Modern customers rely heavily on online reviews to source products, services and businesses they need. According to research conducted by Nielsen Media Research, it has been estimated that around 90% of consumers read reviews before making purchasing decisions; nearly half trust these reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family members.
An impressive online reputation and positive customer reviews can drive traffic, sales and business expansion. That’s why marketing agencies must establish a process for gathering, managing and exploiting client customer reviews over time. GatherUp provides marketers with a useful guide that details key aspects of review management.
Reviews can be an extremely powerful form of word-of-mouth promotion, and with so much media competing for people’s attention it can be challenging to elicit them from customers and clients. Yet getting them to write reviews may prove to be difficult when most are more inclined toward consumption rather than production of media – not that this should make writing reviews any less valuable!
Reviews on Google are particularly powerful because they can have a direct effect on a business’s bottom line. Google gives preference to businesses with multiple five-star reviews and top-rated businesses appear higher in search results, providing more exposure, foot traffic and sales opportunities.
Even though most online reviews are written by unhappy customers, you can turn negative feedback into positive endorsement by responding appropriately. If a complaint arises that is justified by offering an apology and refund can quickly convert a negative review into an endorsement.
An active reviews system on your website can not only increase SEO but also enhance user experience and help convert visitors into customers. Search engines often display star reviews in organic searches, giving potential customers an immediate idea of the popularity and trustworthiness of a business before clicking through to it.
Establishing and overseeing reviews are paramount for marketers. With more people than ever before relying on information found online when making decisions, brands must adopt a proactive strategy of online reputation management to harness reviews for growth in traffic, sales and business expansion as well as increase credibility through excellent customer service ethic and high quality products and services.
