Customer ratings and reviews are all the rage online these days, and for good reason. Studies show that more and more ready-to-buy shoppers use these reviews as an influencing factor when choosing between competing merchants. But many small-business owners are either oblivious or uneasy over what customers are saying about them online.
Tea Guys LLC, a family-owned and -operated Hatfield, Mass.-based retailer of exotic tea, considered the same route that many small businesses take – ask a few customers for testimonials and post them on the company website. But in this age of instant communication via social media, and skepticism about testimonials that businesses gather themselves, Tea Guys wanted something more cutting edge and compelling.
So they turned to RatePoint Inc., one of the new Web-based firms that have gained popularity by providing an online customer review service that you can use to collect and post reviews on your own website. You place a “Rate this business” button on your own site which takes customers to the online platform where they can enter comments and a rating. The reviews look similar to the most popular online review sites, including the “star” system of ratings. Unlike other review and rating services, however, these reviews are posted directly to your website.
Installing a system to collect and publish reviews “has exponentially accelerated our positive word-of-mouth, and allows us to connect with our customers in a way we had previously been lacking,” says Oliver Rich, founder and owner of Tea Guys. “It’s a way to tap into your customers and allow your biggest supports to help you get the word out about your business,” he says. “It has increased our exposure and credibility online” – two things that are vitally important to local businesses as more customers search for them online.
The system, of course, is meant to help you bubble up the best ratings, reviews and comments from customers. But it’s not intended to sweep complaints or negative comments under the rug. The dispute resolution tool helps businesses quickly learn about and respond to problems, improve customer satisfaction and build credibility.
“Customers appreciate when a business is proactively listening and responding to their feedback,” says Neal Creighton, CEO of RatePoint. “When a small business asks for feedback, customers are much more likely to share their experiences, resulting in positive word-of-mouth that will fuel more sales.” •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at ?editor@business.com.
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