Do Online Business Reviews Really Matter?
The short answer is a resounding “Yes!” Here’s why.
If you’ve ever personally researched a business or product online, you already know why. Those five, gold Google stars make all the difference. Why would someone patronize an establishment with few or no ratings when customer reviews for another one is brimming with positivity? It’s a no-brainer.
We live in what’s been called the “Recommendation Age.” Almost anyone’s opinion about everything is posted online for everyone else to read. What a potential customer ultimately decides will be based on what others say about your business—not what you say.
A friendly online review from a client will bring others into your place of business. It really is as simple as that. Gold Star Feedback, a tool for company owners seeking positive nods, makes the process easy and doable, even for the technically challenged.
If you solicit online input from your customers, even if you’re trying to do everything right, it’s only a matter of time before you will receive a negative review. Will it really make that much of a difference? It can.
The best books, small businesses, and restaurants will all get an occasional thumbs down online, and there’s not too much a bewildered owner can do about it. But there is some good advice.
"Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to get negative reviews removed from Google, Yelp or other review sites," says Dave Jabas, owner of Gold Star Feedback. "The best thing you can do is encourage a steady stream of positive reviews to bury the occasional negative one."
It’s even been said that the periodic ugly review can actually raise a company’s credibility, based on the fact that most people know you can’t please everyone all the time. However, the best method is to solicit and keep the happy, repeat and new customers posting in your favor.
Remember, you can never have too many appreciative online reviews, and the freshest dates are the ones your would-be buyers will read first.
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