When you search for anything online your eyes will most likely be led to those little stars telling you the kind of online reviews that a business has been given. It is an automatic response for most people when it comes to search and it applies to restaurants, airlines, products, services, and anything else you can imagine.
Online Reviews about Your Business Matter to Your Future Customers and to Your Future Success
If you don’t believe it, let’s look at some of the statistics listed in an infographic from WebsiteBuilder.org.
Do Customers Trust Online Reviews?
The facts don’t lie. No matter how fantastic you make your product’s description, most consumers are going to turn to reviews before making a buying decision. In fact, positive reviews will boost your sales by 18%. And, if you are looking for conversions, then look no further than user-generated content (UGC), which is customers talking about your products or services. UGC will up your conversion rate by 133%.
The Effect of Positive and Negative Online Reviews on Your Bottom Line
Every business wants those 5 stars after their name and there is a good reason to aim for that. Those little stars mean a lot of business for you. In fact, each star will increase your bottom line by up to 9%, and those positive reviews will also earn you trust and more clicks.
Negative reviews have a major impact as well because almost a quarter of consumers will not buy from a business that has just one negative review, and that number jumps as the number of negative reviews increases.
Thinking About Giving Your Business a Boost with Fake Online Reviews – Think Again!
The enormous impact of positive reviews can make the idea of creating fake reviews very tempting; however, if you give in to the temptation it will backfire on you. Review sites are always on the lookout for fake reviews and consumers are pretty good at picking them out too. A fake positive review can cause as much damage to a business’ reputation as a legitimate negative review.
Industries Most Affected by Online Reviews
Reviews affect some industries more than others, and those include:
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Medical offices
- Hospitals
- Hair salons
No one wants a bad meal, hotel, hair or medical care, so consumers look to prior customers to find out what to expect.
Don’t Forget About Social Media Reviews
You should never forget about the power of social media when it comes to the reputation of your business. We have all seen both the horror stories and the positive experiences with businesses in our social media feed at some point.
It is interesting to note that over half of all consumers will use Facebook as a place to learn about a brand they are considering. It is also interesting that when a negative review has been placed on social media, a third of consumers deleted that negative review when the business responded. That sends a powerful message about your business and brand.
How do you ensure customers will give a positive review?
