Digital marketing is king in today’s business world. Several strategies come in to play when digital marketers develop their plans. Online reviews are the present day equivalent of what word of mouth was in the pre-digital age.
Regardless of business model or size, or even whether a company’s core customer base is via foot or web traffic, the interconnected network of digital channels means that opinions and user experiences are shared online and reviews can make or break a business.
The Importance of Online Reviews
Online review plays a crucial role in determining the success of businesses. Accessibility to reviews means that often, potential customers read the opinions of existing users and customers to help make decisions on whether to buy or not.
Everything from pricing, actual user experiences, top five product comparisons, along with a range of facts and statistics, reviews are critical to customers as they serve as a way to test the waters.
·Online Reviews and Their Impact on a Business
Go-to online review sites have been around for a long time and have extensive databases of information. Search engines will always rank sites with such presence higher. In some instances, a review site can even rank higher than the pages and sites it reviews.
Getting first-page exposure is what any business dreams of whenever a user searches. The more reviews you can get on authority sites, the higher the chances of your business showing up on search engines first page results making this the most significant factor in the importance of online reviews
· Influence on Sales
Review sites have evolved into comprehensive platforms that aggregate a wide range of data from multiple sources. With so much relevant information to offer, these sites have become more credible to consumers than ever before.
Consumers have grown to trust online reviews as much as word of mouth recommendations, and that is huge. People looking to buy products and services aren’t just stumbling upon online reviews, they are actively seeking them out to help them make informed decisions.
Prospective buyers look at star ratings, user experiences, head to head comparisons of similar products, seller information and much more. For example, if the overwhelming majority of comments about a restaurant are positive, chances are the person reading the review will visit.
·Credibility
So powerful are reviews in shaping opinion that a user looking for information on a company and finding none, whether positive or negative, will dismiss the company as non-existent or fraudulent. Just a few reviews can reassure potential customers that you’re worth checking out.
With all the fake news these days, people are increasingly sceptical and cautious about what is real and what isn’t. Consumers only trust reviews they believe to be legitimate. It is not that hard to spot the fakes. Fake (or bought) positive reviews can have the exact opposite effect and cause irreparable damage to a business.
Final Thoughts
With this brief article, we hope to have put into perspective just how online reviews can impact a business in terms of legitimacy, whether perceived or real, actual sales and future growth.
