Over the past number of years, a greater level of importance is being placed on the quality – and quantity – of online reviews. Business owners who understand the critical importance of monitoring and utilizing online reviews for the benefit of their company are enjoying a greater level of overall success in terms of attracting and converting qualified leads – which is, of course, the name of the game. For instance, a single positive comment from a satisfied customer results in an astounding 18% increase in sales, and consumers generally spend 31% more because of a positive review. Additionally, having a single negative review can result in a 22% decrease in overall sales, and additional negative reviews tend to cause an even more dramatic decrease (source: Small Business Trends). Not only do online reviews need to be positive, they need to be consistent and direct – over 90% of consumers form an opinion of a business after reading less than 10 reviews!
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Think about your own behavior as a consumer, it doesn’t take long for you to make a purchase decision between a 4.8 star average and a 3.5 star average, does it? And what if the average star rating is equal? You most likely will choose the one that has the greater number of reviews, right? That’s consumer behavior today, and if you, the business owner is not actively implementing some type of review program, your competition is, and if they have a better star average and/or more reviews, they are most likely getting the call from the customer before you are and therefore more likely to convert to a customer.
Recent studies indicate that younger generations are utilizing online review sites much more frequently than older generations, so it makes sense to suggest that the importance of online user reviews will become even more pronounced in the future. Because of the growing importance of online reviews, smart business owners are now focusing on online review sites and developing a strategy to enhance their online reputation. A few of the most important online review sites are:
- Yellow Pages
- Yelp
- Foursquare
In today’s increasingly competitive world, it is imperative that a business utilizes a variety of strategies to enhance their overall reputation, both online and offline, creating a well rounded marketing strategy. Today’s consumer demands maximum value for their dollar, and tend to spend money on companies they trust. If your business has a negative review, consumers will often move on to the next business on the list – a business that may not have a negative review – and that sale will be going to your competition rather than to your business. Additionally, today’s consumer trusts consumer reviews 12 times more than descriptions that come from the business itself. Today’s consumer has access to their smart phone at all times – and are more than willing to complete a Google search on your business to read about the experiences and opinions of past customers before they are willing to commit to anything, so by painting a picture of positivity and success, you are directly impacting your bottom line revenue.
Did you know?
- 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation
- 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business if they’re asked to do so
- 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business
- 54% of people will visit the website after reading positive reviews
- 73% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant
- 74% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
- 58% of consumers say that the star rating of a business is most important
Google research has found that having a strong online review presence increases website traffic by 360%, a figure that can be amplified with Google’s new inclusion of third party review content from other sites. If your business is showing a high number of positive and quality reviews from high authority review websites, your star rating will be positively impacted which, according to research, translates into more qualified leads for your business.
Reviews on Google can also contribute directly to how well your business ranks in a search; Google reports that having ten or more reviews will add “SEO points”, which has a direct impact on your overall Google ranking.
Today, more than ever before, if you want to attract new customers as well as retaining existing ones, one of the most important things you can do is take control of your online review ratings. Leaving this to chance is very dangerous and could have catastrophic consequences on your operation, which is why many businesses are utilizing industry experts such as Web Promotion Partners to develop an aggressive and proactive strategy to attack the online review presence for their business. To find out more about the services Web Promotion Partners offer, contact us at (561) 299-3942 to arrange for an initial consultation.
Don’t let your competitors take customers that can be yours. Stand out by ensuring that your business lands on page 1 of Google when a search is done for the products or services you provide. Can you afford to not be easily found when your potential customers search online? Get in touch with Web Promotion Partners today to see what exciting solutions we can provide for you and your growing business. Call (561) 299-3942 or visit us at https://webpromotionpartners.com.
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