This means your customers know what others say about you before they ever meet you.
A US National Library of Medicine study reports that more than 90% of people turn to online reviews before engaging in business with companies from any industry.
If your online reviews are scarce, maybe you're not encouraging clients to give them. In a 2016 survey, 70% of consumers said they would leave a review for a business if asked. More than 50% of clients report leaving positive reviews when they do rate a business. To compare, only 7% of clients write negative reviews.
Reviews boost sales and SEO (search engine optimization) leading to a higher search engine ranking. Search engines are designed to show the most relevant results of a search and since reviews are social proof of an organization, they are weighed heavily into search engine results.
Getting more reviews is a smart, cost-effective way to organically raise your rankings and get your site listed above your competitors.Studies say Google is more important for reviews than Yelp. Google is the biggest search engine in the world and when potential customers search Google for local business, reviews and star ratings show up.
Reviews on Google can also increase your click-through rates. 56 percent of searchers will choose to click on a business's listing just because it has a good star rating or positive reviews (even if it isn't the top result).
With more than 171 million reviews, Yelp is the biggest online review platform with the majority of content created by users. Increasing your overall Yelp rating by one star can lead to a 5-9 percent boost in revenue.
85 percent of Yelp reviews have ratings that are three stars or higher, meaning many people go to Yelp to talk about their positive experiences rather than the negative ones.
Getting a negative review online and not responding to it can do damage. Consumers often reverse purchase decisions based on reading negative reviews. One bad Yelp review can cost your office 30 customers, and bad reviews in Google search results can cause you to lose 70 percent of those potential clients.
However, you can gain some valuable information from most negative reviews. When businesses respond to unsatisfied clients and resolve the problem, that client is 70 percent more likely to return for service.
Reviews are still part of your communication with your customers, so even the worst review needs to be answered. Always apologize to a disappointed customer and be ready to help if possible. Set a tone that reflects your brand and stick to it. Keep in mind that the tone has to be polite and helpful, but it may still be authentic. The way you interact with your reviewers gives other readers an insight into your business and the way you treat your clients.
Positive reviews can boost your business revenue by upwards of 30% a year. A $699/year subscription (per location) is the best marketing investment your business could ever make!