Why Online Reviews Are So Valuable for Your Business
In virtually any aspect of life, popularity brings a lot of benefits to anyone who enjoys it. Needless to say, the more popular you – or your business – become, the better the opportunity that will arise. However, we all know just how difficult becoming popular can really be. Thankfully, the modern business world is nothing like high school. What this means is that popularity is not exclusively reserved for girls with big (…) attitudes, but it’s also attainable to those of us who are willing to go the extra mile and actually work hard to achieve it.
One of the ways you can certainly do so is by encouraging online reviews and making them an integral part of your business efforts. So, let’s see why online reviews are so valuable and how you can use them to your advantage.
They help with decision making
The fact of the matter is that nearly 90% of modern online consumers will first check the internet in search of online reviews before they make a decision. Almost 88% of them will be more than likely to do business with a company that has good online reviews. Consumers perceive online reviews almost like word-of-mouth recommendations, which is why they are more willing to do business with a company that already has a strong online presence. If you look at things from the consumer’s point of view, you’d be more likely to spend your hard-earned money on a product or service a lot of people seem to like, rather than go experimenting with something nobody is talking about.
They increase sales
Aside from being an excellent marketing tool for attracting a new audience, online reviews work as great drivers of commerce as well. Simply put, the more people get familiar with your business and the way you approach running it, the more they will be willing to check your endeavor out. That’s why it’s important to include what others have to say about your business in your marketing efforts in addition to the identity you’ve managed to build for your business on social media. Any modern-day entrepreneur should welcome the perks of the digital age we’re living in and encourage others to share a positive word or two about their endeavor as well.
They encourage trust
Trust plays a huge role in not just customer retention but customer acquisition as well. If people perceive your brand as reliable and trustworthy, they will be more prone to doing business with you. For instance, if your business is operating in any industry that requires your customers to leave their sensitive (financial) information on your website, you can understand why some people would be squeamish about doing so. However, if you try to prove your customers that you have nothing to hide by offering them the chance to read – both positive and negative – reviews about your business, they will know what to expect and will more likely be encouraged to collaborate. To put things in perspective, this is precisely why so many online casinos encourage players to leave online casino reviews. As mentioned, you can find both positive and negative reviews about any trustworthy business, as they understand just how deceiving having only positive reviews can appear to be.
They make identifying good deals easier
Furthermore, online reviews make it easier for customers to identify good deals. Let’s say you, as a customer, are looking to buy a new vacuum cleaner or are looking to try out a new skincare routine. Instead of wasting your money on subpar products and making the purchases blindly, you will most likely first try to find some recommendations online. In such a scenario, the reviews you manage to find will not only save you a pretty penny but they will also prevent the nightmare of putting your skin through hell with the wrong skincare products.
They encourage brand loyalty
Finally, online reviews encourage brand loyalty which is very important for any business looking to succeed on the market. If you have a loyal customer base, they will become your brand ambassadors and will be more prone to recommend your brand to their friends and family. And, as already mentioned, if you consider just how much people favor word-of-mouth recommendations it becomes quite clear how having online reviews can help. Not only that, but customers that are actually willing to take some time out of their busy day to leave a review about your brand/business/product/service is more likely to come back and do business with you once more.
Hopefully, these reasons make it a bit clearer why any online business can benefit from encouraging online reviews. As mentioned earlier, the more popular your business becomes, the more lucrative your endeavor will be. That’s why you should encourage your audience to spread the word about your business and make sure you find a way to thank them properly. Even something as seemingly small as listening to their advice will mean a lot for your business, but that’s a story for another time.