There is always that one negative business review that sticks out like a sore thumb from the mound of positive comments. A perfectly reasonable and sound explanation can be used to justify the consumer’s experience, but the review is already placed in to the internet universe for anyone to read and could possibly be someone’s deciding factor.

Many consumers find that reviews have a major influence on their decisions, just as much as referrals from friends and family. And the more positive the reviews, the more the consumer is to trust the business that is selling the products or services. The company has credibility and will no doubt, increase sales.

Reviews are not only a great (and major) way to increase sales, but can be used to increase experiences of the consumers to influence their potential conversion.

Ask for the Review

Before you can filter through the reviews to understand your consumers’ wants and needs, you need to acquire them. Giving them a space to provide feedback and allowing them to instantly see it viewed, will give them a sense of value. Your company is appreciating their opinion and the consumer believes the company will take their comments under advisement.

If you are having trouble acquiring reviews, you can offer incentives such as a discount on their next purchase or small token for their time.

Giving the space to provide intriguing content that describes their whole experience – from the product itself, to their sales experience, to the overall environment – will provide valuable information for your brand.

This evaluation of your company can form a new campaign, company policy, new product or service. It could also help improve the point-of-sale system as an outcome of glancing through the reviews. This will of course differ from online to in-person sales, so understanding the consumer experience in both environments is crucial.

Again, ask for those reviews.

When searching for a new restaurant or product, do you see what the rating is, along with how many reviews there are? Of course you do! More reviews increases the trust a potential buyer has with a certain item or service. Having more than 50 reviews can translate to a bump of 4.6% in conversion rates, according to a study by Reevo.

Turning Reviews in to Leverage

Most importantly, monitor to your brand! Setting up notifications through tools such as Google Alerts can help manage your feedback. Those comments are also “word gold”. Use them to highlight missing SEO needs that will pinpoint searches to a fantastic review of a product or service you are promoting at that time.

Increasing the opportunities for potential customers to see your reviews, increases the chances of conversions and creating credibility and interest. See a comment that will speak to the masses? Use it in other media channels!

If the comment doesn’t highlight your company in the best light and you can directly interact with the author of the comment, ask them to do an interview to fully understand their concerns. By taking the conversation offline, the commentator understands that the company is willing to acknowledge and provide solutions to their issues without the glory from the public.

Have control over your reviews and how they are viewed? Re-sort the reviews to make sure what is seen instantly and above the fold to showcase what your company would like to see. Yes, the negative reviews will still be searchable and viewed, but not what the user will see first. The first impression will be shining. This may take a little bit more time and will need allowance for testing on what may work. Does the right sorting option come from “most helpful”, “most positive”, “most recent”, or a combination?

Do not ignore the negative comments! Respond and acknowledge the negatives and positive reviews. Consumers who see companies thank someone for their comments and then offers a solution will not only bring them back to the brand but poses merit. Even if an indifferent review that is gearing negative, respond. This can persuade an indifferent potential consumer that you are invested in the company’s growth by accepting all sorts of criticism and feedback.

Learn how to write effective comments for consumers to feel commitment from the brand. Use your company’s voice and stay on message of what the comment relates to (contest, promotion, or an engagement piece). But, do not ask for a transaction in the comment! Think about the consumer’s experience and not just their money. An important note, respond in a timely manner. With how quickly and instantly the world works, consumers want to know they are being heard now!

If you are able to resolve negative feedback with positive solutions, ask if the commentator can update their review to reflect the current situation.  Having consumers see that your company is able to take issues and resolve them to satisfy a customer will gain the trust of potential customers.

Being able to effectively monitor and handle situations that can cause a reputation of bad customer service will keep loyal customers loyal and convert potentials.

Contact Colleen Eakins Design to help pinpoint ways to leverage your reviews in a visually effective way.

Social consciousness and responsibility is a key asset in a business operation. It allows the consumers to respect and understand the brand further, which in turn will move in to loyalty.

For example, corporate social responsibility allows the business to donate to specific nonprofits or implement environmentally-friendly policies that circle back and represent the company in the best light. The charities chosen or the policies put in place in the workplace will be greatly beneficial and provide extra support to their local and global communities.

As our product and service offerings increase in options in the market, the customer experience must also increase. This includes feeling connected to a brand that has similar views, socially and politically, as their consumers, especially when it comes to what they individually feel is important.

Brands that do a phenomenal job in incorporating social responsibility and taking a firm stand in their beliefs are:

TOMS – One the most prominent social impact companies currently. When you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, you give a pair to someone in need. More recently, due to increase political and social push for change, you can find their stance for gun violence front and center on their homepage, with opting to send a postcard to your representatives, along with apparel choices for purchase.

Warby Parker – As the internet becomes the hotbed to find items easier than in-store, they are no exception. However, when you buy a pair of glasses you give a pair to someone in need to improve their capability to learn with their new increased sense of sight.

Bumble – Is a completely different internet dating experience than anything before. Born from the founder’s own experiences, Bumble hopes to empower women involved in internet dating and to limit sexual harassment that may be found on other dating sites and mobile apps.

Bucketfeet – A shoe company that works with over 40,000 artists from more than 120 countries. When a pair of shoes is bought, that artist receives $10 – the company has given over $600,000 back to the artist community since its launch in 2011.

Airbnb – During the 2017 Superbowl the home-sharing site drew attention when it responded to the nation-specific travel ban put in place by President Trump with their #WeAccept commercial. This was directly in line with the services that Airbnb provides and was an “easy” slot to fill to align with their brand.

Why is this so important to a brand?

According to a survey done by Sprout Social (a social media management software company), two-thirds of consumers say it’s important for brands to take public stands on social and political issues.

Also, respondents believe brands are more effective when they announce donations to specific causes and encourage followers to take specific action to support causes. However, the study showed that brands will not necessarily change their consumers mind, but do have a vehicle that can prompt change to be made, especially through the social media channel.

What is also interesting to note, is that millennials and centennials, especially, show a preference for brands that stand for a specific cause or issue, specifically 61% according to research by Kantar Consulting. That number increases drastically when a company shows a positive impact from their stance on a specific issue. This can be linked to the consumer looking for experiential versus the traditional transactional relationships with companies.

However, just picking a hot topic out of the sky, will obviously not be your best option. Steering clear from trendy topics only because they are predominant in our news cycles will not be the best for your company. Credibility is part of the consumer experience and how they can directly connect with brands who take a stance. To ensure the highest of integrity for your company, when sharing a stance, you must take a deep look and consider how your company relates to the world and consumers.

• Is this issue already embedded in to your core values and mission as a company? Can/should it be?
• What data from your demographics, purchasing habits, feedback show what your consumers care about and will show credibility towards a specific issue or cause?
• What is your marketing around your stance? Can this be intertwined in to an already existing campaign or does it need to be separate?

The cause must be ingrained in to your business model to have your consumers truly believe your product or service is credible and worthy of their support. And if there is a way to give consumers a chance to see the impact of their purchase (such as TOMS or Warby Parker), the rewards will be much higher.

The world is becoming smaller, faster, and ever-changing. If brands are looking to take a stand on a cause or issue that will represent their company and will help make a difference, it’s worth it to investigate on something your company can be proud of.

Let Colleen Eakins Design help you take a stand on what matters to you.