Did you know that 97% of people will read online reviews before making a decision, and 86% of consumers say negative reviews influence their purchase choices? These numbers go to show how much of an impact Google Reviews can have on your business.
In addition, Google Reviews are highly beneficial to the well-being of your business in that it validates your brand, increases online exposure, and can help you understand your customers. Here is a more in-depth look into these benefits.
Increased Brand Trust
When a potential consumer searches your business or product online, chances are they will look up your reviews as well. Transparency and trust are key to driving business and standing out in the highly competitive online market. With online reviews, both positive and negative, potential customers are able to recognize your business as a valid establishment and will be more inclined to do business with you.
Improved SEO Rankings
Although the Google algorithm is highly complex, research has shown that Google does take online reviews into consideration when determining your SEO ranking. Online reviews foster conversation among consumers and business owners. The more people are talking about your site, the higher Google ranks it.
Reviews that contain certain keywords is one of the biggest factors in getting your business in the “local pack”, which is a group of businesses located at the top of the search results underneath the map. A placement at the top of the page is where searchers are going to be drawn to first.
Understand Your Customers
Reviews offer an inside look into the customer experience in relation to your business. Positive reviews help with understanding what is effective in your business and can continue directing you down a path of increased service quality. There’s no guarantee that all the reviews you receive online will be positive; however, negative reviews can help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Negative reviews also provide an opportunity to apologize and resolve issues, which will show other searchers that you validate the feedback of your customers.
The goal for any online business should be to create an active platform to receive and respond to customer reviews. Our brand managers at Spot On Solutions are ready to step in and help you start bringing in the reviews! Connect with us to learn more about our brand management services.
