Are customer reviews and testimonials really THAT important? In a word….yes. Brand reputation is critical to consumers making a purchasing decision, and the types of online reviews you have demonstrate your trustworthiness and credibility. Today’s research-savvy consumers are skeptical of simply taking your word for it — they want proof, and people trust other people more than they trust businesses.
Online reviews help build a positive presence online and encourage potential customers to interact more with your brand. But that’s not all they do. Keep reading to learn four significant benefits that reviews can bring to your business.
4 Primary Benefits of Online Reviews
Take a look at some of the primary benefits of online reviews and customer testimonials.
1. Reviews build trust and credibility. Online reviews and testimonials are the new word-of-mouth recommendations for a digital age. Authentic reviews establish trust, credibility and confidence in your products and services. What can we say? People trust other people — 88% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
2. They improve your search engine rankings. Online reviews help you get found in local search. A study by Moz found that review signals (review quantity, review velocity, and review diversity) were a significant ranking factor for both the Google Local 3-Pack and organic search listings. Google business reviews are a valuable SEO tool to supplement other SEO efforts like relevant keywords and blogging. Having a robust collection of quality Google reviews can help drive up your rankings and be found more easily by local searchers.
3. They drive more conversions and sales. Reading online reviews and testimonials is a critical component of the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey. During the consideration stage, customers are actively researching potential products/services that will meet their needs and comparing different options. Positive reviews that highlight your brand, products, services, and customer service will give you a competitive advantage, provide social proof, and build trust in the eyes of consumers. Reviews give consumers valuable information they need to feel confident in moving to the decision stage of the buying process. In fact, 93% of consumers say online reviews have an impact on their purchasing decisions.
4. Reviews provide valuable customer insights. Any and all reviews provide valuable insight for your business, whether the reviews are positive or negative. You get the chance to hear information directly from the customers’ mouths: what they like, what they don’t like, what could be improved. If you uncover multiple reviews focusing on the same issue, that could be a sign of a systemic problem that needs your attention and care. You can use honest customer insights to find new ways to improve your product/service offerings, customer service and the overall customer experience.
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