THE GOOD KIND OF GOSSIP How to Cultivate Valuable Customer Reviews
1. Cyber security insurance. As data breaches against small businesses skyrocket year after year, it’s practically a no- brainer to invest in insurance that keeps you protected, especially if you collect sensitive data from your customers. 4 INSURANCE PLANS YOU SHOULD CARRY TODAY 2. Sexual harassment insurance. It’s vital to hold employees accountable when they act inappropriately in the workplace. It improves the global working environment for everyone. Unfortunately, you can’t always prevent the bad behavior of insidious assaulters, making sexual harassment claims a constant risk. 3. Flood insurance. Floods have been getting steadily worse countrywide over the past few years. 40 percent of businesses that face damage from natural disasters never reopen. Do you want to be one of them? 4. Umbrella insurance. For every potential liability issue not specifically covered under another policy, it’s good to have your bases covered. This isn’t for every business, but if you’re concerned about things like rental vehicle accidents, slander, or defamation of character claims, it’s a good idea to invest in the added protection.
When you’re thinking about buying a new product or service, what’s the first step you take? If you turn to the world wide web in search of reviews, then you’re in good company. According to a survey conducted by BrightLocal, 85 percent of consumers regard the customer review to be the single most credible and trustworthy source of advertising. That same survey found that 68 percent of customers surveyed were willing to provide feedback for a company. So, how do you get your customers to write the glowing reviews that help close deals? Don’t rely on customers to go to your website to leave reviews. There are numerous websites you can utilize that make leaving feedback more convenient for your clients. What’s more is that these other platforms are highly trafficked. BrightLocal found that Facebook and Yelp were consumers’ most trusted source of user reviews in the U.S., but you can also use Google My Business or the Better Business Bureau. Most importantly, be sure you are active on all the platforms you use. DIVERSIFY YOUR PLATFORMS
OFFER INCENTIVES
SmallBizTrends.com, February 18, 2019
Give your clients a reason to write reviews. Consider offering incentives like a discount or coupon code, coffee gift card, or an entry to win a contest for an even bigger prize.
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
Think of the review process as a conversation rather than a request to be met, and use open-ended questions to start. Before you even request a review, you can ask customers questions like “How was your recent experience with us?” or “How are you liking your product?” That way, you can gauge their satisfaction before they leave any feedback.
Here’s an opinion that’s sure to be unpopular: You shouldn’t be using Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or any other popular free email service for your business accounts. Without a proprietary email address specific to your business to lend your emails legitimacy, prospects are likely to ignore them outright or even assume they’re spam. What’s more, cloud-based email platforms can be quite vulnerable. It’s pretty easy to set up a company email, and once you do, you’ll never look back. DON’T USE THESE EMAIL ACCOUNTS FOR BUSINESS
RESPOND, RESPOND, RESPOND
The last thing you want to see is a scathing one-star review. But no matter how hard you work, they are still bound to happen. When you receive one, take the time to respond thoughtfully — without being defensive — and try to come up with a possible solution to the complaint. And be sure to respond to your positive reviews as well. When you show that you engage with all of your customers, prospective ones will be more likely to give you a shot.
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