Top tips from a web design New York company.

Research shows that more than eight in ten online shoppers trust reviews they find online in much the same way they do a personal recommendation (from a friend neighbor or co-worker for example). The majority of shoppers also won’t deal with a business that has less than a four-star review on a review platform. All of this means that in addition to ensuring your  web design New York company is on point, your online reputation also needs to be overwhelmingly positive.

If you’re a new business, however and have only just completed your small business web design project to launch your brand, this can seem daunting. After all, how can you go about winning customers if you don’t have great reviews?
Likewise, how can you bounce back from a negative review and convince online shoppers that you are a business that can be relied upon to give a great product or service?

This conundrum is one that many of our web design New York clients face. The good news is that we work with hundreds of small businesses just like yours and we’re here to help you build a strong online review profile. Try these tips to get started.

Step one: ask!

The very first step in building a strong online review profile is simply to ask. It might feel a little daunting at first to put yourself out there and invite reviews but, it is a necessary exercise. Some customers will leave a review whether you ask them to or not but others will need prompting. Don’t feel bad about making this request. Consumers rely on online reviews to make purchase decisions, so chances are the customer you reach out to will understand how valuable their feedback can be.
Most customers are also very willing to leave a review when asked. Around seven in ten say they would leave a review.

Step two: make it easy

The second stage in building a strong online reputation is to make it as easy as possible for shoppers to leave a review. There are hundreds of review platforms out there and while our web design New York team isn’t suggesting you register with them all, you should at least register with the most prolific ones. Google Reviews can help with local search visibility so they are a must, but you can also accept reviews via Facebook and on major sites like TrustPilot.  Adhering to these practices will offer the best results for your small business web design.

If you have a good selection of review platforms, customers can pick and choose which platform they prefer. Being able to leave a comment on a site they know, trust and are familiar with makes it more likely that they will review your business – and that’s critical when building a good review profile.

Step three: seek out industry-specific review sites and register with them

There are hundreds of niche review sites online so if your business is very specialist, then it’s well worth adding the leading review platform in your field to your network. Those reviews will be very valuable to your online brand and can inspire confidence in buyers, given their relevance to your area of expertise.

If you’re in the travel industry, registering for TripAdvisor reviews is a no-brainer. If you’re a beauty salon, Spa Finder would be a good choice. Run a golf course? You could register for reviews on GolfCourseRanking.com. You can access a full list of niche review sites here.  And its always best to consult with s web design New York company for solid advice.

Step four: reply to all reviews

The speed with which you reply to reviews is a local SEO ranking factor. Over and above that, our web design company Port Washington experts suggest that it’s also common courtesy. If you thank reviewers for their time and demonstrate that you appreciate their feedback, you leave that shopper with a great impression of your business. Likewise, it shows other customers who perhaps haven’t yet left their own review that their own input is worthwhile too.

Step five: be consistent

You need to be consistent to build a worthwhile review profile. Get into the habit of asking every customer to leave a review either via email or in person when they complete a transaction. Have a process in place to send a reminder after a certain number of days if a review hasn’t been left.

Online reputation management is something no modern business can afford to ignore. If you need more advice or help building your online reputation, contact our small business web design team today.