If you’ve read our Guide to Success on Yelp, then you know that reviews talking about your business are a great asset to your brand. However, something that holds Houston business owners back is the worry that bad reviews will destroy the brand they have built. It’s not always this straightforward, though. In this article, we will explain how reviews affect your business and what to do about the bad ones.
How Reviews Impact Your Houston Business
Reviewing forums have taken the world by storm, so having a page on Yelp or on Google where customers can post their reviews is a much-needed component to your Houston digital marketing strategy and social media marketing strategy. Did you know that, according to a BrightLocal survey, 90% of consumers search the internet for local businesses? Or that 82% of consumers read online reviews? It’s pretty evident that review forums are here to stay.
Positive Reviews Elevate Your Business
It's no secret that positive reviews can take your business to the next level, creating a chain reaction in which a positive review drives one new customer to your business, who may then give you a raving review as well. The more positive reviews you garner, the more customers will decide to pay you a visit.
Handling Negative Reviews
Negative reviews, on the other hand, create a cause for concern. Many business owners fear that bad reviews will seriously harm their reputation and their business, but they don’t have to. After all, according to a survey conducted by ReviewTracker, 94% of people say that a negative review will make them avoid a business, but in the aforementioned survey conducted by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers who read reviews also check the business’s response to those reviews.
Respond To The Negative Reviews In A Positive Manner
Ignoring the negative comments can come across as careless, which will certainly harm your brand image. To mitigate this, our Houston marketing team recommends responding to negative reviews. If you address your customers’ concerns up front, you can make up for the negative reviews and show consumers that you, as the business owner, genuinely care about making customers happy.
Learn From Unhappy Customers
Bad reviews often serve as constructive criticism, so it’s imperative that you use them to improve your business. This will eventually lead to increasing positive reviews and a stronger brand, while also ensuring you get the most out of incorporating review forums with your Houston digital marketing strategy.
Bad Reviews Don't Mean The End Of Your Business–Our Houston Marketing Agency Can Help You Get The Most Out Of Review Forums
Now that you know how bad reviews can actually be good for your business, it's clear that incorporating Google or Yelp reviews into your digital marketing strategy is a fantastic idea. If you would like help setting up a Yelp page that will stand out against competitors, and/or if you would like help with reputation management, then please contact us. We would love to learn more about how we can help you.
