If you want to build your business using the internet, you need to understand the importance of customer reviews online. A consumer survey reports that 87% of customers read online reviews in 2020, a substantial 6% increase from 2019. Additionally, 77% of customers took the time to write a review. Each year, more people use this type of customer feedback to search for businesses they can trust and build relationships with.
Online reviews are essential for businesses that want to understand customer engagement and derive useful data for digital marketing. Part of a successful sales strategy is learning to manage reviews and respond to customer questions. Here are ways customer opinions can boost your company profile and build your brand reputation.
What Is the Importance of Customer Reviews Online?
People use consumer responses to buy products, hire services, find restaurants and get information about buying decisions. The importance of customer reviews online cannot be understated when it comes to shaping customer choice.
Create Social Proof
Social proof is the phenomenon where the thought processes and actions of people have a demonstrable effect on others. In social situations, individuals take cues from other people when it comes to decision-making. Online reviews have a big effect on purchasing because people trust the responses of other consumers. Good recommendations from customers are the social proof you need to make your business and products stand out.
Build Customer Trust
Trust is one of the most important factors that influence consumer buying habits. While fewer interpersonal online interactions are happening, people still need to know that your business is trustworthy and reliable. In fact, 72% of customers say they trust a business more after reading a positive review.
The importance of customer reviews online is they provide a personal connection to your business model. Reviewers get the opportunity to exchange information and offer specific insights. This is the digital version of word-of-mouth marketing.
Gain Brand Loyalty
The simple truth is online buzz gets your brand seen. Search engines are optimized to identify what appeals to consumers. You want to get people talking about your business, and online reviews do that.
Brand loyalty is vital because repeat business is the bedrock of a company’s bottom line. Current customers getting the message out about why they love your brand is a huge reason to recognize the importance of customer reviews online.
Establish Your Reputation
Businesses need to capitalize on their good reputations. When customers provide positive reviews, they are making the association between value and brand. To get noticed in a crowded online space, a good marketing strategy should take advantage of video content.
A well-designed video gives customers a first-hand experience of what your business is all about. This area of online entertainment and marketing is exploding in popularity with viewers. By 2022, video content will be the driver of 82% of all internet traffic. More people watching engaging content increases the potential for sales and makes the importance of customer reviews online apparent.
What Are the Benefits of Customer Reviews Online?
Customers report that they love reading online reviews. With such a valuable tool at your disposal, you need to take advantage of this advertising boon. These are ways consumer feedback helps your business.
Expands Your Customer Base
Online interactions are changing the landscape for customer interaction. The vast reach of the internet allows you to attract new customers from all over the world. People who are excited about your brand and willing to share their thoughts are great exposure.
You can expand your customer base by actively directing the conversation about your products and services. Your responses to customer questions and inquiries can show you understand the importance of customer online reviews. This type of direct communication impresses customers and helps expand your base.
Improves Your Local Search
Customer reviews help improve your social ranking on searches. They provide a consistent stream of positive content that is valuable for search engine results. This helps your business get noticed as a local leader in your business area. A positive review affects customer actions in many ways:
- Increases website visits
- Encourages more online review searches
- Establishes your brand
- Prompts people to make purchases
- Gets individuals to interact with your business
Ranking at the top of local searches brings significant results in terms of sales and growth of your customer base.
Boosts Your Return on Investment
All businesses want to make a good return on their investments. The importance of customer reviews online is that people do the marketing for you. You can invest in the process by doing regular follow-ups, so people know you care and appreciate their participation with your brand.
In a recent survey, 68% of customers stated that the number of reviews mattered for their purchasing decisions. This is a critical driver of sales and a vital way to understand if your marketing approach has its intended effect. By directing your online-review strategy, you can make a great return on the minimal amount of time you invest.
Informs Marketing Decisions
Some businesses worry about online reviews because of the fear of negative feedback. It is necessary to allow customers to talk about your product and services online because it is a huge purchase driver. The importance of customer reviews online is worth the efforts of managing this valuable marketing material.
If you get negative assessments, you can respond directly, which is something customers appreciate. Additionally, a few negative reviews don’t have a big effect on your reputation. Customers look at the overall ratings, and a business with a cumulative 4-star ranking is in good standing with the buying public.
Video Production and the Importance of Customer Reviews Online
MatchPoint Studio is a leader in visual storytelling. We understand the importance of customer reviews online, and our team works closely with you to find your edge in the market. We provide an engaging video creation experience to help you craft content that makes your brand stand out. Our superior production values and design techniques help you reach your target audience the way you want. Contact us to get your project started!
Sources:
https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-proof/
https://www.invespcro.com/blog/the-importance-of-online-customer-reviews-infographic/
https://www.oberlo.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics
https://www.statista.com/statistics/347974/vendor-selection-criteria-worldwide/
