Winning The Local Business Reviews And Ratings Game

Local business reviews and ratings are all the rage online these days

, and for good reason. More and more ready-to-buy shoppers use these reviews as an influencing factor when choosing between competing merchants. But many small business owners are either oblivious or uneasy over what customers are saying about them online.

Most business owners know that the best marketing tool is good buzz or word-of-mouth, and that bad word-of-mouth can negatively affect a business. In the internet age, word-of-mouth can no can discussions in chat rooms, postings on internet forums and reviews posted on ratings websites. Studies show that the internet is now the number one source of consumer information aheadof newspapers, TV and even friends. In other words, when people think about using a service orbuying a product, they first do a web search to see what they can find out.

You may already be using the internet to promote your business via your website, onlinedirectories and e-mail lists. While you can control and target your website and promotions, you can't control what is said about you on other sites.

If you've got reviews online, your local business listing may show some of your local business ratings and reviews from around the web right next to your business name in search results. If you have ratings and reviews on business listings sites, searchers will even see rating stars and the number of reviews in-line with your business name in search results.

Naturally, ratings and reviews make searchers more likely to view your local business listing before clicking on your homepage, as people want to see what others have to say about your business -- good or bad. So, if your listing is showing negative reviews, be sure that you respond appropriately so that onlookers will see that you care about keeping your customers happy. Also, consider soliciting positive reviews from happy customers to keep your listing showing your business's best side.

When people feel that they can trust your business, they are far more likely to become customers. Building trust online is a big factor when it comes to making your phone ring and bringing people through your front door.

Customers appreciate when a business is proactively listening and responding to their feedback. When a small business asks for feedback, customers are much more likely to share their experiences, resulting in positive word-of-mouth that will fuel more sales.

by: Toplevellocal45

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