If we told you that there was a way for you to achieve 80% higher conversion rates than other businesses just by responding to more reviews would you believe us?
You should and here’s why!
Why is it Important to Respond to Reviews?
In an Uberall study comparing data from 64,000 third-party managed listings for the first half of 2018 with the first half of 2019, they found that both small to medium-sized enterprises (SMBs) and enterprise businesses had roughly the same conversion rate (about 3%) when their reply rates were hovering around 10%. However, they found that a reply rate of 32% is the benchmark for enterprise conversion growth to outpace competitors.
“For example, when enterprise locations replied to at least 32% of reviews, they achieved 80% higher conversion rates than direct competitors and SMBs that replied to just 10% of reviews,” the report reads.
Well worth knowing, we thought, hence why we’re sharing that statistic with you. What we’d also add to that report is that you really should aim to respond to your reviews within 24 hours of the review being left. That powerfully demonstrates to your customers that you’re responsive and contactable.
Should you Respond to Negative Reviews?
In addition, and we can’t stress this strongly enough, please DO NOT shy away from responding to any negative reviews that you receive. The sooner you respond and, as we’ve discussed this more fully in our previous blog “Review Scores – Why 4.9 is Better than 5.0” – the sooner you take the conversation away from the public and resolve any issues privately between you and your unhappy customer, the better! It really is true that it’s how you handle an issue – in this case a negative review – that really does mark out the great businesses from the run-of-the-mill and even good businesses.
Why should you respond to reviews quickly? Well, if the 80% higher conversion rate statistic alone doesn’t convince you, what about this; by responding to reviews, positive or otherwise, you will show your customers that:
- You genuinely care about their feedback
- You’re accessible to them
- You’re personally involved in your business
- You’re monitoring your review feed and it isn’t ‘just’ there as a marketing / sales ploy
The old adage is correct, people do buy from people. By responding to your reviews in a timely fashion you’re reminding your customers of the person that sits behind your business and nothing is more powerful than that personal touch.
Go on! Have a go and let us know how much more success you gain through this simple, powerful tip.