Even in the digital era, customer reviews are crucial to the success of any business. They give shoppers a boost of confidence before making important purchasing decisions. Customer reviews bring a myriad of benefits to your business which other marketing campaigns can’t do as effectively.
Discover why your business should take online reviews more seriously.
The Benefits of Online Reviews
Traditional advertising isn’t as influential as it once was. Edelman reports that 3 in 4 consumers deliberately avoid ads. Meanwhile, the number of people who rely on online reviews to make purchasing decisions is on the rise. According to BrightLocal, around 91% of customers ages 18 to 34 prioritize them in their considerations.
There are several other good reasons why customer reviews are essential to your business.
1. Improves local search rankings
Online reviews can drive internet search results, increasing your visibility online as a result. Shoppers prefer to conduct searches on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. While they do have their own way of indexing content, they all value organic, fresh content. That means their algorithms can easily pick up online reviews which, in turn, can make your brand highly visible on those respective platforms.
The higher your rank on search engine results pages, the more credible and trustworthy you are in the eyes of prospective buyers.
2. Increases sales
Social proof is one of the most effective ways to make a sale. Your biggest source of social proof—customer reviews—can give prospective buyers the information they need to make well-informed purchasing decisions. Of course, people are more likely to purchase from brands who have amassed good product ratings and reviews.
According to Uberall, a mere 0.1-star increase in your average rating can improve conversion rates by 25%.
3. Boosts engagements
The modern consumer expects you to respond to online reviews whether they are positive or negative. It’s not enough that you post or share feedback. You must be responsive as well. Google reports that responding to reviews makes your business 1.7x more trustworthy than the brands that don’t.
More personalized responses can humanize your brand. Embracing an open-to-feedback approach also makes consumers feel heard and valued.
How to Get Reviews
Now that you know why online reviews are as important as the rest of your marketing efforts, you should work on how best to acquire them.
Here are a couple of methods that might help.
1. Leverage different review platforms
Make it easier for consumers to look up and leave online reviews. Don’t simply stick to social media platforms like Facebook. Use Google, Amazon, Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and other niche-specific sites to reach out to more audiences.
2. Host an event
Creating meaningful offline experiences can give consumers more value—that is, more than what they would get from your products or services. These events can establish positive sentiments towards your brand and increase consumers’ likelihood of leaving reviews.
3. Run SMS campaigns
One of the simplest and quickest ways to engage consumers post-purchase is through text. You can use opt-in SMS messaging to remind and encourage shoppers to leave a review. Make sure to add a link so they know exactly where to leave a review.
Find out more ways to get reviews here
Knowing the importance of online reviews will help you enhance your customer experience and leave a positive online footprint. By using different methods to gain valuable customer reviews, you can reap all the benefits we mentioned and more.
Get in touch with the specialists at Reviews911 to learn more about the benefits of online reviews and how their platform can help your business get more reviews.
