Why are online reviews important?

In today’s digital age, online reviews are more important than ever before. With the click of a button, potential customers can read hundreds of reviews about a business before making a purchase. 

As a result, businesses that provide high-quality products and services tend to thrive, while those that do not quickly fall by the wayside. In addition, online reviews can help to build trust between a business and its customers. 

When customers see that others have had positive experiences with a business, they are more likely to take the plunge and make a purchase themselves. 

Finally, online reviews provide valuable feedback for businesses. By reading what customers have to say, businesses can learn what is working well and what needs to be improved. 

In short, online reviews are essential for businesses of all types.

As a small business owner, you’re determined to see your company succeed no matter what it takes. As a result, you have a lot on your plate on any given day, whether it’s managing inventory, working the sales floor, processing payroll, or other mission-critical activities.

No matter how driven you are to build your business, it’s challenging to find time for marketing. However, whether you have time to pay attention to it, one form of marketing is unavoidable: online product reviews! We’re surprised why some small business owners are still unclear on why are online reviews important?

The power of online reviews for small businesses cannot be overstated. Think about it: How often have you jumped directly to the reviews section to determine if a product is worth purchasing? 

Having easy access to the internet has revolutionized the way people shop for almost everything today. Customers want to know that they can trust how they spend their hard-earned cash. 

Keep reading to find out how to use online reviews to interact with your customers, boost your brand’s image, and encourage customers to give positive buying recommendations. We’ll also touch up the fact that why are reviews important!

To learn how Xoopah’s review management can help you streamline your methods to manage your online reputation, contact us today!

Importance of Customer Reviews

In a nutshell, they’re essential. Why are online reviews important? The answer is straightforward!

Businesses are seeing an increase in the number and frequency of online reviews. Some of the most eye-opening stats about the relationship between online reviews and your small business’s success are:

• Online reviews influenced 93% of consumers’ purchase decisions.
• In addition, 87% of potential customers won’t consider brands with bad reviews.
• From pre-pandemic levels, review interaction has increased by 50%. It’s just one of many indicators that the pandemic has made people more cautious about where they go and what they buy.
• 80% of people believe that online reviews are valuable as personal recommendations.

Reviews Establish Trust and Validation

Anyone who’s ever shopped online knows the importance of customer reviews. In an age where businesses are just a click away, customers have more choices than ever before. As a result, they’re also more discerning, and they’re not afraid to do their research before committing to a purchase. That’s why reviews can be so important for businesses. Positive reviews can help to build trust and credibility, while negative reviews can be costly.

Customers generally have no reason to give a business a good or bad review unless it reflects their experience. So, the more positive reviews you have the more trustworthy your business will be perceived. 

Of course, it’s not enough to simply have a lot of reviews – they need to be positive as well. 

That’s why it’s so important to provide excellent customer service and deliver on your promises. If you can do that, you’re more likely to earn positive reviews – and the trust of your customers.

Positive Reviews equals Positive Sales while Negatives Do the Opposite

In the age of the internet, the power of online reviews should not be underestimated. Positive reviews can drive customers to take action, from browsing your site to actually making a purchase. 

One study by BizRate reports that roughly 65% of consumers say that they look at online reviews either most of the time or even all the time before they decide to make a purchase. This shows the significant impact that online reviews can have on customer behavior. 

Therefore, it is important for businesses to encourage customers to leave positive reviews in order to increase sales and drive traffic to their site.

Substantial Increase in Brand Communication and Visibility Increase

Customer reviews are important for multiple reasons. First, they increase your company’s visibility on Google searches. Second, they provide a way for customers to engage and converse about your business with other customers. This last point is especially true if the reviews are living on social media. 

Social media platforms like Facebook and Yelp provide review sections that allow customers to leave feedback about their experiences. 

These review sections not only help potential customers make informed decisions about whether or not to do business with you, but they also give you an opportunity to engage with your customers and build relationships. 

In today’s competitive business landscape, customer reviews can be a powerful tool to help you stand out from the crowd.

Benefits Of Online Reviews

Small businesses need to take advantage of online reviews. This includes requesting consumers to post reviews, keeping an eye on them (monitoring your reputation), responding to customers, and sharing your best reviews on social media. As a small business owner, you need to keep these factors top of mind:

Reviews help increase online visibility.

A successful brand is also one that is visible.

There is a good chance that if you search for a business, you will see what other people have to say about it online right away. However, when it comes to deciding the order in which businesses appear in local searches, Google considers review ratings from multiple sources. According to Moz, online reviews and specialized keywords significantly impact local search engine rankings more than any other factor.

If a customer searches for a local business on Yelp, your rating and the number of reviews you have both factors towards how high you appear in the results. When your website is rated higher, both algorithms and humans regard it as an authority, increasing exposure. Despite Google’s dominance, Yelp and Facebook aren’t far behind.

Reviews help build credibility.

A regular stream of positive reviews can help your business gain tremendous trust and credibility.

One of the more intriguing discoveries of recent research is the importance of reviews in establishing your business’s online identity. Customers familiar with well-known brands know what to expect and are likely to have their thoughts and experiences related to these businesses. However, when it comes to small businesses, potential customers may be unsure about your reputation and whether or not you are a trustworthy brand – this is where social proof comes in.

Reviews help establish your brand’s credibility in the eyes of anyone discovering it for the first time. They may be hesitant to make a purchase or engage you unless you are confident you are credible. Reviews can help your small business gain credibility, impact client decisions, generate brand confidence, and illustrate why you’re a better choice than competitors.

Reviews impact purchasing decisions

A proactively managed business promotes your online presence, which today includes encouraging people to talk about you in various ways. Although social media is a valuable tool, the ability for customers to talk about you on other platforms is an essential aspect of your online presence.

According to nearly two-thirds of shoppers, online reviews are an essential decision-making component. They’re more inclined to consult Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor for recommendations than consult a newspaper or friends and relatives.

If you focus on generating positive reviews, customers will see your brand. For example, suppose you’re visiting a new city and ask your best buddy for a recommendation on where to have lunch. You choose between two Italian eateries, one with middling reviews and the other with over 100 great reviews. Which one do you pick?

People are more likely to make that decision and give a business a try if they have a positive online reputation.

Online Reviews impact SEO

If you want your website to be found in search results, you need SEO (Search Engine Optimization). To rank higher in Google’s search results, you need to implement as many SEO best practices as possible when building and managing your website.

For example, search engines evaluate signals like keywords, links, and changes to determine what your website is all about. Several factors contribute to where your business appears in a search, including local SEO signals like reviews.

The number of reviews, the diversity of the reviews, and the timing of the reviews are all factors to consider when it comes to reviews. Regarding local search rankings, review signals are currently the second-biggest influencers, according to BrightLocal.

Most customers (almost 90%) will read no more than ten reviews before purchasing. Of course, more reviews are better, but it’s essential to watch how frequently they’re being posted.

Negative or positive, too many reviews at once can be suspicious. Your SEO score is also influenced by the variety of review sites that feature your company and the “authority” of the reviewer. Your website’s rating might rise considerably if it receives positive reviews on directories like Google My Business.

Another SEO aspect is how often you make changes to your site. A static website is one that never changes its content.  Eventually, search engines give up on them since they’re believed to be “out-of-date” and hence no longer relevant.

Your website’s content will always be up to date if you display consumer reviews. An internet search engine deems it fresh and relevant to the current market.

Reviews provide valuable feedback.

Favorable evaluations can help a business’s reputation by demonstrating that its services align with its objectives.

Positive comments can also encourage businesses to continue growing a specific component of their business, especially if they were unsure about the product or service in the first place.

As much as no one likes to see a bad review, there are benefits to having one. A company can use customer feedback to improve areas that are deficient or do not meet goals. Examine your negative reviews to see any recurring issues, such as difficulty contacting you, inaccurate information about your company hours on the internet, or delayed service. You’ll be able to capture problems early enough to prevent them from getting worse.

After a negative review is resolved, it is beneficial for a firm to follow up with a positive review.

Reviews facilitate free marketing for your business.

Yes, by reviews, we mean the more formal writings you find on review sites and directories, but we think it’s equally vital to include the minor buzz you see on social media — the talk and commentary that’s out there about your business. 

There are many ways to get your name out there, but word-of-mouth is one of the most effective. The more positive talk you have for a successful business, the more referrals and word-of-mouth marketing you can get. As a result, when your satisfied customers write beautiful reviews, they’re doing your marketing for you, and each review will continue to do so long after it’s posted. User-generated content can go a long way to promoting your business, even if your marketing budget is limited.

 And the more people who discover and utilize your service, the more reviews you’re likely to receive, so the cycle will continue to promote your brand.

Review show your business cares

People not only listen to what others have to say about your company, but they also keep an eye on how you respond to it. Is your company responsive to online reviews, whether they’re positive or critical? 

Nearly 80% of customers believe that responding to internet reviews shows a company’s concern for its customers more than not responding.

You can also use these reviews to be open and honest with customers and reward positive feedback with an appreciation or special promotions. They allow you to respond to a negative review and demonstrate that you care. These reviews and answers give your brand a face. Brands that appear approachable and eager to hear from customers are more likely to succeed.

Can Negative Reviews Be Valuable?

Although it may be hard not to, it is critical to display good and negative feedback. Criticism is an essential sort of feedback, and therefore, it’s best to acknowledge it. No one understands your product better than the people who buy it, so listening to their feedback can make positive adjustments.

Of course, you don’t want your products to have a string of one-star rating pages. A few here and there, on the other hand, can serve to increase your trustworthiness. A 4.5 or 8/10 average review score feels more authentic, and it tells your viewers that the input is trustworthy.

Customers consider brands with only 5/5 reviews to be less trustworthy. While a few less-than-perfect evaluations lower a product’s average rating, they’re more likely to help your business expand over time. Of course, by providing excellent service, you’ll want to encourage as many positive reviews as possible.

If you do get bad reviews, you must answer quickly and professionally.

To learn how Xoopah’s review management can help you streamline your methods to manage your online reputation, contact us today!

How to Leverage Reviews

Feature testimonials on your website

There are many benefits to featuring online customer reviews on your website. 

First and foremost, they provide valuable feedback about your products or services. This can be helpful in making improvements or adjustments to better meet customer needs. 

Additionally, reviews can help build trust and credibility with potential customers. Featuring positive reviews prominently on your website can give visitors the confidence they need to make a purchase from you. Finally, customer reviews can also help boost your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. 

Online reviews are considered fresh content, and search engines reward websites that regularly add new content. So by featuring customer reviews on your site, you could see a bump in your organic traffic levels. Overall, there are many good reasons to make use of customer reviews on your website.

Highlight customer reviews on social media

Social media is a great place to highlight customer testimonials and reviews. For example, LinkedIn allows you to request recommendations from past clients, and Facebook has a “Reviews” section on its sidebar. 

These are great places to showcase customer satisfaction, as they offer tremendous social proof. 

Highlighting customer reviews on your social media channels is a great way to show potential clients that you’re an authority in your field. It also builds trust and credibility, two essential components of any successful business. 

So if you’re looking for ways to improve your social media presence, start by showcase customer reviews and testimonials. It’s a surefire way to win new business.

Bottom Line

One of the most critical marketing strategies for small businesses is online product reviews. Benefits of online reviews are immense, online reviews matter and might make the difference between you and your competitor. So, don’t be afraid of negative feedback. 

Get your business posted on social media and review sites so that your customers and audience can discuss it and learn more about it. And harness the power of an efficient and streamlined method to manage your online reputation and benefit from from the power of online reviews. Just imagine what it can do for your small business!

Xoopah’s Interaction and Review Management System allows you to communicate conveniently at every touchpoint of the customers’ journey.  And enables your business to get found, convert visitors, gather feedback, and collect reviews- efficiently and effectively.