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Lake Havasu is made up of hundreds of businesses, most of them small and locally owned. While word of mouth and a stroll downtown is great exposure for your business, the truth is that Lake Havasu is growing, and creating an online presence is just as important. And in the era of social media and instant online reviews, nurturing the reputation of a business is even more vital to its success.

It’s no longer as simple as just making sure your products and services are great. What’s equally important is the experience you create with your customers to make sure those online reviews come in positive.

In Lake Havasu City, Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest (BBB) provides the tools needed to assist local businesses with their reputations and quality of service. Kryistyna Hook, BBB’s Director of Media Relations, said a business’s reputation is more important than ever, especially online.

“With 97 percent of consumers checking online reviews before buying a product, now is the time for businesses to take control of their digital reputation,” she said. Research shows the average consumer needs to see 10 positive reviews before they trust a business.

So how can you achieve that? Just a simple strategy can put you on the track to control your online reputation and fuel your business growth. BBB Accreditation gives your customers the confidence they need to know they’re dealing with an ethical business they can trust.

One local BBB Accredited Business, Scott Smith of Ink Wrap Media Inc, said he likes the accountability aspect of being accredited.

Photo courtesy of Better Business Bureau of the Pacific Southwest

“I like the fact that people can easily access the history of my business. I’m just starting out and I see this as a real value,” Smith said.

He said that reviews and social accountability is important. “There’s so much credibility involved with being a BBB Accredited Business,” he said.

Smith said he was planning to measure the effectiveness and response of his social media and customer feedback in 2022.

“I know people do look at reviews and it’s very important to watch what is happening on social media,” he said.

Knowing this, the question becomes: How does a business generate more positive reviews to tap into this digital word-of-mouth marketing?

It’s up to each business to come up with a sound strategy that will propel them to success, and it starts with determining where your business stands with its current reputation. It helps to envision what growth and optimization looks like and BBB can help with that.

Personal surveys can be done by calling customers and interviewing the most loyal to find out what they think is working for them. By monitoring what your patrons are saying about your business on social media sites and review platforms like Yelp, Google and Better Business Bureau, a business can identify the overall sentiment.

The harsh reality, unfortunately, is that these reviews will not always be positive. Responding to them, though, can help determine how your business can do better. Often, according to the BBB, customer complaints – and even compliments – do not receive a response.

Sometimes, the BBB says, just a simple response can change the perception of the complainant and elicit a return visit. Ultimately, consumers just want to make sure their voice is heard, so responding is crucial.

To further understand your customers needs, BBB suggests learning about their story and why they choose you over the competition. These testimonials can be shared on social media to show why they like your business and continue to patronize it. Here, you are generating your own positive reviews, and by sharing them you will likely attract new customers. Turning to the people who “love” your product or service can often foster good will in the community and bring new patrons into your business.

Your local Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest is here to truly help put the “better” back in business, and offers the resources to help get you there. From business development programs, funding options and educational events, to consumer mediation support and a stamp of approval for doing things the right way – BBB is here for every step of the journey from startup to veteran business.

BBB Accreditation is truly an honor that not every business is eligible for. All BBB Accredited Businesses have agreed to live up to the BBB Standards for Trust — a comprehensive set of best practices for how businesses should interact fairly and honestly with customers.

It all comes back to reputation, and BBB wants to make sure you have a good one. Contact Kryistyna Hook at 928-302-3701, stop by 1100 London Bridge Road Ste F106, or visit bbbcommunity.org to learn more.

Photo courtesy of Better Business Bureau of the Pacific Southwest