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Why Customer Reviews Matter For Local Businesses

Local businesses should do everything in their power to focus on reviews that flood in from customers.

In past generations, appraisals from professional critics would be the main focus, but thanks to the shared economy model and expansion of social media, critics are everywhere.

This is data that really matters for operators, especially for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that are financially on the margins.

Here we will detail the value of this feedback and why owners should be informed and updated about the digital opinions of clientele.

Information That The Community Values

Ultimately it is not up to outside sources or peers to advise businesses to take reviews seriously because their sales will see a sharp drop if they have performed poorly in this field. Community members take this domain seriously and there are a number of contributing factors to this. Sites like Google and Facebook encourage participants to publish their opinion, offering a consensus from clients who approached the product or service independently before communicating their thoughts to the public. Rarely there are ever pre-planned agendas at play, giving people the chance to see a brand’s reputation before stepping foot through the shop.

A Chance to Compliment Marketing Efforts

Local businesses can be under the strain with their finances and that makes marketing campaigns a difficult challenge to manage. This is why the spread of positive reviews through digital channels can complement that frugal approach, ensuring that interested community members and visitors buy into the product or service gave quality 5-star ratings and glowing feedback. Rather than spending thousands upon thousands on traditional advertising methods, this is a chance to earn credibility and convert sales with participants who have already shown an interest in the brand.

Being Judged On Merit

The good news for those local businesses who are subjected to reviews is that their competitors will be judged on the same merit. By deciding to take this area seriously as an indication of brand credibility, operators can identify where the rating trends are heading and what they can improve on when marketed against their other operators in the same region. Undertaking competitor research can seem like a tough exercise with limited resources, but running these online checks for the feedback section will offer insights that go beyond the normal expectations and assumptions.

Building Communication Pathways

Local businesses can have difficulties communicating with customers who are not native to the area. If they are from out of town and are not regular visitors, then leaving reviews and talking through digital channels is a great way of staying in touch. Whether it is through complaints, for general inquiries or to leave a glowing appraisal, taking this area seriously allows owners and managers to interact with their consumer base 24 hours of the day and 7 days per week.

Demonstrating Drive for Business Improvement

There are many customers who won’t turn down a business because they have received one or two bad reviews over the span of many years. They will stay away if they see that the enterprise has made no efforts to recognize the issue and attempt to make amends. This is where local constituents will pay attention to outlets that do make positive strides forward, acknowledging when they have fallen short of expectations and want to keep engagement with the people who keep the service up and running.

It is a healthy exercise to take reviews on face value, giving local companies a chance to affirm positive products and services and comprehend experiences that have been less than ideal. This is a barometer that indicates success and failure in the public’s eyes, so the responsibility will lie with the brand to acknowledge the consensus and make strides to improve in this field.