Like any other business, the travel business has seen a sharp shift of dependence on online consumer reviews to grow. About 87% of consumers trust and consider online reviews before going ahead with the purchase. This makes it very important for business owners to consider incorporating and valuing online reviews.
One of the best online review sites is Google Reviews. Because Google is the biggest and most prominent search engine, it is obvious that people will look up to Google Reviews before making their decision.
Google Reviews have become a key aspect of planning a trip, and they provide insights into hotel stays, pricing, and contact details. Travel business owners can opt to embed Google reviews onto their webpage. This will boost their consumer engagement and lend genuineness to your business. And with the coming of user-friendly social media aggregator tools, the process of embedding a Google review widget seems effortless. Having discussed the changing dynamics of businesses and their heavy dependence on online reviews, let us shed light on the importance of these reviews.
Importance of Online Reviews:
To start with, we have all come across purchasing dilemmas in life, and we trust the one with the highest ratings and positive reviews. Thus these online reviews act as social proof and guarantee for new and existing viewers.
Online reviews also boost consumer engagement and interaction, and this encourages new audiences to post similar reviews and ratings. This helps increase the SEO ranking of the travel website as it can garner more UGC.
Lastly, these reviews hugely impact purchasing styles and patterns of the audiences behind the screen. A higher rating and positive review increase the chances of higher conversion rates.
Ways To Strategize Online Reviews For Growth in 2023:
These are some practices that travel business owners, and marketers can adopt and consistently follow to expect higher growth in their businesses. Here are some handpicked strategies to ace online reviews for your growth.
1. Request guests for reviews:
The vast travel industry includes many subordinates: hotels, food, locomotion, and touristy. And caters to a large number of people who are associated with it and the ones who avail of these services.
While it can be absurd and awkward to ask random people for reviews, it is also very convenient to ask the customer for them. The customer has availed of the service and can give a first-hand account of their experience. Customer reviews hold a special place as they are genuine and authentic.
You can acquire these reviews from the guests at the time of checkout, where the consumer will have it fresh in the memory to put up a review. Thus, this can also be done via a humble reminder and review request on email and messages. Just make sure you surely mention the review link in the email and message this will make the customer feel appreciated and valued.
Marketers can use reputation management software to manage and categorize the reviews and also curate the surveys and reputation management.
2. Analyze and monitor reviews:
While we have discussed the ways to collect the reviews from the end consumer, it’s very important to proofread and keep an eye on the reviews. If the brand managers turn a blind eye to some difficulties and issues reported in the reviews and this gets published for the world, it can pose a problem and hinder growth. It is vital to segregate and screen through all the reviews and present only the best and positive ones on the dashboard. You can use reputation management software like Birdeye, GatherUp, and Bright local to monitor the reviews.
3. Focus on consumer interaction:
Another practice that ensures the growth of your business is to focus on consumer interaction. To actively respond to the feedback given by the customer. These quick responses help to bridge the communication gap between the customers and the brand. Even if sometimes the feedback is not positive, Kindly make sure to duly respond to it as this sends out a message to the consumer that their preferences, opinions, and suggestions make a difference and are precious to the brand and its growth. The replies cannot be generic and beating around the bush kind. Address the issue with sincerity and prioritize your consumer’s needs.
4. Reflect on responses provided:
When we successfully bridge the communication gap between our reviewers, we come across various comments and feedback the key to growth is to value the responses and reflect upon them. Strategize and transfer our energies into problem-solving skills. Ensure you always keep your cool while responding to a consumer and do not sound arrogant or rude. Remember that the consumer is the one you are catering to, and their satisfaction matters the most, so deal with and tackle such situations mindfully and professionally.
While here, we address only the ways to deal with negative comments and reviews, please don’t forget to react and respond to the positive reviews you get. A small gesture of gratitude from your end will leave a good impression in the consumer’s mind and eventually help create buzz around and about your brand on the internet.
5. Embed reviews on the website:
Lastly, to take your business a notch higher, you must promote your reviews on popular sites, search engines, and everywhere on the internet. This can be done by embedding reviews on the website. This is not technical work and can be easily delegated to some prominent and efficient social media aggregator tools. These tools enable the user to embed Google reviews with the help of responsive review widgets. This strategy will enhance engagement and establish a brand reputation.
In Essence:
We are all aware of the shift in the market dynamics, which is now heavily dependent on online reviews. These reviews lend legitimacy and authenticity to the business and hence help them grow.
