How POWr Comments Can Help You Build A Responsive Online Community

“The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” – Bill Gates

The most powerful tool the Internet brings to any small business is the ability to connect with an infinitely huge audience. As soon as your website goes live, people could theoretically be checking it out from the other side of the world.

There are a lot of things that go into building a successful website for your business but the key to growing a following, and retaining customers is your ability to engage with those people who visit you online. One of the easiest ways to start getting to know your customers is to allow them to comment directly on your website. Of course, there are some who warn against using online comments, but with basic moderation, and some guidelines it’s easy to grow a respectful, responsive online community (for some tips on how to use comments effectively, and how to avoid common problems, check out this awesome blog about using comments )

If you’re looking to start a conversation on your page, consider using POWr Comments. It’s a straightforward, mobile-responsive widget that you can use to communicate on virtually any website platform. So if you want to get people talking about your business, here’s some inspiration for how to get started:

Get them talking about your blog:

A blog is one great way to connect with people and share your thoughts with those around the world. Blogs can be a great outlet for writers of all sorts, businesses, thinkers, classes – you name it. If you still need convincing, check out Joshua Becker’s list of 15 reasons why everyone should blog. If you’re looking to start a conversation with your readers, consider how you engage with them in your comments – which are definitely one of the best communication tools available.

POWr Comments is great for any blog, because it’s easy to organize, customize and maintain. Visitors can easily log in using their email or Facebook accounts. Upgrade to Premium to set a comment length, allow anonymous comments and to manually approve each comment before it goes public.

Grow your community

POWr Comments can also be used to build an ongoing conversation. Instead of including a separate comment plugin with each article or update you post, you can follow in the footsteps of podcaster That Guy with the Hat, who has a page dedicated to “hanging out.” On it, there is a form where visitors can submit serious questions, and also a comment thread, where listeners discuss the show and their thoughts.

Another Premium feature of POWr Comments is the ability to reply directly to specific comments. This starts direct conversations, and allows visitors to speak to each other, creating an even larger discussion.

Show off your best reviews

MIPAR is a software company that has a suite of intuitive apps for 2d and 3d images. On their website, below all of the relevant information about what they do and how their programs work, they include a POWr Comment plugin where customers can leave reviews. Another great feature of our comment widget is that it allows you to choose whether to display comments, ratings or a combination of the two. Also, if you upgrade to Premium, you can choose to organize your comments by date, popularity or by hand. That way, you can make sure your visitors always see your best reviews first.

Use comments to help shoppers

These days, over 80% of online shoppers do research before making a purchase. If you have an online store, make the research a little bit easier for your customers, by including a comment plugin with each item you sell. This way, browsers can easily learn what people who bought the product thought about it. Consider reminding your clients to comment on your website after they make a purchase. A Premium feature of the plugin is the ability to rate each comment – that way, your customers can determine which of the comments are the most hopeful.

Use comments as a help line

A simple comment plugin, such as ours, can also be used just to simply open up a stream of communication with your users. The Henna Guys, who make all natural beauty products, include POWr Comments on their FAQ page. This way, when customers have questions about the product, they can ask their question or spend time reading through the thread of previously asked questions and find an answer themselves. This is a great support method for small companies just getting started.

Send happy thoughts and well wishes from far away

These days, one of the first steps for those planning weddings is often to set up a website. That way, all information, times, dates, registry information and RSVPs can be found in one easy-to-locate place. If you’re building a website for your wedding, think about including a comments plugin, where guests can ask you questions or those who cannot attend can send you well wishes.

Do you use POWr Comments on your website? Please let us know how in the comments!