When we think of negative reviews, our mind automatically concludes the business has failed. But in all actuality, a bad review on your website can be a beneficial experience for you and your local SEO approach.
By now, you are probably thinking we are crazy for saying this. But it is true. We all know how exciting it is to get a good review. It makes all of us feel great when the customer gushes about excellent experiences. Yet, we still know how our hearts sink into our stomachs when a negative review is left.
The first thought is often how to take the negative reviews away. Should you? And how do you go about doing that? We are here to tell you to leave it up. When a customer leaves negative feedback, it can actually help your business. It can influence your sales, how people view your label, and even have an effect on the search engine ratings.
You probably knew all that, but what you may not know is that these negative reviews can shed good light on all of the above. After all, 88% of Americans look at reviews before determining if they make the purchase or not.
First, we have all heard the saying “if it’s too good to be true, then it is”. What if an individual sees all these glorious reviews about how wonderful your company is and how great the staff treated them. Some individuals may feel that it is too good to be true and think that you paid someone for those assessments. As alarming as that sounds, some businesses do.
Think about this for a moment. In a questionnaire, American customers were asked what rating they trust the most when looking at reviews. Twenty-seven point nine percent said that they tend to look more at the 4.7 ratings than those that have a 5-star rating.
You may wonder how often customers leave unfavorable reviews. Surprisingly, they tend not to leave as many as one would think. A whopping 65% of customers do not leave a negative review when they have a poor experience.
Therefore, there is a much higher chance that your positive reviews will shine through, making your local SEO effort even easier.
So why should you leave bad reviews? Because you can address them, which will help your business management. Local SEO can be improved when you leave those reviews, and your clients will have more trust in your company. Furthermore, this feedback can assist you with how you will handle problems in the future.
Let’s take a further look into how you can improve your local SEO with negative reviews. Even if your reviews are negative, they will still help you rank in the search engines. Goggle states that when reviews of high quality are left, your business is more visible. This, in turn, can help you move up the SERPs. This means your clients are more likely to click on your site.
When you have reviews left, it is important to respond to them. If they left positive feedback, thank them. If they left negative feedback, delve into the issue. Let them know you are sorry for their unfortunate experience and offer to make it right. When you leave sympathetic responses, you are letting clients know how you are willing to accommodate them, that you value their opinions, and that your customer support will always be there should they need it.
It is important to respond fast to the person who left a negative review. In a survey done, 51.7% of individuals expect a company to have a response within 7 days. (https://www.reviewtrackers.com/reports/online-reviews-survey/)
When reviews are left, the person who left the review will receive a notification stating you have replied. If you have fixed the issue, the consumer may be willing to change the review. Although you should never ask them to do so.
When a negative review is left, it shows that your business is authentic. If you had all 5-star reviews, customers may wonder why. Think about this. On Facebook, the average review score is 4.42, and on Google, it is 4.3. Trip Advisor’s average is 4.25, while on Yelp, the average is 3.65.
Your clients will also be able to see how authentic your brand is through these reviews. Ninety-seven percent of consumers look at reviews before making a purchase, and 85% look at negative reviews to determine if they will make the purchase. By taking a look at both positive and negative experiences with the product, consumers are able to see the best and worst-case scenarios.
A positive note about negative reviews is that they may shed light on issues that you may not be aware of. Ask yourself if there is something faulty about your product. Or maybe a staff member needs to be reminded of policies or mission statements. Sometimes issues are very easy to correct, so be mindful of this.
Whether you have positive or negative feedback, it is imperative to address issues. Your customers will see how you handle your brand, which can make or break a company. Through your online reputation management plan, you can monitor any feedback left. Develop a plan that allows you to respond to all feedback.
If you are uncertain how to develop a plan, or even how to manage feedback left for your company, consider using a company, such as Affordable SEO Company Tampa, to assist you in this. This way, all reviews are seen and properly responded to quickly so your brand does not have to worry about them.