5 Tips for Tourism Businesses to Get More Online Reviews
People now rely on reviews to decide on the best hotels to stay, which movies to see, or which software to buy. With over 80% of consumers saying they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, businesses should collect as many positive reviews possible.
A consistent stream of good reviews can help cultivate an online reputation. Not to mention boosting exposure and enhancing conversions from search traffic. People trust review sites, which is why they top search results.
Let’s take a search for “boat rental Florida” as an example. You’ll notice that the top results on Google are dominated by review sites. There’s TripAdvisor, Viator (also a TripAdvisor company), and agencies like Nautal which lets you look at reviews from other sailors.
Apart from review sites, the Google results page also suggests the most credible boat rental companies with the most authentic reviews to offer the searcher. It definitely helps businesses grow traffic to their website and convert customers once they are on the website.
There are many methods for review generation, but here are the most effective:
1. Claim Listings
Being on Google or Facebook is not enough. You should claim as many online listings as possible to gain a larger online footprint. This will make it easier for users to find your business on multiple websites. When you have verified listings on search engines like Google, Yelp, Bing, etc. your own website link becomes available in more places. This directs relevant traffic to your site.
Listings can also provide multiple avenues for customers to leave reviews. By owning your verified listings, you can be notified every time a review is left. More so, you will be able to respond to these reviews. This will show potential customers that your customer service is responsive. Having control of your listings will eventually help you capture new audiences.
2. Send an Email or SMS
One of the best ways to ask for reviews is through email. It is relatively inexpensive and easy to automate. It is also useful for keeping analytics about your review process. You can track if a customer has opened your email and whether the link to your review page has been clicked.
When using email, requests can be integrated with your appointment booking system. This means you can send review requests at times when a customer is most engaged – right after placing an order, visiting your store, receiving the item, or when the shipper delivers the products.
Sending review requests via SMS is very similar to sending emails, except you can assume an almost 100% open rate. This is because most online transactions are conducted on mobile and tablet devices. SMS review requests can also be integrated with your booking system. More so, it makes sending direct review page links to customers easier.
Because text messages allow only a limited amount of characters, you need to compose shorter paragraphs and get to the point faster. You should see quite a good conversion rate if you use both methods (email and SMS) from request to completing the review.
3. Post on Social Media
Today, around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to interact with others, share information, engage with news, and entertain themselves. It’s not surprising that over 50 million small businesses have Facebook Pages. If you have a good number of followers on social media, it’s a great place to ask people to review you.
You can ask them to fill out a form online, shoot you an email, or give you a call. What better way to demonstrate your dedication to customer satisfaction than showing publicly how that process plays out? Then, interact with anyone who comments, posts, or reviews your business.
This way, potential customers will see how your brand engages with everyone – satisfied and dissatisfied customers alike. They will also realize that they are dealing with an active company that knows how to serve their customers in all settings.
4. Show In-App Messages
If you are a software company or a brand that offers an app, consider using in-app messages within your platform requesting users to review you. With in-app messaging, businesses can send messages to users whenever they have an app open. This creates a direct line of communication, which can lead to stronger retention rates.
The key is to catch people at the right time or when they are most engaged. For instance, Instagram occasionally asks its users to review the app after posting a photo.
5. Respond to Reviews
When you respond to your customers’ reviews, you have an opportunity to market to your existing customers. Every time you answer a feedback, the reviewer will be notified. It’s an easy way for them to feel appreciated. A survey also found that 34 percent of customers delete their negative comments after receiving a response from the company and 33 percent turned around and posted a positive review.
Whether it’s a positive or negative review, a response shows that you are committed to customer satisfaction. As a result, it can encourage other patrons to leave their own review. Study also shows that responding can convince up to 45 percent of consumers to visit the business. So create a review response plan to be consistent in addressing specific issues.
The Tools to Get More Reviews
Consumers generally visit review sites, social media, forums, etc. to read feedback about a certain product or service before spending on it. This has made it essential for businesses to utilize the power of social proof to attract customers. Online reviews help create loyalty among prospective and existing clients. They also allow business pages to rank higher in Google searches.
Leveraging customer reviews to drive sales can be challenging. By using the methods listed above, clients will be able to share their experiences. This not only enhances your brand image but also brings a positive impact on your sales.
Creating a review generation plan is an important step in collecting reviews from both current and future customers. The more you grow your reviews, the harder it will be for the competition to catch up. Using a review management software is one of the best ways to collect reviews and build trust with customers. Tools like Smart Review makes the whole process as efficient as possible.
