To keep your business successful year after year, you as a business owner know your business needs to grow in terms of profits and recognition. One of the best ways you can accomplish both of these goals is by getting positive consumer reviews regarding your products or services. In fact, customer reviews play a much bigger role in today’s competitive business environment than many people realize. If you’re curious about how customer reviews will help your company grow, here are some of the most important ways.
Builds Trust
The first and most important way that customer reviews help your business grow is by building trust. In today’s world, consumers are bombarded with marketing messages from businesses of all sizes. As a result, it can be difficult for customers to know who to trust. But when they see positive reviews from other customers, it helps them to trust your business. When people see that your business has positive reviews, it makes them trust you and your business. After all, they assume that if so many other people have had wonderful experiences with your business, they too will come away very satisfied.
This is especially important when it comes to expensive products or services. When customers are looking at a purchase that is expensive or they are unsure about, reviews can really help them to make a decision. If they see that other people have had good experiences with your business and have been happy with their purchases, it will give them the confidence to buy from you as well. On the other hand, if they see that there are no reviews or that the reviews are mostly negative, it will likely dissuade them from doing business with you. So, not only does having trust-building customer reviews increase the likelihood that someone will do business with you, but it also helps to increase the average order value as well.
Generates Social Proof
Social proof is a psychological concept that refers to people’s tendency to follow the actions of others in order to feel correct in their own actions. In other words, if people see that others are doing something, they’re more likely to do it themselves. This is why customer reviews are so important – they act as proof that the product or service meets the needs and expectations of the customers.
Improves Your SEO
Yes, customer reviews for your business can greatly improve your SEO. In many cases, even if your company does not show up at the very top of the first page of a person’s Google search, the fact that your business stands out for its positive reviews often is a deciding factor in having them click on your search listing. The more reviews there are, the more likely your business reviews will show up in a google search. This means that even if your company website doesn’t come up, the reviews have a chance of showing up.
Tracking Feedback
When you have many customer reviews, it’s easier to get feedback about your products and services. You can quickly see what customers like and don’t like about your offerings, and then make changes accordingly. This helps to ensure that you’re always offering the best possible products and services to your target market, which in turn helps increase sales and grow customer loyalty.
There are a few different ways you can go about finding customer reviews for your business. One option is to search for review websites that focus specifically on businesses in your industry. Another option is to do a general search on Google or another search engine, using terms like “company name + customer reviews.” You can also check out social media for common hashtags related to your business.
There are also companies like Channel Signal, that will gather all of the reviews from around the internet into one place. This will make it easier for you to see what is being said about your business. Some companies have the ability to give your business real-time insight into what customers are thinking about your brand, it’s a win-win combination.
Customers Spend More Money
Believe it or not, many studies have shown that positive reviews for a business will result in customers spending more money on your business. In fact, it has been noted that simply going from having a four-star rating to a five-star rating can often increase sales by as much as 10 percent. Since customers are obviously eager to spend their hard-earned dollars, doing what it takes to get those positive reviews will mean your company’s products or services will be in high demand.
Useful in Marketing Campaigns
When you are marketing your business, being able to include one positive review after another can quickly set you apart from the competition. As you compile more and more positive reviews, you can begin to use them in marketing campaigns. Whether you use them in social media postings, television commercials, or print ads you send to customers through direct mail, chances are customers will let you know the reviews were the deciding factor in helping them choose your business.
While it takes plenty of hard work in many areas to get positive reviews from your customers, it will be worth it as you see more customers buying your products and services and helping your business and its profits grow bigger and bigger.