Word-of-mouth is a very powerful marketing tool. Online reviews are equivalent to word-of-mouth. 98% of customers rely on reviews before making a purchase and 94% stated that negative reviews have made them avoid a business. Businesses want to know about their product and services, area of improvement, etc. the feedback can range from simple star rating to brief comment reflecting their experience. It helps businesses in improving their services and products.
Reviews help in building positive online reputation. According to a study, Online reputation management can boost a business’s sales by an average of 15%. Nowadays there are many review management platforms and tools as well. 58% of customers stated that having a Google Business Profile can increase the likelihood of a physical visit to the store.
In this article, we’ll learn why customer reviews are important, it’s impact and success stories of brands using review management.
Why are customer reviews important?
Reviews help businesses in understanding what is working for their business and where they should show improvement. For example it can highlight a particular feature of a product that users love or highlight areas where you need to improve. These reviews allow businesses to redefine their offering, boost sales and enhance customer satisfaction.
Positive reviews help in building trust and credibility. A review from fellow shoppers provides a more trustworthy source of information. For example, if two brands offer similar products, customers will likely buy from the brand that has more positive reviews. Reviews help in building a strong online reputation.
Consumer behavior has changed a lot over the time. Now customers check reviews before buying a product. Gathering reviews is not enough but you must manage it effectively. The active engagement shows commitment to customer satisfaction and builds brand loyalty. Ignoring negative reviews can hamper your business. It is important to address them and provide a solution.
Power of Reviews
Reviews affect every business industry irrespective of scale, large or small. Very few customers trust salespeople and marketers. But when a good percentage of your customers are in the market, do you think new customers will conduct research? Many customers rely on social proof rather than marketing messages. Not one or two reviews influence them but several reviews do. By using positive reviews you can build trust with your customers. You can provide insights to general customer experience and provide positive aspects of your business.
Success Story of Brands using Review Management
Here some of the successful stories of brands using review management
- Cape Removal Furniture: Cape Removals learned that by showing about past customer service experience, you can secure more clients. Due to social proof from their reviews, they were able to back up their claims that they will provide a smooth customer experience.
- O-YES Properties: O-YES Properties had a dream of being the best ranked real estate agency on hellopeter. They put up a customer feedback system to achieve this goal. This move boosted their search engine ranking on Google and boosted their business.
- King Price: King Price realised that the more reviews they get, the more testimonials they can get to achieve the credibility of their business. The insurance industry is competitive but when you have real customers then converting a lead into a customer is easy.
- Peter’s Pet Shop: Peter’s Pet Shop was able to boost their ranking in search engine result page by getting more reviews about their business.
- Sweetie Box: They used a review software to enjoy a 19% increase in sales. The reviews helped them earn trust and credibility. Having social proof, make new leads into customers more easily. They were able to establish themselves as a reputable company that provides a happy experience to customers.
- Discovery Insure: They implemented a review management system that helped them in achieving more reviews. More reviews meant more loyalty and customer engagement. Reviews inform businesses how they can improve their services. It shows they care about their customers and they in return award them with more referrals.
Once you have a good amount of reviews, include them in your marketing strategy. Consider all the bottom-funnel touchpoints you have with your prospects and figure out how you can promote your reviews. Few places are websites, emails, social media, etc. You can also turn your review into a case study to show your product or services have helped or was successful for your customer. Lumia 360 provides a review management system that lets you filter and manage your reviews in one place. It lets you respond to your reviews and filter fake reviews. Our review management system has improved the search engine ranking of our clients and boosted their business. To know more about our review management system email at info@lumia360.com or call at 514-668–5599.
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