{"id":8531,"date":"2019-01-10T10:16:20","date_gmt":"2019-01-10T17:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=8531"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:25:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:25:49","slug":"the-power-of-customer-reviews-for-franchises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/the-power-of-customer-reviews-for-franchises\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Customer Reviews for Franchises"},"content":{"rendered":"

For anyone in the world of franchising, there\u2019s no doubt that having an effective local marketing strategy<\/a> is critical to business success. For any company, harnessing the power of the Internet to create and optimize an online presence for their business is incredibly important, but it becomes even more crucial when you have one or more franchises striving to stake their claim on the local market. As a franchise, your biggest customer resource will always be those that fall within your geographical bubble, so to speak, putting them within range for engaging with your business \u2013 and contributing in the way of dollars and cents.<\/p>\n

When it comes to local marketing, online customer reviews<\/a> have the power to draw a clear line in the sand, playing a major role in a customer\u2019s decision to choose your business (or not). On the large majority of top-tier search engines, when an Internet user searches for specific products or services, results will include the listings of businesses near them that match their search criteria. These listings often include user-supplied reviews, which can serve to either benefit the business or hurt it dramatically. Staying on top of customer reviews and taking a focused approach to online reputation management<\/a> can ensure that your franchise can make the most of the all-powerful element of customer reviews.<\/p>\n

\"Why<\/p>\n

Why Are Customer Reviews So Important?<\/h2>\n

According to ReviewTrackers\u2019 2018 Online Reviews Survey<\/a>, more than 60 percent of consumers are looking to Google for customer reviews before visiting a business. That\u2019s more than half of your potential customers, making a decision based off of the information and feedback supplied by other Internet users. Still not convinced? ReviewTrackers also found that a staggering 94 percent of consumers say that an online review has persuaded them to avoid a particular business, with 80 percent stating that they are aren\u2019t likely to trust a business with an average rating of less four stars (on a five-star scale).<\/p>\n

The numbers speak for themselves: consumers are using online reviews now more than ever, and if you aren\u2019t taking a proactive approach to managing your business\u2019 online reputation, you\u2019re leaving a serious gap in your franchise marketing plan. Search engine platforms and social media outlets are fueling a significant shift in consumer behavior, creating a new form of \u201cword of mouth\u201d that holds a massive amount of power in the market.<\/p>\n

One of the unique aspects of online reviews is that they aren\u2019t just popping up for consumers who are specifically searching for customer reviews. While there are a handful of highly popular, review-focused sites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook, a significant majority of users engage with customer reviews on Google. Anytime Google interprets a user\u2019s search request as a local search (about 30 percent of all searches, according to ReviewTrackers), the search engine supplies a list of businesses in the nearby vicinity. This list is compiled through the Google Business Profile service, and provides users with an at-a-glance star rating of a given business.<\/p>\n

In ReviewTrackers\u2019 2017 Local Search Report<\/a>, more than 20 percent of consumers rated Google reviews as the most important factor in their process for finding a local business, beating out other factors such as geographical proximity and pricing. For smart business owners, it\u2019s become clear that customer reviews are not something that should be ignored.<\/p>\n

\"Customer<\/p>\n

Customer Reviews Are A Balancing Act<\/h2>\n

Clearly, customer reviews are important \u2013 but do some carry more weight than others? Not necessarily. Both positive and negative reviews, as well as a complete lack of reviews, factor into your overall online presence. Having a well-formulated plan for handling all types of customer reviews and feedback is an important part of your larger marketing strategy.<\/p>\n

As the statistics make clear, positive reviews are incredibly valuable, with the ability to persuade a potential customer to trust your company with their time and money. A solid collection of positive reviews shows consumers that your business has been thoroughly vetted by the public and earned a widespread nod of approval, making these reviews a highly valuable marketing tool. On the other side of the coin, even a single negative review has the power to turn business away. And for companies whose online presence doesn\u2019t include any customer reviews? This can be a major deterrent for consumers as well, particularly those that don\u2019t feel like \u201cexperimenting\u201d with the unknown entity that is your business.<\/p>\n

What does that mean for a franchise business owner? On a foundational level, it\u2019s important to provide a high-quality customer experience that is more likely to garner positive reviews and avoid negative ones. However, that\u2019s often not enough. It\u2019s become increasingly key to not only conduct your business in a way that earns glowing online recommendations, but also to focus a certain amount of marketing energy on encouraging customers to take the time to leave reviews and responding effectively to less-than-stellar feedback.<\/p>\n

Not only can reviews influence customers directly, but they can also have a direct impact on your franchise\u2019s SEO rankings. On many top-tier search platforms, online reviews are among the most important elements in determining your local search result ranking. More specifically, having a solid number of online reviews \u2013 and maintaining a steady flow of new reviews \u2013 can boost your search result ranking significantly. For the business owner who works with multiple franchises, this makes online reputation management even more important, especially if you want each of your locations to be found by its local target market.<\/p>\n

\"3<\/p>\n

3 Things to Know About Online Reviews<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s becoming increasingly clear to most business owners that online reviews are staggeringly important. However, there are a few other factors of your online reputation to consider. These elements can help you make better decisions about how to tackle the task of managing your online presence and reputation, enabling you to formulate an effective, informed approach to the challenge.<\/p>\n

\"#1<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

#1 Don\u2019t Pay for \u2018Em<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s certainly possible to \u201cbuy\u201d positive reviews, it\u2019s not a smart tactic. Odds are, you\u2019ve spotted business reviews that seem a bit too good to be true. Perhaps the review is oddly vague, uses over-the-top positive language, or just seems a bit off. Unfortunately, fake reviews are a very real problem in the digital landscape. The good news is that users are becoming impressively adept at spotting them, and businesses that choose to unscrupulously buy these fake reviews end up hurting themselves more than their competitors. As tempting as it may be to have employees, friends, or family leave a glowing review for your company, don\u2019t do it. It\u2019s likely that consumers will be able to read between the lines and realize that there\u2019s something not quite right with the reviews, and it can seriously damage your reputation in the long run.<\/p>\n

\"#2<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

#2 Customers Will Share a Bad Experience<\/h3>\n

People are more likely to share a bad experience than a good one. It\u2019s a tale as old as time: a customer who has a great experience with your business and tells maybe one or two people, but a customer that leaves unhappy is sure to share their story with several people, even strangers. This applies to online reviews as well, which can make it extra challenging for companies to manage their reputation. Writing a review requires effort on the part of the consumer, and many simply aren\u2019t willing to put in the time unless they\u2019ve had a terrible experience. That means that you\u2019ll need to focus on encouraging positive reviews as much as possible, using a variety of customer-focused tactics.<\/p>\n

\"#3<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

#3 A Bad Review Can Be Rectified<\/h3>\n

Basic math principles factor into your overall online reputation. Even if you\u2019ve received a dreaded one-star review, the good news is that there is something you can do about it. Outside of responding to the review, it\u2019s also good to remember that by nature of the law of averages, continuing to build a collection of positive reviews can eventually help reduce the sting of the negative feedback. A business with a few one-star reviews can still maintain an average of four or more stars, assuming that they have a large number of total reviews \u2013 most of which are positive.<\/p>\n

5 Best Practices for Your Online Reputation Management<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s clear that online customer reviews play a serious role in your potential business success, making reputation management a non-negotiable when it comes to your franchise marketing strategy. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when monitoring your business\u2019 online reputation:<\/p>\n

#1 Take a Methodical Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It can be easy to get caught up in customer reviews, taking certain comments to heart and interpreting it as a personal issue. However, it\u2019s important that you maintain a professional distance of sorts, in order to avoid reacting in a manner that hurts your business in the long run. Look at customer reviews as data to be collected, and develop a smart, organized approach to conducting a big-picture audit of your online reputation. For many business owners, this means partnering with a professional, who can provide a detailed report utilizing an array of tech-savvy tools and software.<\/p>\n

#2 Develop a Strategy for Responding to Reviews<\/h3>\n

ReviewTracker<\/a> has found that as of 2018, more than 53 percent of consumers expect businesses to post a response to their online review within 7 days, and yet more than 60 percent have never heard back after sharing a negative experience. That might not seem unusual until you consider that the same survey found that nearly half of consumers said they\u2019re more likely to visit a business that responds to its negative online reviews. Showing customers that your business is engaged and interested in their feedback strengthens their trust in you, which means you should be regularly responding to all reviews \u2013 both positive and negative. Not only can this help reduce the overall impact of a negative review, but it can also serve to drive further customer engagement via positive reviews and sharing.<\/p>\n

#3 How You Respond to Negative Feedback Matters<\/h3>\n

When you respond to a negative review, always apologize and acknowledge the issue appropriately \u2013 don\u2019t argue or try to shift the blame. Properly handling a negative review can actually translate to a growth in business, because it shows customers that you are willing to take responsibility for an issue and make sure the problem is fixed. Be clear and specific about what you\u2019re going to do to fix the problem and end the response on a positive note by inviting the customer back in the future.<\/p>\n

#4 Create a Plan for Generating Positive Reviews<\/h3>\n

Although some customers may take the time to leave a positive review on their own, there are steps you can take to motivate them to share their experience online. Requesting customer feedback should be a standard part of your franchise\u2019s regular interactions, and it should be made as easy as possible for customers to leave reviews. Whether you encourage feedback via in-person conversations or follow-up emails or phone calls, your company\u2019s message should help guide the customer through the review process. Provide information about where they can leave a review (Google, Yelp, etc.), and consider occasional promotions that reward customers for their feedback.<\/p>\n

#5 Make Reputation Management an Ongoing Focus<\/h3>\n

Monitoring your online reputation isn\u2019t a one-and-done task; it requires your regular attention. You should be regularly checking in and responding to reviews, gathering information from top-tier platforms, and getting a clear idea of where your reputation stands.<\/p>\n

Take a Proactive Approach to Online Reputation Management with V Digital Services<\/h2>\n

At V Digital Services, we understand that for many franchises, customer reviews have the power to make or break your business. It\u2019s critical that franchises recognize not only why customer reviews are important, but how to incorporate reputation management as a necessary element of their franchise marketing plan. Our expert team has the tools and know-how to put you back in the driver\u2019s seat when it comes to your online reputation, empowering you to make the most of the power of customer reviews and feedback. Together, we can assess your business\u2019 strengths and tackle its challenges, moving it forward on a path of growth towards marketing success.<\/p>\n

Learn more about reputation management and other services offered by V Digital Services and how they can change your franchise marketing approach by contacting our team<\/a> today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For anyone in the world of franchising, there\u2019s no doubt that having an effective local marketing strategy is critical to business success. For any company, harnessing the power of the Internet to create and optimize an online presence for their business is incredibly important, but it becomes even more crucial when you have one or […] KEEP READING<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25938,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8531"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8531\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}