Does Your B2B Business Have an Online Review Strategy? Part 2
Last month, in part 1 of this blog series, we discussed why members of the B2B community need to focus on and embrace an online review strategy for their companies. We also identified some review sites that B2B consumers tend to trust and industry-specific review sites that B2B organizations need to begin using to establish their reputations online.
Now, in part 2 of this series, we will discuss some techniques and approaches for getting your online review strategy off the ground — and, most importantly, benefitting your business.
How to Get Started
Ultimately, there is no need for you to hope and wait for one of your customers to leave you a review. Instead, being proactive will benefit you and your customers in the long run.
· Start with research and determine which B2B customer and peer review sites align with your target market.
· Identify the review sites where your competitors are active and evaluate what their customers are saying about them. Also, take note if the competition responds to the reviews, both positive or negative — and regardless of whether they happen to take this approach, make it one of your best practices. Having an open dialogue and engagement with customers who offer feedback shows your business is engaged and committed to customer service.
· Check if your business is already listed on any B2B review websites. Sometimes the platform will list businesses automatically. However, there is usually an option to claim the listing once you verify you have the authority to do so (usually through phone or mail verification, or some other avenue for confirming your identity as the business owner). Once you complete this task, verify the accuracy of your listing and that your name, address, phone, email, and website information is uniform across all review sites.
· Go one step further and take advantage of all the review site’s offerings. For instance, some websites allow you to add a logo, provide staff or office photos, and will enable you to describe a recent project. Don’t miss the opportunity to include relevant content, as it can genuinely lend personality and allow you to stand out against other competitors.
· Consider utilizing a paid marketing package if available. Depending on the investment, it could be a great way to promote your business further and highlight your listing.
How to Encourage Your Customers to Leave Reviews
Now, just because your business is listed on several online review sites doesn’t automatically mean that your customers are ready to leave their feedback. While there are many enthusiastic reviewers, you will likely have to offer a bit of encouragement and point your customers in the right direction — and therefore, you must make it easy.
Consider these tips:
· One of the easiest ways to get customer reviews is to reach out to customers you already know and who enjoy your product or service. Consider sending an email to your loyal buyers thanking them for their continued support, then indicate that you value their honest feedback. End by asking them for a review and creating a link to the desired review website.
· For new customers, create a standard end of an engagement email thanking them for their purchase, then ask for honest feedback. As noted above, always provide a direct link to make it easy for the customer to leave a review. Additionally, actively promote your desire for online reviews by noting the information on invoices and other marketing materials. You would be surprised at how a gentle reminder can spur real action.
· Train your team on the importance of client feedback. For a review process to be successful, all staff need to understand the value of these endeavors. Devise a standardized policy. Put it in your employee training manual. Ensure every person recognizes that obtaining regular online reviews is integral to long-term company success.
· Automate the ask or use technology tools to make generating reviews seamless. For example, create a series of email autoresponders or see if your appointment booking system has the capability of automatically generating an inquiry asking for a review.
· Educate your customers on why you value their input. At the end of the day, if you consistently deliver quality service and consultation to your customers, they will likely want you to stay in business. In addition, stakeholders who believe in the service you offer will not balk at being an advocate for you.
· Acknowledge reviews. Finally, once you begin to receive online reviews, make sure you actively monitor the review sites (we suggest having one dedicated person on your staff oversee this for simplicity’s sake). Always respond and offer your thanks (after all, people love to be heard and acknowledged). Even if the review indicates a problem, respond quickly by asking them to contact you directly to discuss the issue further. Bottom line, you will want to show online visitors that you take feedback seriously and that you are ready and willing to ensure a positive experience, no matter what.
Finally, Keep it Easy
Remember, make it easy for your customers to find you and leave a review. We suggest creating a link for customers to write a review on your Google My Business page or contacting your website designer or administrator to build a web page that offers several review options that can be easily accessed, included in your email signature, or provided in other communications.
Of course, realizing the benefits of implementing an online review strategy begin — and ends — with one thing — offering a consistently positive experience each day to your customers. Fantastic customer service is usually the easiest way to motivate a buyer to write a review — and, hopefully, provide a referral.
YGL Enterprises welcomes the opportunity to help you build, perfect, or expand upon an online review strategy as part of a comprehensive approach to your B2B marketing initiatives. Reach out to our team today and schedule a consultation.
