In a world where myriads of online and offline adverts bombard consumers and potential customers, people tend to ignore most of them. Consequently, businesses should get alternative and less aggressive ways of showcasing their products and services. One way of doing this is taking advantage of online reviews, which come in as a more trusted and non-offensive alternative for businesses. But how do these reviews benefit an average business? To answer this question, I will walk you through practical ways in which online reviews benefit your online marketing efforts. Remain with me to discover how they can take your business to the next level.
Better Insight into Your Products and Services
First, positive reviews are great tools for highlighting the strengths of your products and services. For instance, if a consumer says that they received their order in time, it shows that your services are prompt. This is an easy way of putting your best foot forward without engaging in aggressive selling and marketing.
They Are Just As Good as Recommendations
People trust recommendations from friends, family members, and other personalities they trust. The beautiful side of this reality is that research shows 88% of consumers trust online reviews the way they do the personal recommendation. So, what do these figures mean? In short, they clearly show us that people are wary of mere adverts from aggressive sellers. Instead, they want to hear what a product did for a user more than what the seller or their advert says it can do. Therefore, it is important to mind your reviews since they can be either a vote of thanks or no confidence in your products and services.
They Build Trust
Without trust, no business can go survive. That is why you should pay attention to this element of your dealings with your customers. But how do online reviews foster trust? Research shows us that 72 percent of consumers say that positive online reviews bolster their trust in a local business. Moreover, it shows that 70 percent of consumers say that positive reviews build their trust in businesses. Remember, negative reviews are two-edged swords that can cut you down or build you up. Therefore, be tactful and sincere in how you handle negative reviews and turn them into opportunities to learn, correct, and show your users that you care. Don’t forget that it is better to apologize and show you care for your clients than try to argue and defend yourself (while you offend your customers more!) trying to show that you are right.
They Manifest Your Personality
In online marketing, it is not enough to get your visitors to buy into your products and services. It is also necessary to let them buy into your brand’s personality. One way of expressing your brand’s personality and packaging it in your offers is posting genuine positive reviews. But how do you do this? In two different ways. First, show a grateful spirit by responding gratefully to positive reviews your users’ post. For instance, if they appreciate your offers, it is perfect to respond and thank them for giving you the opportunity to serve them. Second, if they post negative reviews, respond by taking responsibility through sincere apologies and addressing their dissatisfaction. This way, you will show your visitors or consumers that they are dealing with a responsible entity.
Improved Online Traffic
Do you want to boost your website’s traffic? Try posting positive and genuine reviews because they are great tools for influencing visitor desire to visit your website. Remember, research shows that genuine online reviews account for 10 percent of website traffic.
They Influence Purchases
Just like good SSL certificate, online reviews are critical in influencing your potential buyers to make favorable buying decisions. For example, studies show that 90 percent of consumers say that online reviews directly influence their buying decisions. Moreover, it shows that product page visitors who read online reviews have a 58 percent chance of converting than those who don’t. Do not forget that 90 percent of shoppers read reviews before they visit businesses.
Improved SEO Rankings
The last benefit of having positive Google reviews for your website is enhanced local SEO ranking. Consequently, having more positive reviews for your website results in a higher local ranking in organic search results if they are in good quality.
So, what factors influence your customers’ view of your online reviews? Below are some of the leading factors that make your reviews tick in the minds and hearts of your potential and existing customers.
- Quantity
More reviews on your website are beneficial since they build your audience’s trust. However, they should be positive to achieve this goal.
- Velocity
This element deals with the pace at which you post your reviews. Consequently, you will need a level of some balance to avoid posting your reviews too often or fast. Otherwise, people could ignore your reviews.
- Diversity
This critical component depends on the number of online directory websites with specific business reviews. Moreover, it includes a third-party place that falls outside of Google’s domain.
- Volume
Volume refers to the rich snippets or reviews website owners use in the form of microdata.
- Keyword-related
Even though building your reviews around keywords is impactful in that it enables people to find your business easily, you need a balance. Otherwise, overdoing it could as well result in undoing the good you intended to achieve.
Closing Remarks
Just like an SSL certificate is critical to your website’s security in terms of boosting your customers’ trust, so are online reviews necessary for enhancing your buyers’ trust in your website and brand. In this post, I showed you how online reviews are critical tools for maintaining your online presence. With all their benefits clearly portrayed before your eyes, I hope you will act on them. This way, you will be in a better position to benefit from the spirit and letter of this expositive post.
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