What was the last thing you purchased? Was it the latest tech toy, an essential beauty item, or a mouthwatering pizza at a new restaurant opened near your house?

Our guess is you must have purchased it as you received a brilliant recommendation from a friend or you skimmed the online reviews for countless hours to get a scoop on a specific product or service.

When the matter comes to purchasing decisions, customers around the world diligently follow virtual or IRL- word of mouth recommendations from friends or others.

Do you know product reviews are 12 times more trusted than the product description of brands? As per the Revoo stats, 50 or more reviews per product signifies a 4.6% increase in the conversion rates and 63% of customers are more likely to purchase from the site which has more customer reviews. (iPerceptions, 2011) Other data demonstrate, 82% of Americans seek recommendations from family and friends before making a purchasing decision. What’s more, trust customer reviews as much as personal recommendations.

With the growing social media platforms and online review sites, testimonials have become easier to find than ever. In today’s post, let’s dig deeper into the importance of customer reviews for a website and develop a deeper understanding of how such testimonials impact consumers and businesses of all sizes.

Customer Review: A Brief Overview

Before we delve deep to comprehend the importance of customer reviews on the website, it’s always wise to know what a customer review truly implies.

A customer review is a written reflection of the experience of the customer and feedback on the products and services of the company. Reviews are usually found on sites like Google Reviews, Amazon, Yelp, and innumerable social media platforms. Consumers use customer reviews during the purchasing process to comprehend how the product works and determine if it’s worth the investment.  

Customers often find online reviews so beneficial that 85% of consumers rely on them as they do on personal recommendations. 

Why Online Reviews Are Essential For Your Brand?

In the present era, having easy access to the web has changed radically the way people shop for anything. From seeing a vet doctor to buying laptops, it’s rare to blindly make a purchasing decision without going through customer reviews. Nearly nine out of ten (89 percent) consumers worldwide make serious efforts to read reviews before purchasing any product (Trustpilot, 2020)

 Let’s review below enlisted crucial reasons to understand why the published experiences of your consumer with your brand are vital-

1. Social Proof Drives Purchases

Know that we’re most likely to purchase if others around us- even if they are strangers- agree that it’s a good decision. In the modern day, online customer reviews are the greatest source of social proof and have a clear impact on sales.

Like, Serious Silly Stocks has been able to drive 60% higher average order value on the company’s website than its other sales channels. And, likely the 3000 five-star reviews that fill various product pages of other eCommerce sites have helped a huge deal.

Andrew Gill, the owner of the company recently revealed “We encourage reviews by emailing customers after their purchase and offering a discount coupon in exchange for a completed review.”

According to him, this step has helped create a major difference from the beginning of their journey to directly selling from their store. Customer reviews establish the ‘social proof’ trust that only encourages other visitors to purchase their products.

2. Social Proof Establishes And Sustains The Trust Of Customers 

It’s truly outstanding if your product can do ABC and also has a list of gold-star features. But unless you’ve got a reliable army of brand ambassadors, future potential customers aren’t going to purchase it- figuratively or literally.

Publishing customer reviews on your website assure prospective customers that the sales pitch of your company truly echoes the real experience of people who have done business with you or purchased your product. It isn’t only a marketing tactic. Consumers would require multiple unbiased opinions before trusting that your product or service is going to do what you claim it would. Validation through social proof adds credibility and authenticity to the business.

3. They Make Your Brand More Visible

Know being a successful brand also signifies that you’re a visible one. Most shoppers tend to search on social media platforms like Google, Bing, or even Facebook when determining what to purchase. These websites tend to have unique ways of surfacing and indexing the content, but they only value fresh and original content. Customer testimonials can definitely help you feed the content machine, keeping your brand favored by the algorithms.

Online customer reviews provide you with a steady pipeline of positive content that search engines value greatly while selecting which results to return.

When you are at a higher rank, algorithms and people alike tend to see your website as an authority in the industry. This also leads to earning more exposure for your company.

4. It Shows To Customers That You Care

Customer reviews aren’t just about proving to your consumers that they should get on your business bandwagon. It is also about showcasing that you care about the experience of your customers and that you value their opinions enough to share them with others.

Further, when you exhibit certifications, badges, and awards, it demonstrates that you care enough for the safety, quality, knowledge, and growth. Additionally, it makes apparent that your company fosters sustainability, engagement, and loyalty of your customers.

5. Contribute More To SEO Efforts  

Ranking high in the SERPs is a primary goal for most companies and businesses. But, developing an SEO-friendly web presence can consume a lot of time and precious energy. Fortunately, customer reviews are a way you can accomplish your mission without even lifting a finger.

Most customers tend to use keywords, like the name of the products in their testimonials, adding more content on the internet associated with you. This can help you in twofold- your name is more likely to appear when web users search keywords related to your brand, and they’re most likely to notice the positive reviews.

6. It Distinguishes Your Business From Competitors

It is hugely likely that the competition in your industry is strong and fierce in recent times. It is crucial to set yourself apart to develop a business with staying power and a bottom line. With the aid of customer reviews, you can stand out in the crowd and separate yourself from competitors. Further, you should show them what makes your brand different and why they should choose you over other brands. Let your customers do all the talking.

7. It Has A Clear Impact On Sales

According to a Harvard Business School study, online customer reviews can hugely impact your bottom line. Brands with positive views always have better sales, but improving your star rating can positively impact sales. 

Again, as per a survey, a one-star improvement on Yelp.com leads to a boost of 5% to 9% of sales in a short term. Even a small improvement can create a massive impact. In a 2016 study, it was found by Revoo that online reviews drive an approximate18% sales uplift, along with benefits like increased conversion rates, repeat order rates, and order sizes. This shows if readers like what they see, they would show by opening up their wallets.

8. Customer Reviews Identifies Your Target Customers

Just like customers are looking for something specific while shopping, so is your business. Finding your target audience makes sure that you make high-quality sales, grow a sustainable business, and develop long-lasting customer relationships. You can also use these customer reviews to ensure your customers know who your ideal consumer is and how your product or service would benefit them specifically. As they begin identifying themselves with relatable qualities, they would envision themselves satisfied while using your product. As a return, you would enjoy higher conversion rates.

9. Enables Problem-Solving

Every review on your website would not be positive, and believe it or not, that’s completely okay. No business or brand is perfect, and reviews can only help you determine the main aspects that need to be improved. Undeniably, certain negative reviews misinterpret a situation or have been penned down by a negative customer. Still, if you come across multiple negative reviews with similar kinds of complaints, you may have a problem at hand worth addressing.

A surprising 94% of online consumers have been dissuaded from shopping a particular product based on negative reviews, so remedying such problematic trends you see can definitely be helpful.

10. Customer Reviews Can Help You Create An Emotional Connection

Believe us, it is a lot easier for visitors to establish connections with other customers than it is for them to connect with the CEO of a company. If they can relate more to the customers on your website, it would become much easier for them to relate to the brand. Creating such an emotional connection can be an incredibly powerful tool when it comes to converting new customers.

To Conclude

Now, when we are deeply immersed in the online customer review culture, it is imperative that your company follow the same pattern by exhibiting feedback for all to see. While positive reviews can drive revenue and build a sterling reputation, negative reviews or the absence of reviews can do exactly the opposite. Comprehending the importance of online reviews, as well as, how to leverage them to boost your business can be a crucial way to get ahead in the competitive eCommerce marketplace. It helps you position yourself miles ahead of the competition.

 

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