Consumers like to be reassured that they are making the right decision, especially where money is concerned. Because online reviews are written by fellow consumers, many customers find them easier to trust. They provide real-life analyses of different products and services and deliver an idea of their reliability, value, and quality. They are so important, in fact, that a majority of buyers base their purchasing decisions on them. A 2016 survey shows that 9 in every 10 shoppers looked at least one review that year before visiting a business. In this article, we will tell you what these reviews can do for your brand and how you can leverage and get more of them.
Online Reviews Increase Your Visibility
In the online space, visibility is first and foremost determined by site indexing. Social media platforms and search engines use different data points to rank your business online. Pages are ranked higher if they offer credible and useful information to consumers. Among other things, algorithms determine your ranking through review sites. If your business is being reviewed favorably online, these algorithms will rank you higher and as an authority in your industry, immeasurably increasing your exposure.
They Help Your Build Credibility
Exposure means that more people are talking about your business and you are visible to more consumers. But it also matters what these people are saying. If your business receives a slew of positive reviews – through exemplary service and good-quality products – soon enough people will start to trust you. Several studies have shown that shoppers trust a business more if it has a 4-star or higher rating. In fact, such businesses have a higher chance of converting views into sales and traffic.
Visibility and Credibility Boost Sales
Speaking of which, increased visibility and credibility could turn more people toward your site and prompt them to purchase your products or services. This means you get more traffic, more sales, and more revenue. Multiple studies support this idea, including a Harvard Business School study that shows that online reviews can significantly impact a brand’s revenue margins. Per the study, a rise of one star on Yelp could increase your sales in the short term by 5 to 9 percent. Another 2016 study by Revoo reveals that positive online reviews can increase sales by approximately 18 percent.
Online Reviews Can Act as Consumer Guides
Now a consumer-facing benefit – online reviews can act as useful guides. They can tell consumers how to use your products or services, how to tackle problems that may arise, and how to seek customer help when they need it, among other things. In many reviews like the royal oak casino review, for instance, viewers find out where the Royal Oak casinos are, what games they can play there, how to unlock bonuses, and more. Such information is useful to new consumers and can shorten the learning curve, allowing them to better enjoy a service or product. This leads to overall more positive consumer experiences.
They Give You Helpful Feedback
Just as positive online reviews tell you what you are doing right, negative ones can provide insights into your weaknesses. This information can reveal what problems consumers are facing, be they about customer support, shipping delays, or high prices, and you can adjust your approach in kind. This troubleshooting process can help grow your brand into the best version of itself.
They Can Increase Your Accessibility
Your audience will want to engage with you on their experiences with your product and services and you should let them. If you appoint company reps to respond to online reviews, consumers will find you more accessible and helpful, which will boost your brand image. Responding to positive reviews helps encourage reviewers to keep writing about your business and responding to negative ones will help you address consumer complaints and improve their experience with you. Over time, you will gain a reputation as a brand with first-rate customer care.
Online Reviews Can Reveal New and Niche Markets
Finally, online reviews can sometimes reveal new and niche markets for your products or services. You may realize reading reviews about your business that some consumers are using your offerings in a way you did not predict. For instance, you may learn that users are using your translator app to learn new languages because it has a voice reader function. This information can allow you to customize or expand your portfolio to meet the needs of this new market better. From our example, perhaps, you may launch a language practise app or include structured lessons as a feature on the translator app.
Wrapping Up: How to Attract More Online Reviews
Ecommerce has grown immensely over the years with the widespread penetration of the internet. So much so that many businesses have at least an online channel through which consumers can access their products or services. In some sectors, many brands have moved their operations completely online. Online reviews are like free marketing – they help improve your credibility, visibility, and brand image online simply by how you interact with consumers. The best way to get online reviews is to ask your customers to write some. You can even offer them some incentives to do so. And when they do, whether it is positive or negative, always respond to the feedback. Your brand will thank you.
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