As a small business owner, positive online reviews can be invaluable for building credibility, driving sales, and improving your products and services. According to a BrightLocal survey, 91% of consumers read online reviews before visiting or purchasing from a local business. With over 1 billion monthly active Facebook users, reviews on Facebook Pages make a significant impact.
This comprehensive guide will teach you how customers can leave Facebook reviews, why they’re critical for small businesses, and how you as a Page admin can proactively manage them.
Step-by-Step: How Customers Leave Facebook Reviews
Leaving a review on Facebook only takes a few quick steps:
From their news feed, customers can:
- Search for your Page name or handle
- Click on an ad or post leading to your Page
- Visit your official website and click the Facebook icon
Once on your Page, they can scroll down to the Reviews section.
2. Leave a Rating & Written Review
They simply:
- Rate your business from one to five stars
- Click to give a recommendation
- Write their review summary, feedback, experiences
Facebook suggests keeping reviews detailed, honest, and polite. Customers can also add photos of products, services, or experiences.
3. Submit the Published Review
They click the Post button to publish the review. It will then be visible to all visitors under your Reviews section.
Why Facebook Reviews Are Vital for Small Businesses
Positive and negative reviews have significant impacts on small businesses in terms of:
Reputation & Trust
- 72% of customers will trust a business more if it has positive reviews [BrightLocal]
- 64% are more likely to purchase if a business has four stars or more [BrightLocal]
| Star Rating | % More Likely to Purchase |
| 5 stars | 70% |
| 4 stars | 62% |
| 3 stars | 10% |
| 2 stars | 9% |
| 1 star | 5% |
Customer Experience & Loyalty
- Rating products and services allows customers to share experiences
- This feedback helps small businesses identify issues and opportunities for improvement
- Responding to reviews demonstrates you value customers and their insights
Lead Generation & Sales
- 72% of customers will probably book appointments or reservations after reading positive reviews [BrightLocal]
- Consumers that view four or more online reviews convert at a 270% higher rate than those who don‘t read reviews [Yotpo]
In summary, online reviews significantly influence consumer behavior and purchasing decisions – ignored at your own peril!
Proactively Managing Your Facebook Reviews
As a Page admin, you can turn reviews on or off and use tools to manage them appropriately:
Enable Reviews on Your Page
First, ensure the Reviews section is visible to customers. Under Settings > Templates & Tabs > Reviews, turn the toggle switch ON.
Encourage More Reviews
Occasionally posting asking happy customers to kindly leave an honest review gives positive social proof. Tag those who gave verbal feedback too.
Respond & Interact Thoughtfully
Replying to reviews shows customers you care and are listening. Thank them for taking time to provide feedback. For negative reviews, apologize for their poor experience and offer to make things right.
Monitor Review Content
Check new reviews at least weekly. Report seriously inappropriate or false reviews to Facebook as needed.
Analyze Review Patterns
Identify common complaints needing improvement or recognize employee rock stars going above-and-beyond from the content.
Proactively managing reviews demonstrates your commitment to customers while enabling small businesses to provide even better products, services and experiences over time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
While honest feedback provides an opportunity to improve, avoid these common mistakes business owners make:
- Deleting or hiding negative reviews
- Paying for fake positive reviews
- Arguing, blaming customers in responses
- Ignoring review feedback altogether
These destroy consumer trust while damaging your brand reputation and integrity.
Instead, embrace authentic reviews as invaluable customer insights to drive positive changes in your business. Demonstrate professionalism and accountability in all public interactions.
Key Takeaways
- Reviews significantly influence reputation and purchases
- Leaving Facebook reviews takes mere minutes
- Manage your Page‘s reviews proactively
- Respond professionally to all reviews
- Analyze patterns and trends in the feedback
Encouraging more reviews while carefully monitoring and thoughtfully engaging with customers on Facebook fosters increased visibility, trust and sales over the long-term.
