Online Reviews Matter

Did you know that 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations? With such a high percentage of consumers looking to the internet for guidance when choosing their products and services, it is to your benefit to have a strong online presence, especially when it comes to reviews from customers.

A staggering 72 percent of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust local businesses more, so encouraging current customers to review you online can serve as an excellent source of trustworthiness for new potential customers who are checking you out online. 

Take the First Step

Yelp, one of the largest business reviewing websites in the world, is an excellent platform to get the word out about just how great your business is. When creating your listing on Yelp, it is important to include a few key details on your page. An address, phone number, and website are all must-haves on your listing to ensure that customers know where to reach you. You should also include things like your shop’s hours of operation, photos of your auto shop, and the services your shop provides (for example: auto repair, auto supplies, oil change, etc.). When users navigate to your page, they can view your overall star rating, customer reviews, and any questions that other users have asked your shop via the listing. Viewers consider all of these factors when forming their overall opinion of your auto shop.

Having high star ratings, positive reviews, and quick and helpful answers to customer questions are three ways to help improve viewers’ first impression of your auto shop. According to Vendasta, star rating is the #1 factor used by consumers to judge a business, so maintaining a high overall star rating is crucial to creating a positive impression on users visiting your listing.

That being said, we know it’s nearly impossible to have exclusively five-star ratings, but responding to negative customer reviews and letting those users know that their complaints have been heard is a great way to try to potentially counteract a negative review. Having a quick response time to customer questions is also a listing component that is important to potential customers. By responding to all questions in a timely manner, new customers know that they can get fast answers to their questions by posting them to your Yelp listing. You should also encourage current customers who have had a good experience at your shop to review your auto shop on Yelp. When it comes to reviews, the more the merrier!

Other Review Sites

Social media is another outlet for online reviews. For example, when potential customers view your Facebook page, they can not only see what your shop is saying to users, but they can also see reviews that your customers have posted about your shop. Much like with Yelp reviews, it’s important to maintain a high star rating and overall positive reviews.

The same is also true with Google reviews. Assuming that you have a Google My Business listing, when someone Google searches your auto shop, a sidebar pops with summary of your business, as well as your Google reviews. Users can add a review by simply clicking the “Write a review” button on the sidebar. Having positive Google reviews is a great way to let the world know how awesome your auto shop really is.

Let’s Review

You can assure potential customers that your practice is top notch by having outstanding customer reviews on Yelp, Facebook and Google, and the other numerous online review sites. Whether you’re just getting started on Yelp or you’re a pro across all review sites, maintaining overall positive online reviews is one of the very best ways to bring new customers right to your front door.

Do you want to grow your shop?

Scan your website today for a full report that will provide insight into how you can find more customers online!