As we live, operate, and maneuver within an increasingly digital world, businesses are having to change their approach to client curation. It used to be that a great product could stand on its own with relatively little coverage. Now the over-saturation of the internet has led to the renewed importance of real reviews online. Online reviews are at the heart of every positive and enduring product, service, or company. Real positive reviews can create future customers for years and years to come. The only problem? It can be difficult to get reviews on the internet. According to Statista, Facebook has more than 2.85 billion monthly users. How can you get some of these social media users to review your goods and services?

Boost Your SEO Rankings

First and foremost, there are very few things more important to your brand on the internet than your SEO rankings. Also known as Search Engine Optimization, a proper plan for SEO dominance can bring your search results to the top of the rankings. In doing so, you’ll make it easier for people to find your products and more convenient for them to leave you a review. And hey, if it’s a good review — even better! If you don’t know if SEO metrics are the right topic for you to focus on, that’s okay! Forbes laid out several fantastic reasons to consider working with an SEO Agency to prop up your business, so consider that as an option!

Stay Away From Fake Reviews

Reviews are harder to find than actual sales, so it stands to reason that unscrupulous professionals have been looking for shortcuts. Bots in the review world have been a huge problem ever since they first became a thing. In a desperate attempt to make a product look better, a company might pay money to get fake reviews to pad their stats. While this may sound alluring, it turns out to be less than a good idea. As explained many times over by financial professionals and SEO specialists alike, false reviews are easy enough to identify that they can bring a negative reputation to your business. Instead, embrace the reviews that arrive whether they are positive, negative, or completely neutral. Make sure to respond where and when you can improve circumstances for dissatisfied customers. Where you cannot reach your past clients, use their negativity to fuel improvements going forward. Not every client can be saved, but future clients can be earned.

Use an Email Marketing Campaign

The simplest way to get more reviews for your product online is to just ask! There is a fine line between requesting an honest review and propagating a false one, so consider using an intermediary company to send out review solicitations to your mailing list. Personalized email marketing campaigns that target past customers with small or minor incentives can work wonders to build your brand and reputation with a flurry of activity. These emails must be both professional and transparent, ensuring that you receive honest feedback from your customers without any misrepresentation. Not only does requesting a review provide you with information to learn from, but it also empowers your customers to be more proactive. Clients will feel heard and listened to while businesses will earn the opportunity to learn from their past mistakes or successes.

Get Listed at Online Directories

In order to really stack up customer reviews for your brand, goods, or service, you are going to need to be listed on the major online directories. Obviously, these directories will vary from one industry to the next, but there are some commonalities that are shared. All businesses will want to have a presence on Google Reviews, and it doesn’t hurt to keep a Yelp and Facebook Account active, either. Dedicated business profiles are the easiest way to attract past and future customers to your business. Not only will your traffic and viewership increase, but so will your interactions. In accomplishing all of these goals, you will get to watch your traffic ranking rise in tandem. Online directories are a vital part of every self-supporting company with a focus on progressing growth.

What’s Next For My Business?

While the internet is already several decades old, the space is still in its relative infancy. Every single day, new innovations are brought forward to the market that have a profound impact on the way we connect, socialize, and even do business. For now, businesses can focus on curating connections with their customers through the digital space. Curate reviews by connecting on social media or, by utilizing email marketing, and by working within the Search Engine Optimization space. If you are looking for ways to boost your website’s SEO ranking, redesign your website for a better user experience, or create targeted advertisements for your business, consider working with an experienced SEO Company. At Actuate Media, we are a dedicated digital agency helping you implement strategic SEO solutions to capture your target audience and turn leads into conversions. Reach out to us today to get started.   About the author: Actuate Media was founded to help businesses navigate the world of digital advertising. Our vision is simple: we facilitate data-driven business-to-consumer relationships. How do we do this? The first step is understanding your customers, then developing a strategy to reach them across platforms using digital media.