Almost all businesses today are linked online; that is, every retail or service provider has an online site for Internet-savvy people to see. In today’s world where everything can be accessed through the Internet, customers always look for other people’s opinions regarding the business and its products or services before making a transaction. Hence, reviews of a business and its lineup of products or services are an integral part of online marketing.
Basically, an online review is the customer’s feedback on the business and its products or service. A customer usually provides a feedback about it to let other people know about how effective or ineffective a product or service is.
In the world of sales and marketing, business owners must know that if customers don’t know them, they surely won’t buy or avail a product or service from them. This is where online reviews kick in. Business owners who do business online must always provide an online review form for those who are on the verge of purchasing or availing a product or service.
Owners must know that most, if not all, customers feel good when they are asked for an opinion regarding their experience with the product or service. They’ll surely answer every query in that form. This is especially true if they believe the business provided a satisfactory client or customer experience.
If the reviews are good, it means that customers are overly satisfied with the transactions with the business venture, and would want to come back for more. As such, the business owners must do their best to improve their product or service. In the meantime, the ones who sell products or provide services online must utilize these reviews not only create loyalty to the brand name and strive to better their customer service, but also build the business from the ground up.
One way for business owners to keep online reviews coming in is to ask the customer for it after he or she purchases a product or avails of a service. It is never a good idea to wait for a customer to fill it up for the owners; instead, the latter must seek for it from the customer.
Meanwhile, here are the typical forms of online reviews:
• Quick surveys. After making a product purchase, the customer must see a link going towards an online form that can be filled out in three minutes or less. The online store may also inform the customer that it will send an online form via his or her email, provided that he or she types in his or her e-mail address.
• A page dedicated for customer comments. Regardless if the business owner has a blog site or a company website; it must include a page dedicated for customer comments. Negative comments should always be welcome and that there is constant interaction between those who comment on the product or service. That way, people would notice that the brand is transparent and that it is credible.
• Reviews from third-party sites. Most customers, instead of using the online forms from the company itself, would use third-party sites containing comments and reviews from other customers. An example of a website that provides third-party reviews is Yelp.com. The business owner, however, must enlist him or herself in that website as a legit company.
Online reviews are an important part of every business online. Obtaining positive reviews means that the customer is satisfied, and using this, the business owner can build from it and be able to grow as a very well-known brand.
About the Author:
Marcus Vann has years of professional experience in the field of online business and web technology. He works to keep up to date on all the most relevant and forthcoming advances in technology.