Online reviews play a large part in the development of your business’ online reputation. For that reason, many businesses work hard to convince their customers to post reviews on all the popular review sites, hoping it will maximize their online reputations. Is it really necessary to build up as many online reviews as you possibly can for your business? Or, is it possible that when it comes to good reviews, a little bit goes a long way? What is better, quality or quantity? The answer is not a simple one, and can’t be put in black and white terms. Read on to learn more:
Quantity. In terms of exposure and search engine optimization, it only makes sense that you should want as many reviews for your business as possible. That is because search engines notice when people talk about your business, and it makes your business seem more relevant to the online community. Also, customers who are researching your business on review sites will undoubtedly consider the number of reviews as an indication of your credibility (even though it may have nothing to do with your level of service). For these reasons, it is a good thing to have many business reviews. However, it is also important to understand that numerous poor-quality reviews may not do anything for your business at all. It may even detract from your reputation by way of association. That’s where quality comes in.
Quality. What makes a quality review? Quality reviews give plenty of detail about the customer’s experience with your business. For example, instead of simply saying, “the food was good” (which gives readers very little to go on), a quality review might say something more along the lines of “the filet mignon was cooked to perfection, and served with a side of the restaurant’s delectable house-recipe garlic mashed potatoes.” A high quality review paints a picture, and tempts potential customers to try out your business. After reading the previous example, it should be very clear how one high-quality review can easily trump a handful of bland and generic reviews.
The quality/quantity balance. What’s ideal? High-quality reviews, and a lot of them! But until you get to that point, try to focus on bringing in quality, well-written reviews – one at a time – and go from there.
Online reputation management is a complex process, but it is also tantamount to your business success. To make the most of your online reputation, you may want to enlist the help of qualified and competent professionals like us, Apple Pie Business Consulting. We can be reached by phone, at (631) 259-7714, or by email: david@applepiebusinessconsulting.com.