I am sure that most of you are already aware of what reviews are and may have even written some yourself. They can be a powerful tool to boost your business’ credibility and trust online.

Did you know that  67% of Consumers are Influenced by Online Reviews (Source: Moz)?

Over half of the online shoppers need reassurance that the product/service they're looking to buy is legit and trustworthy!  What was the last thing you purchased online? Did you look at the reviews of the specific product or business overall? I bet you did. Even if you didn’t read the actual reviews, the sight of the 5 golden stars alone has subconsciously done the trick!

I wanted to write this article to showcase why getting online reviews for your business could accelerate your growth. With an ever-increasing service and product offering online, people need to find a way to distinguish which companies they can trust and which ones to avoid.

Consumer behaviour hasn’t changed that much over the decades. Their ultimate desire (besides getting the product or service they want at a fair price) is to buy from a company they can trust. Purchasers want to know that they will receive excellent service, fast delivery and high quality. The good old ‘Know, Like and Trust’… Whilst before the era of the 'world wide web' people were relying on word-of-mouth to get recommendations from their peers, these days the same process happens, only online.

Read on to learn additional fascinating online review statistics, tips and suggestions on how to get more reviews and how they affect your customer behaviour ( and your sales = bottom line!).

10 ONLINE REVIEW STATISTICS YOU NEED TO KNOW

How powerful is this route to market on customer buying decisions?

The answer is VERY.

• 91% of 18-34-year-olds trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

• 93% of consumers say that online reviews have influenced their purchase decisions.

• 58% of consumers would be ready to pay more or travel further to visit companies with good reviews.

• 62% of consumers are more likely to purchase if they see photos and videos of other customers.

• 2 out of 3 consumers say they’re more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video.

• When you replace your landing page reviews with video testimonials, your conversion rate can increase by 80%.

• 72% of customers say they use Google reviews to find businesses

• 94% say an online review has convinced them to avoid the brand.

• Four out of five consumers have changed their minds about a recommended purchase after reading negative online reviews.

• 58% of consumers would pay more to support a company with good reviews

Do you need more convincing that you should up your game and work on getting those extra reviews? No? I didn’t think so.

WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE CUSTOMER REVIEWS ONLINE SERIOUSLY

1. Business reviews online add credibility to your brand

The star rating system has been ingrained in us over the decades. A potential customer will subconsciously make a first impression about your business by simply glancing at the Google search results.

The star rating will automatically make an impression without reading the actual reviews. What's worse, if you have no testimonials, you are far more likely to get dismissed in favour of someone who has.

2. They directly affect your sales

It is no surprise that research found that customers spend up to 31% more on companies with excellent reviews. Furthermore, around 98% of customers make a purchase after checking a company’s review on Yelp. Good (or bad) reviews give people an overview of what it is like to deal with you as a business.

3.  They can highlight recurring operational issues (and you can learn from them!)

Your product might be fantastic, but online reviews paint a different picture. By monitoring your customer's online activity, you can learn a lot about their experience and use that as a learning tool to improve your business. For example, if you are consistently marked down by poor delivery times or products being damaged in the post, perhaps it is worth investigating whether you should change the packaging or even the delivery company?

4. Reviews have a direct impact on decision making

According to Invesp, the average customer reads around 4-6 reviews before deciding whether to trust a business and make a purchase.  When they want to know the best places to go, they’re more likely to turn to Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor than to a newspaper or even their friends and family.

5. Online reviews boost your visibility

As a business owner, you will know how difficult it can be to understand how social media or Google algorithms work. I will let you in on a well-known ‘secret’. When you’re consistently ranked higher, algorithms and people tend to see your website as an authority in your industry, which leads to more exposure. This simply means that if you are regularly getting high ratings, most platforms will recognise that activity as proof that you are a legit business that people are happy with. All online platforms want satisfied customers, therefore, they will serve your profile, ad, or website to a wider audience.

10 SIMPLE WAYS TO GET CUSTOMER REVIEWS ONLINE

You are now convinced that you need more reviews for your business. But where do you start?

Consumers are notorious for not wanting to leave a review (unless they are either VERY happy or UN-happy). Sometimes, a timely nudge is all takes. Here are some of my tips on how to get more customer reviews online.

1. Decide WHERE you want to collect your reviews. Choose one platform and direct everyone there. The most popular are Google and Trustpilot here in the UK, but there are loads of them, so make sure you find the right one for you.

2. Make it easy for people to leave a review. Don’t overcomplicate things, and do not ask to leave reviews in more than one place ( refer back to point No.1 above)

3. Send an automated email to your customers a couple of days after they made a purchase ( allow enough time for the item to be delivered!)

4. If you are a service provider, you can send a simple feedback form or a link to Google / Trip Advisor/ Trust Pilot (whichever review platform you are using) or even your social media page such as Facebook or Youtube, once the work is completed.

5. Include a link to Google reviews or display actual reviews in your email footer.
   

6. Reward people for leaving a review. Offer them a discount for their next purchase or enter them into a draw to win a prize. Who doesn’t love a freebie?!
   

7. Give people a reason to review your business. Remember, it is all about creating a positive experience. A simple handwritten ‘Thank You’ note could pleasantly surprise them and encourage them to share their encounter when prompted.
   

8. Showcase your positive reviews on your website’s home page. Include case studies and customer feedback on your product/service pages. Share testimonials on landing pages.

9. Encourage user-generated content. It is a powerful form of review ( as long as it is not paid for and genuine) that is very effective on social media. You might have seen many businesses tagged in Instagram posts and stories from happy customers. The brand will then share it, and it ticks three boxes at once - they get a review ( extra points for photo and or video with the said brand!), they have to create less content as it is already done for them, and they get free promotion to the said user’s followers!

10. Respond to negative reviews. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of this step. Unsettled negative reviews will do far more damage than you might expect by creating an image of a brand that doesn’t care about its customers and could deter a potential buyer.

Keeping your customers at the heart of your marketing strategy is vital in this customer-centric era. The opinions found on ratings and review sites help businesses to attract customers, increase conversion rates, encourage their brand, and take an extra leap to grow productivity and sales.

Now you are armed with all this knowledge, which steps will you take to get more customer reviews online?

Need help with your marketing?

Let’s grab a cuppa and find out how I can help you.