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Word of mouth is one of the best ways to market your business, products, and services. When your customers share their favorite products with friends, family, and colleagues, they’re doing the heavy lifting for you by giving potential customers an honest recommendation from a source they can trust.
However, this isn’t the only way word-of-mouth marketing can benefit your business. Online reviews can also generate a lot of attention. These reviews have the power to convert casual browsers into loyal customers. Positive reviews will tip the scale for fence-sitting shoppers and web readers looking for first-hand accounts. With the global popularity of the internet and online reviews, there is even more opportunity for your customers to share the word about the quality of your products and the level of service you provide.
If you’ve ever wondered whether or not online reviews matter, take our word for it — they do! And the more positive reviews your website has, the better. If you want to get more online testimonials and understand the benefits of online reviews, this article is for you. Keep reading to get a comprehensive look at how to get more reviews for your business.
Why Are Online Reviews Important for Businesses?
This question can be quickly answered by reviewing associated statistics. About 80% of the U.S. population shops online. That’s a lot of potential customers for your company to reach! Of those virtual consumers, 92% read online reviews when exploring online products and services. A larger 88% of the online review readers say they trust those online reviews as much as they would trust personal recommendations.
Online reviews are essential for your business because consumers read reviews looking for honest, unbiased opinions about your goods and services. These reviews can help potential customers develop a (positive) view of your business. They also get the ball rolling regarding lead generation and customer conversion. Reviews are often the first place web readers check when deciding whether to invest in something. Give your brand a competitive edge by making sure you have enough reviews to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
What Are the Benefits of Online Reviews?
Getting online reviews generates new leads. It also helps you better market to your target audience. In fact, 85% of small businesses report that referrals are the top way new customers hear about their business. After new prospects hear from family or acquaintances about new products, generally, the next step they take is to Google the product for themselves. This is where online reviews are primarily beneficial.
If these potential customers are going to Google your business, you want the first thing they see to be your top-ranking website or positive reviews encouraging more people to do business with you. And, the more reviews these web readers see, the more they recognize how well received your business is.
Here are a few more benefits of online reviews:
- Helps you gain the trust of your customers
- Makes your brand more visible
- Gives your company free advertising
- Increases sales
The bottom line is that online reviews will influence the decisions customers make. If you want to take a proactive approach to marketing and grow your business, it’s important to get online reviews.
How Do Online Reviews Impact SEO?
Getting more online reviews is not only helpful when it comes to swaying customers, but the reviews also do important behind-the-scenes work when it comes to SEO value. How is this possible? It all comes down to what Google is looking for when determining rankings — and that is content that matches what web readers are searching for. That’s why blogs, websites, and even reviews have value when it comes to SEO. If your company gets Google reviews, it is all the better because it boosts your rankings.
Tips for Eliciting Online Reviews
Now that you understand the importance of getting more online reviews, let’s talk about how to get reviews. Here’s what you need to do:
- Make the process simple: It shouldn’t be difficult to leave reviews. Keep the process short and straightforward so you don’t lose reviewers during the process. Give instructions, provide necessary links, and estimate how long the process will take.
- Make it worth the reviewers’ time: Incentives go a long way when it comes to leaving reviews. Offer customers a reward for leaving a review. This could be discounts on future products and services, gift cards, or other coupons.
- Make a social media post: If you have a lot of followers on social media, don’t be shy about asking them to leave reviews. If you get the word out, it will be at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
- Make an email campaign: This is a simple and easily automated way to get customers to leave reviews — and it’s also inexpensive! Immediately after making an online sale, send an email asking customers to rate products. This way, the products are fresh on the consumers’ minds, and you have an opportunity to get real-time feedback.
- Make it part of the process: Incorporate ways for customers to leave feedback and reviews as part of the sales process so it’s easy and consistent.
One of the most impactful ways to encourage others to leave reviews is to raise awareness and simply ask. The more the word gets out, the more likely people are to remember and follow through.
When Should You Ask for Reviews?
To get customers to leave reviews, it’s important to ask them at the right time. Don’t wait too long to ask. The following are some of the best times to ask:
- After the purchase or delivery of your products
- After customers come back for repeat purchases
- After customers tag your business on social media
- After customers refer prospective customers and clients.
Taking advantage of these times will increase your chances of obtaining new customer testimonials. Once you get more online reviews, you’ll notice your business developing a stronger online presence. This can evolve into more lead generation, customer conversion, growth, and sales.
How Can You Get More Reviews With Avalaunch Media?
Avalaunch Media is a full-service digital marketing agency that helps clients launch successful brands. Part of that launch includes teaching our partners how to get online reviews successfully. If you’d like to launch your business to the next level, get in touch with our friendly and knowledgeable team. We’d love to help your brand grow.
