Whether your small business sells products or services, online reviews from happy customers are becoming more and more important today. Nearly nine in 10 consumers surveyed by BrightLocal say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. How can you get more online reviews?

• Get listed on lots of review sites. Yelp isn't the only review site out there, and not every customer is a member. Seek out local or industry-specific review sites (TripAdvisor for a bed and breakfast; Angie's List for a contractor) and claim your listing on all of them. The more options customers have, the more likely they are to leave a review. 
   
• Never pay for reviews. Offering discounts, freebies or other items of value in exchange for reviews is against most review sites' policies. Even when it isn't, customers who see that you essentially pay for reviews are likely to be skeptical about your reviewers' honesty. 
   
• Make it easy to review your business. Start by reminding customers your business is listed on review sites. This can be as simple as putting a Yelp sticker in your window. Also, put icons linking to the review site on your business website's home page, in marketing emails or in other digital communications. The goal is to make it as "one-step" as you can.

Want to stay informed and inspired? Follow us on Twitter @SoCal10KSB.