The Importance of Online Reviews and Getting New Customers

These days, the Internet has become the go-to source for information on almost every industry. With the wide range of online review sites now available, most consumers with Internet access tend to check online reviews before they decide to buy anything from a cup of coffee to a fancy dinner to new cars and homes.

The Importance of Reviews

Web Tribunal shared some staggering online review statistics that showcase the importance of online reviews. Here are some of the key findings:

• 72% of customers won’t purchase something or contact a business until they read reviews.
• A single business review can lift its conversions by 10% (RevLocal).
• 87% of consumers have or would consider writing a review for a business

Essentially, if you want to attract more customers, you need to have reviews.

6 Reasons Why Online Reviews Matter to Your Business

Why are online reviews so important? Here are five reasons why reviews matter.

• Gain a competitive edge
• Build Trust 
• Help People Make Decisions
• Acquire New Customers
• Organic Search Visibility
• Get Feedback

Reason 1: Gain a Competitive Edge

As competition in many industries continues to rise and information on the Internet becomes more and more accessible, businesses are eager to find ways to stand out and gain a competitive edge against “the other guys.”

The accessibility of online review sites has made it easy for potential customers to decide whether or not to give you or your competition their new business.

This has, in turn, made many industries more competitive than ever. Businesses looking to find a high level of success will have to figure out how to gain a competitive advantage over the other major players in their industry.

Reason 2: Build Trust 

Businesses showcasing positive customer reviews, awards, and accolades will build trust with their users and potential customers. Reviews play an important role in building trust with someone that has not purchased a product or service yet. 

There is proof that positive online reviews lead to more purchases online. Work on getting more 5-star reviews from happy customers. 

72% of customers won’t take any action with a business until they read reviews.

Reason 3: Help People Make Decisions

Online reviews are part of the decision-making process. People want to leverage online reviews for purchases – no matter how big or small. They will read reviews to confirm whether a business is a good fit for what they are looking for. Negative reviews, or a lack of reviews in general, may cause potential customers to turn to another, more proven business. 

Reason 4: Acquire New Customers

Through positive reviews, you can acquire new customers. Online users can take the first step after reading reviews online to either call, fill out a form, or make an online purchase. From there, your team can contact potential customers and sell them a product or service. 

One single business review can increase conversions by 10%.

Reason 5: Organic Search Visibility

For most businesses, organic search is one of the most essential marketing channels for acquiring new business. Google factors reviews in its algorithm. Businesses with positive reviews can rank higher and be found more easily online. 

Reason 6: Get Feedback

Online reviews offer customers a way to leave feedback on their experience, positive or negative. Though negative reviews are detrimental to business, they can be important for uncovering issues internally. You can learn about your business’s operations and what you need to improve. 

As a business continues to grow, mistakes can happen. When mistakes lead to negative reviews left by customers online, your business and employees can learn from them to correct them so they don’t occur again.  

How to Manage Reviews

One great way to do this is to hire a reputation management company that can control your business reviews and search results, the first thing people will see when searching for you or your business online.

Building Positive Customer Reviews

Focusing on customer service is a super effective way to build positive customer reviews.  When the customer sees that you are putting in the time and effort to give them the best possible result, he or she may be inclined to leave a great review.

It is also always a smart idea to ask your customers to write reviews of their experiences with your company. If a customer has been with you for a long time, there is something about your business that keeps bringing them back.

When dedicated customers share their positive and honest experiences working with your company, they can inspire future clients and customers to do the same. Over time, you will gain more attention from local consumers than your competitors who are not consistently getting positive reviews.

87% of customers either have written or would consider writing a review for a business. It’s worth it to ask for reviews!

Avoiding Fake Reviews

Fake customer reviews have become an epidemic, and just a one-star rating decrease can cost you up to 9% of your business’ revenues, according to a Harvard Business School Study. Countless businesses are creating false accounts to write positive reviews for their company to boost revenues.

At the same time, many businesses are also writing fake “bad” reviews for their competitors. Although this may seem tempting, it will only result in ruining your own company’s reputation.

These practices are cheap and immoral and will get you nowhere in the long run.

Online review sites can quickly and easily find these fake reviews and will ‘flag’ your business to the public if they find you are behind them. It’s just not worth it. Spend time making tangible improvements to your business rather than hiding its imperfections.

Managing Online Reviews

Once the reviews start coming in, you must pay attention to what your customers say. This is how you will make stronger connections with your customers and show the public your business is the best choice out there because you genuinely do care.

Just a few quick responses to some positive reviews can go a long way. Letting your customers know you appreciate their feedback is a great way to keep them coming back and to get new customers interested as well.

It is also important not to ignore the negative reviews. You need to approach the issue calmly and professionally when a negative review is posted. Figure out if there is anything you can do to remedy the situation. You may be able to turn that customer’s experience from negative to positive and keep them from switching over to a competitor. Learn more about removing negative reviews on Google.

Don’t Undervalue to Importance of Reviews

While there are many ways to go about this, one thing stands true; it is impossible to ignore quality, positive customer reviews. Happy customers result in positive reviews, which bring in more happy customers to leave more positive reviews, building you a platform upon which you’ll stand way above the competition.

Keeping track of what is being said about your business online is critical, but with so many review sites out there, this can become quite difficult.

To find out more about how to monitor and manage online reviews and fix your online reputation, contact Reputation911 by filling out the form at the bottom of this page or by calling us at 866-MY-REP-911. We provide online review management services to protect and improve your online presence. 

About The Author

William DiAntonio

William DiAntonio is the Founder & CEO of Reputation911, a reputation management firm he founded in 2010 that has earned the trust of its clients for over a decade by helping individuals, businesses and brands control their online search results.