How Customer Reviews Can Boost Your Business
Reviews and customer experiences are the new word-of-mouth of the internet. Instead of relying solely on the family or friend for product or service recommendations, consumers now look to online reviews to determine whether a business is worthy of their hard-earned cash.
Think about Amazon, for example. Before you click Add to Cart, you scroll down and check the reviews. What you want to know is what other people experienced when using this particular product. If it has a low star rating with lots of negative reviews, chances are you won’t buy it. If it has lots of good reviews and a 4 or 5 star rating, then you’ll feel much more confident in buying that item.
Today, the same principle holds true for local businesses. Reviews will have a greater impact if there are more than 10 and they are less than two weeks old. This tells the potential customer that people are still currently having a good experience with you.
Here are some ways that collecting reviews can give your business a boost.
1. Reviews Display on Google
Every local business should have a Google My Business listing. After your listing is set up, people will have the ability to post reviews online about their experience using your product or service.
When a person is looking for information about your business, Google readily displays your profile along with your reviews and star rating. BrightLocal did a study in 2018 and found that 90% of consumers look at these reviews and view them as personal recommendations. As such, it is important to get as many Google reviews as you can.
2. Improved SEO
Your star rating will also show up in Google’s search results and give your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) a boost. When compared to another site with no star ratings or reviews, people are more likely to visit your site instead of your competitor.
Competition on page 1 of search results can be extremely tough. By having more happy customer reviews than your competitors, you’ll stand out from the pack. Remember, people want to buy from those they know, like, and trust. By having plenty of recent reviews, you’ll give your trust factor a big boost.
3. Increased Conversions
For your website to be an effective sales tool, it’s important that you have all the right ingredients for a good conversion rate. In a study by Spiegel Research Center, they tested if having reviews on a website improved conversion rates. It was discovered that having at least 5 reviews on a website improved conversion rates by 270%. When someone is considering contacting you or buying from you, having those positive words of affirmation goes a long way.
In Summary
Collecting reviews should be a vital component of your business. The ability to leverage the happy words of your customers to grow your business is essential. In addition, displaying these reviews on your website will give your SEO and conversion rates a nice boost.
(NOTE: In order to effectively collect and display your reviews, it’s important that you have a system in place to make it as “hands off” as possible. If you would like help setting up a review system that will help you grow your business through the power of reviews but not eat up huge chunks of your time, then contact me for a free consultation.)