In our last post, we discussed the importance of online reviews for businesses. Initially, the statistics might have seemed surprising. The infographic from AutoBody-Review.com revealed that 85% of consumers say that they do read online reviews for local businesses, while 65% of consumers are more likely to choose a business that has positive online reviews.
So what does that mean for your car dealership?
Well, it definitely changes how businesses should be thinking about their marketing strategies. Just a few decades ago, customer reviews weren’t nearly as accessible as they are today, thanks to the internet. Now that they’re much more prevalent, it’s important for your dealership to embrace this change and explore ways that you can use online reviews to your advantage. One of the best things you can do is to boost your number of positive online reviews.
A word of caution:
If your dealership is a mess, then don’t try to increase your number of reviews, yet. Before you can generate any positive reviews, you have to have the kind of dealership that people want to praise. So take a hard look at the quality of your customer service, the cleanliness of your environment, and every other aspect of your business. If you take the time to get everything in order, your hard work will pay off in the form of happy customers and more business.
When it comes to online reviews, here’s what you need to do:
· Invite customers to provide you with their feedback. One way to do this is to send them an email (after you’ve done business) with a link to an online survey. Include a text box for comments and ask whether it is okay to publish their comments on your website. Each time you get a great comment, post it on your website. This way, you’ll have some control over which reviews people might see first when considering your business while they are conducting research online.
· Invite customers to post reviews to popular review websites. Again, you can send an email to your customers with a link to post reviews on another website or you can post the same link on your website, asking people to review you.
· Invite customers to leave feedback on your Facebook page. This is a chance to kill two birds with one stone—not only will you boost your number of online reviews, but you will also boost your social media engagement. The important thing to do is to respond to each and every comment, whether it’s good or bad. Sometimes, handling a negative comment with grace can have a positive effect on your image.
Do you need help managing your auto body shop’s online presence?
At Stratosphere Studio, we specialize in digital marketing for auto body shops and have an excellent track record for bringing our clients more business. Our clients span the U.S. and are some of the most successful shops in their respective cities. We would love to help you next!
