Online reviews: if you find yourself on the Internet on a daily basis, we probably don't need to explain to you what these are. This form of online review is the order of the day! You've had a coffee somewhere, haven't left the door yet or you get a review request from Google; you're scouring an ecommerce store for a new pair of ski pants and are being advised by the online comments of fellow winter sports enthusiasts. For more and more companies, online reviews are playing an increasingly important role. Why actually? And what about your company: do you actually know what you can gain from online reviews? If you have a website design, it is wise to read up on this marketing trick! We at Monkey Vision will bring you up to speed!
Online review as a factor of choice
A potential customer considers several factors when deciding on a product or service:
- Existing preferences, experiences and opinions.
- Provided information from the company: how a product is marketed and how the company communicates it.
- Provided information from third parties: online reviews, but also offline reviews such as experiences from family, friends and acquaintances.
In the online review, a customer gives a rating. This can be through grades and feedback. You see, reviews are usually posted when someone is either very satisfied or not satisfied at all. Usually 1 to 5 stars can be given, with the possibility of providing an explanation.
Influenced by online reviews
Online reviews can act as a new form of communication between consumer and company. Your (potential) consumers are influenced by online reviews: 75% of searchers say they are influenced by online reviews and 86% of consumers say that reviews are a good indicator of the quality of a product. Therefore, here are opportunities for your business. Online reviews influence your sales, offer interesting insights into your target audience and provide valuable feedback. By means of online feedback you can improve your service and product, but you can also influence your Google ranking.
Why do you want online reviews?
You may already be hearing face-to-face, by phone or via email how customers experience your service or product. Why isn't this enough, and are we telling you that you want online reviews? We've listed some good reasons:
- With online reviews you have honest feedback. You use this feedback to improve your products or services.
- Online reviews can help convince potential customers to choose you among a glut of services and products online.
- Online reviews create trust and reliability.
- Google sees that you are relevant: you get (positive) reliable reviews from real customers and may move up a place in the ranking as a reward.
- It contributes to your local SEO, or in other words, you become more findable in local searches.
What exactly about local SEO? Read about it in our blog: How do you deploy local seo effectively?
What do online reviews mean to your consumer?
On average consumers read 7 reviews before making a purchase/booking and spend about 30 minutes on them. About half of the Dutch people write a review on occasion. So we can say that consumers value reviews from others. What exactly do they pay attention to in these reviews?
- The average star rating is the most important part of reviews for consumers. This is easy to read and visible on popular platforms, such as Google and Facebook.
- The feel of the reviews, as well as the recentness, detail and quantity are important to consumers.
How do you get reviews?
Have we convinced you to get to the reviews? Now the next issue is: how do you get them? There are several ways. First, ask! This can be done face-to-face, in an email, by phone, etc. Regularly, companies give consideration for these reviews: in the form of a prize or discount offer for a certain period of time. You can also set up an automated funnel. For example, send customers an e-mail after a week asking, "How do you like the product?
Platforms for reviews
Reviews are especially useful when they are available to a large number of people. Platforms with little or no use or that are outside your target audience offer little added value. So make sure your reviews are placed on the right platform. This can be done through, for example:
- Your own website
- Social media channels
- Review sites relevant to your industry (for example: Tripadvisor in the travel industry)
- Independent tools (for example: Trustpilot or Feedback Company)
- Google Reviews
Collect them! One final tip
Are you ready to start collecting reviews? Then we will give you one last tip: honesty is paramount, even when collecting reviews. It is tempting to leave fake reviews to boost your score. We understand that temptation, but really want to advise against it. Why?
- Reviews with extremely high scores are questioned by consumers because it seems (and perhaps is) too good to be true. We see that scores of between 4.2 and 4.5 stars promote sales the most.
- The occasional negative review keeps you on your toes! Take your reviews seriously, make sure you respond to them and provide good customer service so your service and product can only get better.
Want to learn more about the importance of online reviews or would you like to be helped with the best platforms and communications for your business? At Monkey Vision we not only create your website and web design, but we also like to think with you about your online marketing and communications. Come by for a cup of coffee and we will discuss your possibilities when it comes to online reviews! Interested? Get in touch!
