Your reputation precedes you.
That’s an old adage and it especially matters for companies. Good reviews can go a long way toward reeling in new customers and retaining existing customers. Bad reviews can sink you.
Online reviews are so easily accessible in this era and you need to do all you can to ensure that your customers are posting positive reviews. Consumers can use Yelp, Google My Business and other sites to find out details before they even visit your store.
Let’s take a look at why online reviews matter so much and tips to help boost your standing.
MORE, MORE, MORE
Let’s start with one basic stat: You need plenty of reviews.
BrightLocal reports you should have at least 40 online reviews since that’s when consumers start to believe that the reviews are legitimate and not skewed. At the bare minimum you need at least five, though, because that adds legitimacy and makes the reviews feel more realistic.
The average local business on Google has 39 reviews, per BrightLocal.
When your ranking goes up by one star on Yelp, businesses see a boost of 5-9% in revenue, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Having more reviews also prevents one bad rating from truly tanking your rating.
Acquiring those online reviews matters since three of four consumers saying they avoid traditional advertising, according to edelman.com.
It’s clear individuals trust people who have actually used the product.
RULE OF THREE
You want to have at least three stars.
Synup reports that 82% of shoppers will not ship with a retail store that doesn’t have at least three stars.So, there’s your guide.
You need to get at least three stars to feel strongly about your product’s worth in the market and that individuals will be willing to trust the reviews.
USE TEXT
While videos and photos are certainly helpful for social media, that doesn’t translate for consumer reviews since 43% of shoppers prefer text-based reviews over video (24%) and photos (33%), according to a report from yotpo.com.
Keep those reviews as simple as possible.
FOLLOW UPS
One way to get reviews is with follow-up emails.
Some strategies to generate responses include asking specific questions in the subject line, including your store name, avoiding using all uppercase fonts and even offering incentives.
Sure, incentives may cost a little extra. But they get the reviews you need and can help in the long run.
This also is helpful since 38% of Americans “never” leave reviews on products and services, according to the Pew Research Center. Only 10% “always” or “almost always” leave reviews.
MILLENNIALS
Reviews are crucial and if you cater to millennials there’s extra importance since they carry more weight with that demographic, according to searchenginejournal.com. They’re likely to check out the reviews and then decide whether or not to even give that company a chance.
BrightLocal reports that 91% of customers between the ages of 18-34 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Even though they don’t know the person who is posting that specific review, that recommendation holds weight with the younger crowd.
Among that 91%, 39% say they “always” trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation, 24% say they do if they believe the reviews are authentic, 20% say they do if there are multiple reviews and 8% for “some types” of businesses.
NEGATIVE CAN BE POSITIVE
Here’s a stat that may surprise you: 82% of shoppers specifically search for negative reviews, according to a 2016 report from PowerReviews.
And here’s an even more shocking one: Consumers spend five times more on a site with an 85% boost in conversion rate when they “interact” with negative reviews, per Revoo.
This data tells us that having a bad review or two can actually help since individuals may think your numbers are skewed or boosted if you’re too close to perfection.
A blemish here and there isn’t the worst thing.
COSTLY PRODUCTS
Reviews matter more for costly products, according to the Spiegel Research Center.
This makes sense. If customers are spending large amounts, they want to ensure they are getting products that are worth the massive investment.
That report states that conversion rates increase 380% for reviews for high-priced goods.
While reviews can be scary, we hope this article explained the importance of having them. Having strong reviews can go a long way toward generating income and revenue. Keep checking Digicom for the latest tips, strategies and articles for all your marketing needs!
SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?
Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.