As a business, it can sometimes be tough to open yourself up to feedback. It’s a scary proposition, asking people what they think of you, and inviting them to be as honest as possible when appraising the products you sell or service you provide.

But feedback, however it’s framed, is a positive attribute. If cultivated and actioned properly even negative feedback can actually help to build a business.

Research is now a key process for the modern consumer, and brands that open themselves up to feedback via online reviews can help themselves to enter that customer research cycle. Reviews enable businesses to learn more about their customers, to build upon what’s working well for them and to tweak what’s not, so that they can adapt, evolve and get better as a result.

Opening up to feedback is the first step, but you also need to collect reviews from customers. Email invitations are a good way to do this, but it’s important to establish a template, then use A/B testing to tweak the invitation to ensure the best response, or work with a partner who has an existing, proven template.

Email invitations encourage more feedback

If the invitation doesn’t provoke a response, it’s important to send a reminder. Trustpilot’s customers who use invitation reminders have seen that 35 per cent of reminders lead to a customer writing a review.

Reviews can also help generate and convert leads. Vivint Smart Home, a leading smart home company, has been working with us to grow its online reputation, and has seen a significant increase in both conversion and consumer confidence in its brand.

In its paid search activities, during a 28-day A/B testing period, Vivint saw a 12 per cent improvement in conversions from the version of the landing page with Trustpilot reviews, providing a substantial uptick in quality leads.

It also saw an increase in confidence at key conversion points and a strong impact on organic search conversions, with a 2 per cent increase in leads overall, and a 5 per cent increase in inbound phone calls.

But it’s important to remember that reviews aren’t always smooth sailing, and you may need to steel yourself for slightly rougher moments. Along with all the positive reviews you’ll hope to get, you’re bound to get a few bad ones too. But these aren’t the end of the world, in fact they can help people to identify with the brand by humanising it.

Consumers want the full view of a business, warts and all. If dealt with in the right way, negative reviews can even be an opportunity. After having a bad experience, our research has revealed 55 per cent of people would accept an apology from a provider, while 46 per cent say businesses can regain their trust simply by showing that they care enough to try and resolve the issue.

People trust brands that are prepared to help

However, it’s a common misconception that the only people who leave review are angry, and so will only leave bad reviews. Our statistics show that 83 per cent of online reviews remain positive, and these reviews can pack a punch. Research from Practical eCommerce shows a single positive review might help increase conversions by 10 per cent.

But you still need a bit of both. Econsultancy’s research shows that a range of positive and negative reviews are better for business, as 30 per cent of consumers suspect censorship when no negative reviews are present.

If used properly, feedback, both positive and negative, can be a recipe for success. Brands can use it to engage with their customers on a deeper level, while showing customers that they are being listened to and appreciated, as well as harder benefits, like improving search rankings, increasing conversion and enhancing online reputation.

By embracing feedback wholeheartedly, brands can build a stronger bond with their customers and develop themselves into a better, bigger and more successful business in the process.