Last week, the New York Times wrote an interesting article which started with…
Your customers are talking about you — and the whole world is listening. Local review sites are reshaping the world of small business by becoming the new Yellow Pages, one-stop platforms where customers can find a business — and also see independent critiques of its performance.
Here a few more highlights from the article:
- 84% of Americans say online reviews influence their purchasing decisions
- Online search for local services grew 58% last year becoming more than 10% of all online search traffic
- The more detailed you profile (on sites like HelpHive), the more readily your business will appear in search results
- A negative review demands attention … start with a private response to see if you can resolve
- Posting false reviews (of your business or your competitors) is a no-no (cause you will get caught)
- Buying premium (advertising) services gives you more ability to “work the crowd”
