Learn how reviews help you cultivate an online presence that customers can’t resist

A positive reputation is one of the most valuable business assets you can have. In a world where customers have unlimited access to the web to perform thorough research and competitor analysis before making purchasing decisions, your business needs to have a stellar online reputation to convince people that you’re the right fit for their needs. 

Over the past several years, reading online reviews has become an integral part of the buyer’s journey. The presence of good reviews and testimonials is proven to help businesses maintain a good reputation, earn customers’ trust, and drive purchasing decisions.

Keep reading to learn three ways reviews help grow your business!

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1. Social Proof

The idea of social proof boils down to a simple concept: when it comes to choosing products and services, people trust the opinions of other people. Online reviews have a powerful effect on your customers — one study shows that 85% of people trust online reviews and testimonials as much as personal recommendations. Reading positive recommendations about your brand, product quality, and customer service improves your trustworthiness and credibility in the minds of customers. It helps convince them that your business is the right fit for their needs. 

And not only that — online reviews drive tangible purchases too. One study shows that approximately 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase, and 72% of customers won’t take any buying actions until they’ve read reviews. Given a chance, satisfied customers can be amazing brand cheerleaders who encourage their peers to buy your products and services. 

2. LocalVisibility

Online reviews are a lucrative way to become more findable on Google, especially for local searches. Five-star reviews, comments, and glowing customer recommendations can help your business improve search rankings in two key areas on Google:

• Organic search. A study by Moz found that Google reviews were one of the top ranking factors for local-specific search results. The number, sentiment, and presence of owner responses all help reviews yield more ranking power. 

• Local 3-Pack. How would you like your business to win a spot in the coveted local 3-pack on Google Maps? The Map Pack is a top-of-page search result listing that identifies three local businesses and their locations on Google Maps. It’s Google’s way of helping internet trekkers find products and services in their area, and it’s exactly where your brand wants to be positioned for optimal visibility. Like local search, online reviews are a key factor to landing a spot in the local 3-pack.

Having a strong local presence is incredibly important for growing your customer base. And proximity alone isn’t enough to convince people that your business is the best fit for them — according to one study, 93% of customers will read reviews of local businesses to determine their quality.

3. Actionable Feedback

All reviews can help you improve your business, even the negative ones. Online feedback gives your company valuable insight into what you’re doing right and where you could be doing better. For example, are you receiving consistent negative feedback in one area? That’s a hard-to-miss indicator that it’s time to re-evaluate a service offering or provide additional training to your staff. 

Embracing negative feedback and using it to foster growth and change reaps multiple benefits for you and your customers. As you continue to improve the customer experience, your happy and satisfied clients will feel more inclined to promote your brand online with good reviews.

How Can You Get More Reviews For Your Business?

We get it: it feels like a social taboo to ask customers to leave your business a review. But the truth is that if you satisfy your customers beyond their wildest expectations (and we know that’s what you aim to do), many of them are more than happy to do you a favor and leave a great review. 

The key is to make the review process as easy as possible for your customers. Review Champ management software reduces common barriers to getting online reviews and enables happy customers to give and post feedback within the span of a few minutes. All you have to do is send your customers a text invite to provide a star rating, leave a comment, and post to the review site of their choice. 

Are you interested in hearing all the amazing things your customers have to say? Reach out to One Firefly today to learn more about Review Champ and our complete suite of marketing products and services for technology integration firms.