Love it or hate it, reviews are a key deciding factor for consumers. Are they important enough to spend time asking for them? Absolutely! A Local Consumer Review Survey revealed the following:
- 82% of consumers read online reviews of local businesses.
- 52% of people aged 18-54 reported that they “always” read reviews before buying.
- On average, a consumer must read 10 reviews before they trust a business.
- Only 54% of people consider using a business with less than a 4 star rating.
- Among consumers that report reading reviews, 97% also read the business’ response to the reviews.
Still not convinced?
The availability of customer generated content makes it possible to read multiple reviews on multiple platforms within minutes. Consumers trust online reviews as much as the trust recommendations by friends and family.
Get Started With Reviews
If you haven’t developed a review strategy, it isn’t too late. Focus on these most popular platforms:
- Google Business Page
- Yelp
- Yahoo! Local Listings
Once you have claimed your business accounts, you will be able to see and respond to customer reviews. Building positive reviews requires a consistent strategy. Here are some ways to begin generating reviews.
Ask for them. Everytime you or your team has a positive interaction with a customer, get in the habit of asking them for a review. Every time a golf car is delivered or a part is sold, direct the customer to the platform where you would like the review. Let them know how much it would mean to you if they took the time to write a review. Research shows that 50% of customers who are asked for a review follow through and leave one.
Train your team to ask every time. Stress the importance of reviews to your team. Develop best practices for asking for reviews and make sure that your employees develop the habit of asking for reviews. Set monthly review goals and provide a bonus of some type when they meet the goal.
Simplify the ask. Print some postcards or business cards that request a review and direct customers to the best platform for leaving their testimonial. Hand a review request card to each customer or include one in each delivered package.
Incentivize reviews. Offer a coupon or discount or some reward for leaving a review. Remember that “buying” reviews is prohibited so encourage customers to leave honest reviews in order to follow guidelines.
Send a follow up email. Use an email marketing platform to keep track of customer emails and send a follow up urging them to leave a review.
Building up reviews on local review platforms is a powerful way for your golf car business to gain the trust of new customers and build your brand. The ROI is higher than most ad campaigns.
What About Negative Reviews?
It is inevitable that your business will get a negative review at some point. When this happens, you will be glad that you have a review strategy in place. The best way to handle a negative review is to politely respond to it and contact the customer personally. Ask the customer how your golf car business can make things right with the customer. Ask them what it would take for them to post a follow up to the review reporting that the issue was resolved.
When all else fails, the best way to minimize the impact of a negative review is to bury it with 5 times as many positive reviews.
Once your review strategy is in place, it will become second nature for your team to continuously grow your reviews. As the positive reviews grow, so will your revenue.
Julie Starr, Owner of WHEELZ Custom Carts & Accessories, was one of the industry’s first online retailers of golf cart parts, when she founded her business in 2008. Julie’s eCommerce store, www.WHEELZLLC.com remains a popular online shopping experience for innovative golf car parts and accessories.
