How to Respond to Positive Online Reviews2 min read

How to Respond to Positive Online Reviews

What could be better than a customer leaving stellar, five-star online reviews of your business or service? Continuing to receive stellar, five-star reviews! And we can show you how with our list of tips for business owners about responding to positive reviews to not only keep current customers, but to acquire new ones.

Use your business name and keywords in online reviews

In your response to positive (and even negative reviews), remember that your replies are public and could be seen by potential customers.  So, include some marketing tactics and mention a behind-the-scenes reason why the\ customer had a great experience. For example, if the customer mentions a great service that was provided, you can follow up with, “So glad to hear you enjoyed _____! Our reps are well-trained in ____ and ____, so it’s no wonder you had a great experience with us. Hope to see you soon!”

Keep your ego in check in online reviews

Getting great reviews for your business or service is great; however, never let them go to your head. No one likes an egomaniac or someone who isn’t humble. You’re liable to turn customers off or alienate news ones if you’re constantly talking about how great you are. Let the consumers do that for you. And don’t brag about your positive reviews, mentioning that you’re a five-starred establishment is a great selling point, but there’s a fine line between acknowledging your accomplishments and bragging about them.

Always stay professional in online reviews

When receiving positive reviews, it’s always great to engage your customer and let them know that real people work at the business; people who care about the customer’s satisfaction. However, it’s important to remember that consumers are not your friends (unless they are, in fact, friends in your personal life). So, keep the conversation professional and short. Thank the customer for the review and invite him or her back to your business, maybe even mention a service or two the customer hasn’t tried, then leave it at that. If you find the conversation becoming too personal, take a step back and bring it back to discussion about your services.

Call your customers to act in online reviews

A call to action doesn’t have to stop in SEO or marketing efforts, it can be applied in responding to positive reviews. You ask the customer to return, use another service or spread the word. For example, you can say something like, “When you come back, be sure to ask about ____ promotion going on now and bring a friend with you. We’d love to see you here again soon!”