service. And this is constantly evolving. Online reviews are one area of business people shy away from. Do they really matter? Yes! Be in the know. Let’s take a look at news in reviews.

Google and Yelp got hitched

If you forgot to grab a salad spinner, don’t worry! Closer than ever, Google and Yelp are more intertwined now. Old news is that online reviews show up with the business Google search. Now Google bumps businesses to first-page landing simply because they have high-star reviews on top sites like Yelp.  Reviews can get you top ranking even over your website!

Eyes over ears

Gone are the days of asking a neighbor what they think. Well, maybe about the new creepy ice cream guy. But not for recommendations! The latest stats tell us a booming 72% of consumers trust online reviews over word of mouth to make their buying decisions. This is huge. Get in on it by asking for reviews. On your site, in person and in emails. Don’t be shy. It’s a huge opportunity to move your business in a pretty easy way.

Loving on the haters

Every business gets a negative review. It happens. Don’t be scared. Consumers are savvy. They care. They’ll peruse to see the negative and how the business responded. Responding to negative reviews in a caring, timely manner shows you are engaged with your business and your customers. It could be argued that this one element could bring you as much new business as the positive reviews. On the flip side, how does it look when you get 2 stars on Yelp but they live alone? Oh lonely constellation. No response from the business. You see what we mean.

Making it work: Managing online reviews is another tactic in your branding business plan. Don’t underestimate their power. In a couple of hours a week, you can be knee deep in your business review reputation. We call this driving with the lights on.