How To Increase Online Sales For A Local Business?

The Internet has become a significant strength nowadays. It is used to purchase products, find places to eat, communicate with friends, and book holidays. If a person is going to buy something online, he will first Google it and go through the result pages before choosing the right seller. Therefore, being present online in search engines is crucial for any company, including local businesses.

If you see a decline in your sales, it’s time to refresh your online strategy. Here is a working strategy for local businesses that intend to increase online sales.

Get listed on Google My Business

Google My Business is a free tool that allows you to manage your online presence across Google Search and Maps. When someone looks up your business name or a related term, he’ll easily find all the necessary information about your company. Google requires you to provide the business name, location, and category. Once Google confirms your Business profile, it is open to customers to leave reviews, add photos and ask questions. 

What are the main Google My Business benefits?

  1. Your business will show up in Google Maps searches and boost sales.
  2. By showing up in local searches, businesses on Google My Business are 70% more likely to attract potential customers for in-store location visits.
  3. Google My Business lets you rank higher in Google search.
  4. Increase engagement with your brand. People can easily visit your website or call you with just one click. 

Ask your customers to review your business

90% of people read reviews before making a purchase. 63% indicate they are more likely to buy from a site that has product ratings. Asking your happy customers to review your business on Google or any

other site that matters can significantly increase sales and engage new clients. Point your customer to one or two websites where the majority of your reviews are being seen. 

How to ask for reviews?

The most convenient way that saves your time will be using the reputation management service. It helps fully automate gaining customer reviews, so you can spend your time improving other business processes. 

How does it work?

  1. The customer receives an automated email or message to review your business.
  2. Once the message is received, the client is directed to review your business on Google, Facebook, or any other review site.

The platform has in-depth reporting that lets you analyze online feedback, manage negative reviews, send review reminders, and more. For more information and features, visit this page.

Increase social media presence

Millions of people are scrolling their feed every day to discover new content and interact with brands and companies. If you want to attract more potential clients, you need to work on your social media presence. 

Social media platforms can increase traffic to your website. When you promote content on social media, people who are already interested in your company can visit your site in one click. Gaining some extra traffic is a working method to rank higher in Google search and be chosen by more customers. 

Besides, you can build trust with existing customers, understand their needs, and increase loyalty with social media. Take the opportunity to:

  • Ask your audience questions
  • Respond to the comments
  • Post relevant content
  • Create a community 

Conclusion

As a local business, you always need to find a way to stand out from competitors. Take a close look at your marketing strategy and ask yourself if it’s generating the results you’re looking for. If not, it might be time to try new approaches to promoting your business. Use this guide as a reference to refresh your online strategy. 

3 Essential Tips to Kickstart Your Business

Success from Amazeful Reviews

3 Essential Tips to Kickstart Your Business

Starting a business can be exhilarating and fun at the best of times but it can also be very overwhelming if you don’t have the right measures in place. We’ve put together 3 essential tips to help you kickstart your business.

Success from Amazeful Reviews

  1. Do your research.

Ensure that you have something unique to bring to the table to set yourself apart from your competitors. Research your niche and identify what your target market is really looking for and find a way to provide that for them. Make sure your product or service is actually in demand and there are people out there willing to pay for it. Also have a look at what your competitors are doing – how can you do it differently or better?

 

2. Automate as many things as you can.

As a business owner you’re going to find that time is your most valuable asset. If you can automate 50% of your tasks, you’re setting yourself up for success. A business takes a lot of time and effort to set up and even more time to sustain. The Amazeful platform is all about setting you up to have a successful business through your customer reviews. 

 

3. Network.

Networking may sound scary at first but trust me when I say this, you’re going to want connections. Connect with local entrepreneurs and business owners in the area. Almost every successful business owner loves to talk about themselves so ask questions, listen and learn – remember their business knowledge is super important to you at this stage. Connections through networking is why most business owners are successful today. 

 

And an extra tip for you..

 

4. Carry your business card EVERYWHERE.

You’ll never know who you’re going to bump into on your weekly grocery run or that trip to the coffee shop so always be prepared and have a few business cards on hand!

How to Turn Negative Customer Reviews Into Advantage?

Negative reviews are a nightmare for many business owners. But the truth is no matter how devoted you are in promoting a good customer experience, you’ll come across negative reviews in the end. It’s a fact for all businesses dealing with customers, you can’t please all the customers all the time. What is more important is how you handle bad reviews and the way you respond to them. Moreover, negative feedback is something that can help your business to grow and improve. Instead of being afraid of bad reviews, let’s see how to use them as a positive side for your business.

Always respond to negative feedback

When you receive a bad review, first of all, understand what the customer complains about and apologize for the negative experience. If it’s appropriate – offer a refund or exchange. Show that you care about each customer’s problem and resolve it with a public response. However, if the issue requires additional actions (for example, related to services), it’s best to resolve such complaints privately. Leave a phone number or an email so customers can contact you to resolve the problem offline.

Sometimes reviews can be unfair, but try to be polite and friendly to show potential customers you’re dedicated to providing excellent service.

Build trust using negative reviews

When a potential customer sees a bad review, he also checks the response from the business side. By interacting with the clients who left a negative review, it shows you’re being proactive about addressing problems, and it helps build trust.

Besides, this way, you demonstrate to potential clients you have nothing to hide and are ready to resolve issues if they exist. Plus, customers are inclined to trust businesses with positive and negative feedback, while only 5-star reviews look more fake and not credible. 

Use a reputation management platform

Indeed, you can’t control what reviewers write, but you can manage and control negative feedback using a reputation management platform. The system captures negative reviews and sends them to you privately to deal with them offline. Dealing with unhappy customers’ issues in-house before they get the chance to go public will help minimize the number of published negative reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, and other sites. Respond to bad reviews to make customers feel heard, and there is a big chance they will change their minds and leave you a positive review instead.

Improve your business 

Negative feedback can be unsettling at first, but how else would you understand the issues you have in the business processes? All successful businesses continuously improve, and bad reviews are a great way to identify what’s working and what’s not. If too many clients complain about the same thing, it’s worth looking into it and making improvements. So even if you don’t like receiving negative reviews, they’re still necessary and helpful. The more you listen to clients’ concerns, the more you will meet their expectations, and you will provide a much better experience.

    So what to do about negative reviews? 

    1. The most important – do not ignore them. It’s okay to have some unhappy customers because you can’t always please every client. 
    2. Always respond to negative reviews. Show that you care about the issue and are ready to deal with it publicly. This way, you can even turn unhappy customers into loyal advocates.
    3. Use a reputation management platform to manage and keep track of your negative reviews. It helps to minimize the number of negative reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, and other sites. 
    4. Learn from your mistakes using bad reviews. Identify what’s not working for your clients and improve it.

    5. Get more positive reviews. Usually, only unsatisfied clients are willing to leave a review. To keep the balance between negative and positive feedback, always ask your clients for reviews.

    Five tips to improve the customer experience for restaurants

    Five tips to improve the customer experience for restaurants

    Quick Links

    1. List on Google My Business
    2. Offer loyalty programs
    3. Collect reviews
    4. Learn from negative reviews
    5. Place your menu online

    Tips to improve the customer experience for restaurants

    The world pandemic is a challenging time for any business, including restaurants. In addition, the restaurant business has always been a competitive one. According to statistics, 6 out of 10 restaurants fail within the first year of operations. It requires innovation, creativity, and constant development of restaurant management, customer service, and more. 

    In this guide, we will go through 5 tips to improve the customer experience for your restaurant. It will help you get more clients and increase the number of regular customers. 

    1. Make sure you are listed on Google My Business

    Google My Business lets you list your restaurant location on Google Maps and search results.

    It has always been important because it’s the first thing your customers notice when they search for your business online.

    If you are already listed on Google My Business, make sure the information is up-to-date and list your business on other sites like Facebook or Yelp so that customers know where they can find you and how they get in contact with you. Business listings are also a perfect way to increase local SEO and rank higher in search. This way, you will have better visibility in the neighborhood and outperform competitors.

     

    Google My Business lets you list your restaurant location on Google Maps and search results. 

    It has always been important because it’s the first thing your customers notice when they search for your business online.

    If you are already listed on Google My Business, make sure the information is up-to-date and list your business on other sites like Facebook or Yelp so that customers know where they can find you and how they get in contact with you. Business listings are also a perfect way to increase local SEO and rank higher in search. This way, you will have better visibility in the neighborhood and outperform competitors. 

    customer experience

    Offer customer loyalty programs

    Customer loyalty programs are the best retention tool. Because rewarding clients with bonuses and points lets them know that you value them, it is also an effective way to increase customer purchase frequency which means more loyal customers for your restaurant. Unlike one-time coupons, loyalty programs inspire many repeat visits. Besides, clients will spread the word about your restaurant, and more people will come to have lunch in your place. Statistics prove the importance of loyalty programs – 75% of customers say they would switch brands for a better loyalty program.

    Collect reviews 

    Trust reviews from customers are the basis of an online presence. The more quality reviews you get, the more trustworthiness you see from Google. If you don’t have enough positive reviews from clients – ask them! When a client leaves your restaurant after a delicious meal – send him a message or an email asking if he’d like to leave a review on Google or Facebook. To automate review requests, use a reputation management platform. It will do all the work for you, so you don’t have to send a review request to each client and spend precious time. Instead, use this time to work on other business processes.

    positive reviews

    Make the most from negative reviews

    Negative reviews are not as bad as we think they are. In fact, there are plenty of positive sides. Did you know that 95% of unhappy customers return if the issue was resolved? Negative feedback is something that helps your business to improve. Without negative reviews, you’d never hear from dissatisfied customers and would never be able to understand and correct a mistake. You can always try to solve the customer’s problem and find a solution to make him happy. Timing is essential in handling negative reviews. Try to be as fast as possible to save a damaged customer relationship. For convenient managing negative reviews, use a reputation management platform. It helps you manage all negative feedback by capturing and sending them to you privately, allowing you to deal with them offline.

    Place your menu online

    Since most people use the Internet to research before choosing a place to dine out – an online menu becomes a crucial thing. Without a searchable menu, you take a risk of being unnoticed by potential customers. Add your restaurant’s menu to Google My Business so that your potential clients can easily find it.

    Conclusion

    Improving customer engagement is №1 thing to grow your business. Make sure your restaurant information and menu are listed on sites where people are searching for food. Always ask for accurate feedback and manage negative reviews. Think of possible loyalty programs to increase the percentage of returning clients. A constant work on these few points will bring your restaurant to the next level of restaurant experience.Ma

    The Importance Of Reputation Marketing For Your Local Business

    Customer Feedback

    What is reputation marketing?

    Digital technologies have completely changed the way we’ve lived our lives. With many customers using the Internet to find a local business, your company’s online presence and reputation become crucial. 

    Reputation marketing is critical for any local business: dental clinics, restaurants, or puppy shops – all benefit from customer feedback and reviews. In turn, customer feedback is the construction material that establishes your online reputation. 

    So, what is reputation marketing?

    Reputation marketing highlights and intensifies positive business content like customer reviews using digital marketing channels. This marketing tool lets you generate more leads and grow your business faster. In a nutshell, it’s a strategy to promote your company’s good reputation or repairing a flawed one. 

    Customers are constantly reading online reviews to identify if they should buy a particular product, eat in a restaurant or visit a dental office. Every year the popularity of online reviews has been increasing, and new statistics prove its importance. For example, in 2021, 93% of customers read online reviews before buying a product, and 94% of all purchases and appointments are made for businesses and goods with an average rating of 4 stars and above. 

    As you can see, online reviews are a vital component of your business’s reputation in the public eye. 

    Local reputation marketing

    More than ever, potential customers are searching for local businesses online. As a business owner, if your business is a local business where you need to meet your customers face to face, you need local reputation marketing.

    The main difference is that your marketing should focus on the geographical area where you provide services, so you should always mention the suburbs, postcodes, or cities where you want business from.

    Google is the largest search engine, and its main focus is to provide the best results for customers searching for services in their geographical area.

    However, not all customers use specific keywords like the suburb or city. Instead, they use more general terms such as: “Electrician near me,” so it is Google’s job to translate “near me” as the search area around the shopper location.

    That’s why to increase your local reputation marketing, you need to help Google by clearly specifying your business location or the local area where you provide services.

    what-is-reputation-marketing

    An influence on purchasing decisions

    As we mentioned above, people are likely to trust recommendations from previous customers. So, the more quality comments and reviews you get across different digital channels, the higher potential customers’ credibility you get. Therefore, positive customer reviews have a significant impact on purchasing decisions. It is evident that customers choose more reputable businesses among their competitors.

    Your goal as a business owner is to set up your dominance over competitors using reputation marketing tools like generating positive reviews, monitoring reviews, and rapid response to them. 

    How exactly do positive customer reviews increase sales? First, let’s dive into the marketing funnel:

    Awareness: Potential customers learn about your business through previous clients’ reviews.

    Interest: People began to search for more information about your company – explore your site, social media pages, and review websites.

    Consideration: Clients compare your business with rivals to understand your weaknesses and strengths. 

    Solid reputation marketing depends on what people say about your business. Usually, business owners understand the importance of positive customer feedback but rarely ask clients to leave a review. 

    Eventually, it leads to an imbalance of negative and positive reviews because people are more likely to leave feedback themselves only when they are dissatisfied. As a result, it won’t help your business to grow. So, asking your clients to leave reviews about their experience should be one of the essential points in your marketing strategy. 

    There are many ways to collect positive reviews website feedback, social media reviews, and of course, reviews on review websites such as:

    • Google reviews
    • TripAdvisor
    • Yelp
    • Foursquare 
    • Facebook

    local-reputation-marketing

    Asking each client for feedback is possible but can be time-consuming. Besides, there is a way to automate the review gaining process with a reputation management platform like Amazeful. 

    Very easy to use:

    1. After each purchase, your customers will receive a message to review your business
    2. You can direct your customers to leave reviews on a wide variety of platforms like Google, Facebook, or any other review site that matters to you
    3. You can monitor all reviews in one dashboard and easily embed them on your website

    Using an automated reputation management platform like Amazeful is the most convenient way to gather positive reviews because it saves time and money. However, remember that reputation marketing is not only about sending review requests to get as many good reviews as possible. It is also about honest feedback, which can include negative reviews too.

    Negative feedback is an excellent way to improve your business because, throughout it, you can understand if a client complains about the quality of the product, the price, or the professionalism of the staff. You can use the Amazeful platform to filter and manage negative reviews too. The system captures and sends negative reviews to you privately, allowing you to deal with them offline.

    Reputation Marketing Conclusion

    I hope by now you have a better understanding of what reputation marketing is and how to implement it for your business.

    It would be best not to underestimate the importance of local reputation marketing for any business. It will help a business grow faster, generate more leads, and stands out from competitors. Every year the popularity of online reviews has been increasing.

     In 2021, 93% of customers read online reviews before buying a product, and 94% of all purchases and appointments are made for businesses and goods with an average rating of 4 stars and above. As a business owner, you should generate more positive reviews about your business and display them on review websites like Google reviews, Yelp, and others local review sites.

    User a reputation management platform like Amazeful to save time and money. Remember that reputation marketing won’t work without lots of positive reviews. So, next time you plan the marketing budget – set aside some funds for your online reputation.