This article was originally published on March 26, 2020, and was updated on April 1, 2020.
Having an accurate, up-to-date online presence has always been important for earning and maintaining your customers’ trust. Given the instability COVID-19 has introduced to the market, upholding the promises made to your customers by your advertising content is absolutely vital.
Upholding the promises made to your customers by your advertising content is absolutely vital.
COVID-19 is creating an environment where news is constantly changing, even by the hour. People are distracted, and they need products and services from companies that they can trust.
I’m going to give you the steps for how to feature reviews on your site, or social media, so your customers can buy with confidence.
Before we dive into how to add reviews, let’s go over why they add value.
Related: 8 ways to get more product reviews
Trust is hard to come by
Brand loyalty goes beyond confidence in transparent data practices or fair pricing, the same way that trust in romantic partner goes beyond faith in their fidelity or financial responsibility.
Sure, those are big-ticket items, but there are smaller, more mundane things that matter just as much.
- Will they be where you expect them to be, when you expect them to be there?
- Will they answer the phone when you call?
- Will they take steps to make sure you’re safe when you’re with them?
We may not have the benefit of partner reviews (million-dollar idea alert), but we do have endless options for reviewing businesses online.
Respond to all reviews
Personally, I don’t do business with anyone who doesn’t have a few reviews out there. What might seem counter-intuitive, is that I’m more inclined to trust a company if their reviews include one or two negative posts as well. Someone who’s been around and has no negative reviews appears to be hiding bad feedback, even though that’s certainly not always the case.
Pro tip: Don’t delete bad reviews, reply to them.
Responding to a negative review shows that you care, that you’re honest, and how you react to unhappy customers. That kind of candor earns a lot of goodwill. I cannot stress enough how far that goodwill will carry in a social climate like the one we’re experiencing now.
The other thing I pay close attention to is the dates on the reviews. A review that’s 3-years-old does nothing for me. That business may have changed ownership, gotten a new manager, or even closed.
In the age of COVID-19 closures, depending on where you live, and your proximity to new confirmed cases or community spread, there are tons of additional variables to consider.
Reduce the variables for your customers
Businesses are closing their doors, running out of inventory, or moving to remote service models faster than your average consumer can keep up. Everyone is inundated with news alerts and new information. They are scrambling to sort through what’s changed, what’s right, and what they should ignore.
A visible review, posted in the last few days, could be the difference between a sale and a scroll down to the next vendor.
By showing the trust of your current customers, new customers are far more likely to gamble on you.
Manage your reviews
With Websites + Marketing
If you have a site with GoDaddy Websites + Marketing, you can manage product reviews, Google reviews and Facebook business reviews all in one place.
- From your product page, scroll to Websites + Marketing and click Manage next to your store.
- On the dashboard, open your products.
- If you have:
- Websites + Marketing Online Store – Select Overview. Then select Enable Reviews in the Track & Capture Sales section.
- Premium Online Store – Expand the Promote drop-down and select Promote.
- Select Turn On next to Product Reviews.
- Enter the email address where review approvals should be sent, and then select:
- Sign Up (Websites + Marketing)
- or Enable (Premium Online Store)
- Once you’re set up, return here to Manage Reviews as they come in.
You can read the full instructions to enable reviews on your store here.
When Google re-launches Reviews capabilities on Google My Business Profiles, you’ll be able to manage reviews posted on Google, as well.
Using the WooCommerce plugin on WordPress
WordPress has options for managing reviews, as well. If WooCommerce isn’t already active, you may need to enable it.
Pro Tip: If your WordPress installation doesn’t already have WooCommerce, you can install it for free. Click Plugins on the left, select Add New, search for “WooCommerce,” and Install.
To enable WooCommerce:
- Scroll to WooCommerce in your Plugins list, and then select Activate.
- Use the Setup Wizard to Get started, or fill in your business info manually.
Once WooCommerce is enabled:
- Click WooCommerce on the left navigation.
- Select Settings.
- When the General information is complete, go to the Products tab.
- Under Reviews, adjust the settings to meet your needs and Save Changes.
Read the full instructions to get started using WooCommerce here.
Certain extensions may require additional steps. For example, here’s how to manage customer reviews using Yotpo. When in doubt, check the help documentation for your extension.
On Facebook and Google Business Listings
Don’t have Websites + Marketing or WordPress? Not to worry. You can enable reviews on your Facebook business page and ask users to review your products and/or services in clever ways. You could:
- Host competitions with discounts for the best unboxing videos of your product.
- Give prizes for the best before/after photos from a customer who used your service(s).
- Work with an influencer on your social app of choice to do a video product review.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 conditions have led to Google suspending all new reviews (and review responses) on Business Profiles as they prioritize critical services. On the plus side, your competitors are in the same boat. Pushing social media recommendations may give you the edge you need.
At the end of the day, even amidst all the uncertainty around us, people trust people. Transparent, real-time reviews written by customers are far more impactful than any marketing communication you can craft for people impacted by COVID-19.
You can do this!
If you need a helping hand, we’re here for you.
- Check out our How-To videos for content aimed at helping you navigate through COVID-19.
- Looking for stories and inspiration? Visit the GoDaddy YouTube channel.
- Dig into resources on the GoDaddy blog.
- Connect with like-minded people in our #OpenWeStand community forum.
- Find answers to product questions in our Help Center.
- Call or chat with one of our GoDaddy Guides.
Above all, have faith in yourself. We have faith in you.
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