Shopping season is here and early birds are already finding gifts for family and friends. However, this year is different than most. The difference is in where you shop. People are choosing small businesses to buy from not big box retailers. Leaving a positive review for small businesses will help.
The Power of a Review
The good deed of the month is leaving a positive review for small businesses that you have shopped from in the past or recently. Small businesses really rely on reviews to help them get business. Seems like such a small thing to have so much power but it does.
In fact, 8 out of 10 consumers will look to online reviews of a local business before shopping. That means that 82% of the people shopping at local businesses have searched it out for reviews beforehand. Of course, it is not the job of the consumer to drive business to a small business.
In fact, 97% of those who read reviews will also read any responses from the business to get a better feel for how the business handles customer service. But the conversation needs to start somewhere and that somewhere is actually a someone; it’s you.
Shopping Locally and Leaving a Positive Review for Small Businesses
Shopping season is here and that means people are looking for gifts for family and friends, that we know. But where are people shopping? Many people will just go straight to Amazon, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, shopping local does so much more for your local community.
Many small businesses are owned by people who live in the same town or city. That means you’re injecting funding into your own community when you shop local. In fact, there is a list of things that happen when you shop local.
- Money is kept in your community
- You create local jobs
- Conserve tax dollars
- Invest in entrepreneurship
- Nurture community
- Create business competition
- Create choice
- Embrace your community
- And more!
Leaving a Positive Review for Small Businesses
Why is leaving a positive review for small businesses important? Most small businesses are locally owned and operated. That means you will inject positivity into your community’s economy by simply shopping local. But the review is just as important.
Of course, you should not lie when you review a business. However, the point isn’t to lie, it is to drive delighted customers to leave reviews. A customer who is dissatisfied with an experience is more likely to leave a review. In fact, statistics show us there is a 91% chance an unhappy customer will leave a review.
However, only 1 in 10 satisfied customers will leave a review. It is important we speak up, so people know that while there are bad days out there for businesses, there are also good ones.
How to Leave a Review
There are a few places you can leave a positive review for small businesses online. The first place is the most popular place, Yelp. Yelp is a major source for reviews, but it is often bogged down by the negative reviewers. Of course, some businesses have earned their 2-star reviews.
But there are some that may not deserve it. You can also review on Google. Google reviews are often the first set of reviews people will see if they search a business online. The reviews will even show up in Google Maps which is a suitable place for leaving a positive review for small businesses so people will see them.
Lastly, you can review a business or even a product or service they offer on their very own website. This helps let the business know what they are doing right. It is important we don’t lie in our reviews, especially if we want to do our part. The next time you have a wonderful experience, leave a review.
