12 Oct Importance of Business Reviews

Approximately 92 per cent of consumers read online review, 40 per cent of which form an opinion after just reading one to three reviews. With 68 per cent of consumers suggesting positive reviews within the month make them trust a business more, you should be asking for business reviews, and often.

Online reviews can improve your business’ profitability. Positive online reviews equal positive outcomes and reviews directly influence consumer decisions. A recent survey conducted by Dimensional Research found an astonishing 90 per cent of online customers said their buying decisions were directly influenced by online reviews. By the time a consumer has started looking at your reviews, they have typically figured out exactly what they need or want and how your business may fulfill what they’re looking for. Because many of their purchasing decisions have already been made before they even reach you, your reviews are may be one of the last things standing in the way of their purchase at your business. Almost immediately a decision will be made over whether or not to give you their business. If you are a small operation, this can directly affect your bottom line.  

Reviews also influence your ability to be found on local search engines. Google reviews provide users with accurate information instantly. A recent survey conducted by SEO (Search Engine Optimization) consulting company, MOZ, found online reviews make up roughly 10 per cent of how search engines such as Google, decide how to rank businesses. The more good reviews, the higher your business will be in search rankings.

So how is best to utilize the power of reviews?

There’s no right or wrong way to develop what’s called a review acquisition strategy, as long as thought is put  into it. Pushing your customers to leave reviews on your business site via email will not be as easy or impactful as pushing them to leave reviews on popular platforms. Whether it be Yelp, My Google Business or Facebook, always respond to your business’ reviews (whether they are positive or not). Offer your thanks for positive reviews and a solution for negative ones. You should also be sharing these review on your other platforms.Utilize the “Share” feature on Facebook and your “Story” on Instagram to draw attention to your clients who have gone out of their way to help grow your business’ credibility.)

Not all online review platforms enable reviews to be shared among all search engines, some keep information exclusively to their own site. This infographic created by Phil Rozak gives you an idea of how the platforms interact.

Responding to negative reviews may not sound appealing, but it actually helps to position your company and brand as one that truly cares about customer experience. Negative reviews that go unanswered will leave a lasting negative impression on not only the client who wrote them, but ones considering your business. If an effort to rectify the situation was made, the negative review looses some of its power. Reading and responding to all reviews also acts as a way to get honest constructive feedback about your company and should be used to approve.

To start building your online reviews, you may want to consider running a contest where writing a review is your client’s entrance. Asking clients at the end of their experience in your business is another simple, yet effective way to build reviews.

Need some help putting a review plan in motion? To learn more about how the Spark Boutik team utilizes reviews in both their content and search and analytics strategies, contact us today.