We don’t need to tell you how critical online customer reviews are. People share their experiences on several sites, from the Better Business Bureau to Trustpilot to Google, and what they say has an impact.
According to a Zendesk survey, 90 percent of respondents said positive online reviews influenced their purchasing decision, while 86 percent said negative reviews influenced their decision.
Many companies concentrate on reducing negative feedback, but the most successful way to counteract a few negative reviews is to pile on the positive ones. This means you’ll have to persuade your satisfied customers to write about their experiences.
The importance of customer reviews?
Customer reviews are valuable for various reasons, supporting your SEO efforts, mainly for a local dental practice such as yourself.
Most significantly, reviews are critical for your company because they significantly affect your potential customers’ purchasing decisions. When assessing choices and making buying decisions, patients and prospects have become as reliant on other customers’ perceptions and experiences in reviews as they have become more reliant on their own research.
How to Increase the Number of Reviews
Do what you’re good at.
It should go without saying that providing outstanding healthcare will improve the chances of receiving more ratings, but it bears repeating. Take customer input and reviews seriously to ensure you’re providing the best possible service.
Ask nicely
The easiest way to inspire consumers to write reviews. Your patients are more willing to write about their experiences with your dental practice than you think.
Here are some other suggestions about how to solicit consumer feedback:
- Put it in an email. Including a link to a review page site in your email signature will help.
- Ask for reviews on social media. Soficla media platforms are a great place to ask for more reviews. You can encourage others to leave their reviews by posting a screenshot of your best review.
- Request recommendations from your employees. Incentivize your staff to ask customers for reviews.
Make writing the review as simple as possible.
Your patient is to leave a comment if it is a hassle. That means you should make it as simple as possible. Here are some suggestions:
- Include several choices so the customer can choose the platform that fits them best. Include a direct link to the website to leave a review to cut down on the number of clicks or steps they may take.
- Give them a prompt so they don’t have to think about what to write (for example, “Can you leave a comment about your most recent store visit?”).
Respond to the feedback you’ve already received.
It is your responsibility to reply to someone who takes the time to review your company, no matter how busy you are. Although it’s best to avoid sounding robotic as a brand, even a simple “thank you” at the right time will inspire consumers to stay with you. To put it another way, your answer should be tailored to the patient writing it.
When customers see that you respond to every comment, good or bad, it gives the feeling that the company cares about all customer feedback, which encourages new customers to share their own experiences.
Also, don’t be discouraged by negative reviews; they contribute to the authenticity of your brand. There’s almost always something suspicious about a company if all their reviews are overly positive. People will begin to question the validity of the reviews.
Building your online credibility requires honest online feedback. To do so, you’ll need to expand your reach and build a company culture where getting feedback is a top priority. You’ll be well on your way to accumulating more if you ask customers at the right time and make it easy for them to do so.
If you need more help with your online presence, come and talk to us!