When it comes to gaining increased visibility on the SERPs (search engine results pages) of Google, businesses must be wary about their online ratings. The more positive reviews and ratings you have from customers, the better chances you have of gaining a boost in overall web traffic. Keep in mind that most people use the internet to research before buying anything. What people say online matters and influences whether a prospect purchases from you or not.
Here are a few tips on improving your online ratings and why it’s important to do so:
Tips on Improving Your Online Ratings
- Make your web presence known. A good way to build your business reputation is to communicate and engage with customers. Adopt SMM (social media marketing) into your strategy and develop trust though interaction with your audience. Share interesting and relevant stories for them to read from your blog. Once they become intrigued, encourage them to buy from you and then post reviews about their experience.
- Create a testimonial page. Create a testimonial page on your website to allow for your valued customers to share their experiences. At the same time, brainstorm a list of businesses you use and provide them with testimonials. This will put your company in the spotlight, as most companies will be more than happy to link back to your website if they receive a positive testimonial.
- Offer incentives. Do not hesitate on offering your prospects freebies, discounts and special deals. Get your customers interested in purchasing a particular product or service from you. Offer them free trials and motivate them to share their experience by posting a review. You can even offer separate coupons for posting reviews.
- Respond to reviews. Make it a habit to engage with your customers. Google carefully examines those websites that go the extra mile in communicating with their audience. Reply to both positive and negative reviews and appreciate the feedback you receive. If a customer isn’t satisfied with your service, respond publicly to try to solve the problem. You can even consider interacting with them directly to get a better idea on how to engage.
- It’s a numbers game. As you start getting reviews and ratings on your local listings, chances are you may get one or more bad review. Even if you are providing the best product and service, some customers tend to complain. Your focus should be to attract as many good reviews as possible to increase online ratings.
Why It’s Important?
- Expanded opportunities. Better ratings and reviews from customers will significantly improve your SERP rankings on Google. This creates plenty of opportunities for you to receive more web traffic and, in turn, business.
- Gain more traffic. When your business starts ranking better, you benefit from increased visibility. This allows you to gain more traffic, while guaranteeing that your website is legitimate, trustworthy and authentic.
- Boost authenticity. Better online ratings make your business more authentic in the eyes of your web visitors. This ensures that customers remain satisfied when trying out your product or service.
- Better business image. If you prove to be an industry expert, your business can create its own powerful image, allowing it to tackle other competitors.
Follow these tips to help your business increase its online ranking and receive more reviews, which will help your business grow!