It isn’t hard to understand why businesses seek 5-star reviews. Humans always want to see, hear, and read what others believe about someone or something. That’s why negative reviews can be so discouraging for a business.
What is the first thing that you do whenever you want to try coffee from a new café, hairdo from a new salon, or products from an online store?
Yes, you check out the online reviews and base your decision on what other people have said. Bad reviews might convince you to pass on a business. But if the reviews are good, then you might give it a try!
However, if you are focused on only getting positive reviews and preventing any and all negative comments, you should rethink your strategy when it comes to online reviews.
According to research, negative reviews can result in an 85% increase in conversion rate. Communicating with negative reviewers is an effective marketing strategy that can boost customer retention. Read on to find out why and how you can interact with negative reviews in a positive way to connect to potential customers.
Hiding Bad Reviews Isn’t a Good Practice
Many businesses believe that negative reviews ruin their reputation. That may be true if reviews are primarily negative, but best practices are not to hide them. Instead, a mixture of both positive and negative reviews can still benefit your business, if you handle them properly.
Hiding and deleting reviews is the worst way to deal with negative reviews If you are censoring the comments, then you’re losing 62% of the consumers who check for reviews before purchasing, according to research.
Another study from Baymard states that 53% of users seek out negative comments before making any decisions. Instead of hiding or removing them, you must know how to respond appropriately to negative comments. Even if they are sometimes cruel.
Your positive approach to negative reviews can highlight your commitment to your customers. 53% of reviewers expect that a business will respond to their queries. Many businesses lack this crucial step and don’t get back to unsatisfied customers, which is more damaging in the long run.
How Could Negative Reviews be a Game-Changer For You?
Social media has changed the paradigms of how businesses operate. Social platforms are playing a crucial part in helping companies develop brand identities and interact with the audience in real-time.
Let’s see how negative comments can be a real game-changer for your business:
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Negative Reviews Can Generate Leads
On average, a customer spends around 13-14 minutes reading reviews on different platforms before purchasing. Some negative or lower-star reviews will decrease the average star rating. But, negative reviews can result in higher conversion rate because they breed a sense of authenticity and trust. Negative reviews can influence purchase behavior.
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They Build Trust
One thing is for sure that nothing is perfect in the world. If your website is filled with 5-stars ratings and positive reviews, it can look suspicious. Moreover, negative reviews can be fruitful in some ways. They give you the chance to rebuild the broken trust and show a strong connection with your customers.
The best practice to build trust with the customers is to communicate with them. Try to address their issues by offering them some incentives, such as a discount voucher or gift.
This shows the new readers that your brand values its customers. You might retain lost customers and throw the impression out to the 67% consumers who value trusted brands for shopping.
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Mixed Reviews Are What Customers Look For
Mixed reviews show authenticity. The average customer reads 10 reviews before finalizing a brand for making a purchase. If you have faked the positive reviews or deleted reviews, your business could look too good to be true.
Negative reviews show customers’ real reactions to your products or services. It’s natural for people to have a range of reactions to a product or service, so you shouldn’t try to hide it when people respond unfavorably. Obviously, you should try to promote as many good reviews as possible, but a few negative ones in the mix won’t damage your reputation.
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They Bring Greater Transparency
Businesses must realize the importance of mixed reviews before deleting or censoring negative ones. Your review strategy has to be transparent. You must show your online audience that you are open, believe in improvement, and respond well to criticism. This practice improves your brand loyalty.
If you reach out to reviewers to resolve issues they bring up, it shows that you are transparent and committed to their satisfaction.
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They Push You To Improve Quality & Service
Both positive and negative reviews enhance quality and service. Positive reviews boost your passion and motivate you to deliver exceptional products and services.
But, bad reviews help you know where your business lacks and what areas need immediate attention. Connecting with an unsatisfied consumer is a great chance to improve your company’s online reputation.
How Should You Respond to Negative Reviews?
Read on to know some tips that can surely help you deal with bad reviews in a positive way.
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Respond Quickly To Build A Positive Brand Image
53% of customers expect businesses to respond to their negative reviews within a week. What you should do is address the person nicely and try to track down what happened.
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Apologize Generously
Try using the reviewer’s first name instead of ‘Dear guest’ or ‘Dear customer.’ Make sure to start with simple greetings and show that you’re sorry for the inconvenience caused and willing to work with them to find a solution.
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Take Responsibility
The best gesture is to take responsibility when things go wrong instead of making excuses. A defensive approach will incite a never-ending chain of arguments.
For instance, if you offer assignment assistance but fail to fulfill the request of a student, then it would be best to accept your mistake for the bad experience.
In this case, you can compensate for the damages with a free revision or discount on the next purchase.
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Ask for Another Chance
Communicate with reviewers, extend a hand, and invite them to shop again. Show reviewers that you care and are striving to do better.
Wrapping Up!
Negative reviews can lead to increased sales if you respond to them appropriately. I have presented several ideas about what could be done to leverage negative reviews for a positive outcome. Don’t hide and delete bad reviews; address them effectively to maximize leads.
Author Bio: Stella Lincoln is a Digital Marketing Analyst at Dissertation Assistance, a platform for cheap dissertation writing services. She has been in the digital field for almost a decade. She loves writing knowledgeable content on digitalism and marketing. In this blog, she presents her views on important lead generation tactics.