5 Reasons Why Online Reviews Are Essential For Your Brand

Online reviews are an untapped goldmine for many businesses. They have a profound impact on marketing efforts and can reshape how leads and prospects view your offerings.

If you haven’t been putting any focus on your online reviews, it’s time to change tactics. Here are five reasons why online reviews are essential for your brand.

They Act As Social Proof

Online reviews are a virtual version of social proof. This psychological phenomenon is something you’ve likely participated in unknowingly. For example, say you go on Amazon to find some art supplies. You see three businesses offering the same thing at similar price points. However, one business has reviews of the product while the other two do not. Which are you going to choose?

Probably the one with the reviews.

Online reviews show your customers that other people have purchased your product or service and liked the results. It adds legitimacy to your business and comforts people in knowing that their money isn’t going to a scam artist.

Drive Purchasing Decisions

It’s estimated that 91% of people read online reviews before making a purchase decision. This interaction is often the tipping point for consumers after they discover a product that catches their eye.

In addition to reviews being a form of social proof, as a value proposition example they also provide valuable information to a consumer. By reading the online reviews, your customer becomes informed on what to expect from your product. For example, a clothing review that says the item is of great quality but measures a little small helps a new customer know to order a size up. As a result, you’ll get a higher rate of customer satisfaction as people are able to buy something that fits their needs.

Boost Traffic To Your Website

Online reviews directly impact your SEO. When Google or Amazon crawls your site or posting, respectively, reviews are one of the main algorithmic considerations.

Your ranking on a SERP relates to your relevance and helpfulness. It’s estimated that 10% of the driving force behind your ranking relates to reviews. In other words, search engine operators want to ensure that they’re directing people to proven results – the more online chatter about your brand, the better.

Negative Online Reviews Highlight Pain Points

An important aspect of review monitoring is keeping an eye out for negative reviews. While negative reviews can be damaging to your business, look at them as an opportunity. This is a data point that identifies potential areas of improvement for your business. Negative reviews highlight a pain point that you can solve for your customers.

Instead of trying to cover up negative reviews, think of how you can change that experience into a positive for someone. Also, don’t get fixated on a single negative review – it’s impossible to please everyone, and most consumers are aware of that fact.

Online Reviews Highlight Selling Features

Online reviews are tinder for the marketing fire. Generally, a brand hones in on its USP (unique selling proposition) and builds a campaign around specific features. However, online reviews might highlight other selling features the marketing team hadn’t considered. It can identify a new sales approach or demographic to target in the future.

Another benefit of online reviews is that they can be re-purposed into content. Incorporating a module that highlights a positive review in an email marketing campaign can improve sales through another channel. Turning these reviews into graphics for social media posts can boost traffic to the site through yet another channel.

Conclusion

Take time to create a review monitoring strategy. Reach out and ask your customers to leave a review and share their experience. By tapping into this often-overlooked area, you can improve your conversions and profits.