Every individual relies on online reviews and ratings in this internet-driven world. Customers always look for online reviews and ratings in the e-commerce industry where they can’t feel and touch the products. According to survey reports, 90% of customers read online reviews and more than 84% of consumers trust them so it is hard to imagine shopping without them.
In the consumer buying process, online reviews and ratings are the deciding factor in every industry from food and apparel to beauty, travel, and health. Businesses and brands need to add a review widget on their websites to collect and display online reviews and ratings.
When it comes to winning business and maintaining a brand reputation, online reviews, and ratings are extremely important for any brand or business that exists in the digital marketplace. Read this blog and learn more about why online reviews and ratings are important for your business now more than ever before.
Top 3 Well-Known Review Platforms In The Digital Space
Below listed are some of the important review platforms in the digital marketplace.
1. Google Reviews
Google reviews are one of the most important platforms available due to the role reviews play in the algorithms of Google. For the reputation of any brand, Google reviews can be among the most meaningful platforms. In determining search engine rankings, Google considers reviews with reviews comprising around 9% of the total formula.
2. Tripadvisor Reviews
Without discussing Tripadvisor, you can’t talk about online review websites. Tripadvisor hosts more than one billion online reviews related to travel and tourism. Travelers around the world visit Tripadvisor first before making any holiday plan. Travel & tourism-related businesses and brands need to embed Tripadvisor reviews on website to make their business trustworthy among travelers.
3. Facebook Recommendations
Previously known as Facebook Reviews, at least once a week four in five Facebook users visits a local business page. To influence buying decisions, three in five make use of Facebook recommendations.
What Difference Online Reviews And Ratings Make For Business?
The difference online reviews and ratings make for any business are listed below.
1. Improvement In sales
Online marketplaces favor sellers and vendors in the majority of cases who receive more online reviews on their product pages. Every e-commerce retailer must reinforce online reviews and ratings in all their platforms and study how these influence their business in the preferred marketplace.
For instance, products with more online reviews are more likely to be featured in the Amazon marketplace listings and appear in the top places of categories and recommended choices.
2. Online Reviews Impact SEO
Online buyers are providing reviews now more than ever. On the website content, the online brand reputation heavily relies because content determines the best keywords for SEO. Online reviews are authentic text written by website users about a product and it will contain long tail keywords that refresh the content without any effort.
For instance, to gather more online reviews, the global brand Petco launched a sampling campaign and increased SEO impact. In review volume, the campaign witnessed an increment of 405%.
3. Negative Reviews Also Beneficial
More than 68% of users rely heavily on online stores that display both positive and negative customer reviews as revealed by a study conducted by Econsultancy. Displaying only positive reviews makes customers sense there is something suspicious. But negative reviews are a good thing for brands it allows them to talk with their customers and assure them that they are working on their issue.
Different Methods To Get Online Reviews
Getting more online reviews is not an easy task for brands and businesses. Here are some ways to get online reviews from their users.
1. Add Call-To-Action (CTAs) In All Sales Channels
You can include CTAs like “be the first to write a review” or “leave your opinion” with direct links to your comment section are some of the best practices to motivate users to leave reviews. With a rating scale from 0 to 5, you can make it simple and easy for your customers so that they can provide reviews without any hassle.
2. Provide Incentive To Reviewers
For leaving comments on an image or a post, you can incentivize your customers on different social media platforms. It is essential to assess which is the perfect social media platform that is suited for a particular audience type. For instance, LinkedIn is the best platform for B2B businesses, Instagram for young audiences, and Twitter for customers in the mid-age range.
3. Send Customized Emails
After a customer completes a purchase from your brand, send them a personalized thank you email. You can also seek the feedback in the same email. But keep in mind, that the timing of this customized email is very important.
Ending Note
The way you market your brand is important because online reviews and ratings are vital for your business in this digital world. Online reviews and ratings help businesses to improve their SEO, enhance sales, and boost conversions. To get the maximum out of these online reviews and ratings for their business, brands must think of using the aforementioned strategies.
What are you waiting for? Let’s start now!