

Opinions are divided about online reviews,
with most business owners coming down one of two ways. First, there are the
look-on-the-bright-side types, who believe online reviews can positively affect
their sales. Then, there are the gloomy naysayers, who argue that online
reviews don’t make a shred of difference. (Oddly, these cynical sorts are often
the first to blame a bad review when their sales drop off!)
But who’s right? Do online reviews affect
sales – or are they just another piece of digital detritus, gathering dust on a
far-away server? Read on, as we find out.
Do Consumers Trust
Online Reviews ?
Hmmm… That’s a sticky one! Can we really lump
together 3-billion+ consumers, and serve up just one answer?
No… The truth is, some consumers
trust online reviews, while others are more wary. Generally, the tighter the
review-verification process, the more likely buyers are to trust those reviews.
On the other hand, reviews obviously left by friends and family members are a
major turn-off. These are likely to be biased, at best, or completely fake, at
worst.
Relevance, The
Forgotten Factor
It’s not only the issue of fake reviews that
affects trust. As well as deciding whether a review is real, consumers care
about whether it’s relevant. Three of the key signals that affect
how people interpret reviews are:
The product or service bought by the reviewer.
Was it the same as, or similar to, the purchase the consumer is considering;
was the price equivalent?
The age of the review. Old reviews count for
very little, especially if a business has changed hands. New online reviews
have a much stronger affect.
The demographic of the reviewer. Consumers
will subconsciously judge how much they have in common with the reviewer, to determine
the relevance of their opinion.
The Effect on Sales
The big beasts of the digital world clearly
believe that online reviews influence their sales. Buyer reviews are an
integral part of the Amazon and eBay platforms. Reviews aren’t just for
product-centric sites either. The big-three freelancing sites (Fiverr, Upwork,
and Freelancer.com) all use online review systems to increase trust and
transparency.
The conclusion: Either online reviews have a
big impact on buying decisions, or else Jeff Bezos and friends have made a
serious error of judgment!
Third-Party Review
Sites
On-site review systems have a huge impact on
sales. But you’re probably more interested in reviews left for local
businesses, on third-party sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc. Do they
affect sales too?
Yes – and in some cases, the impact can be
even greater; here’s why:
Let’s think about a consumer landing on an
Amazon product page. The seller has a golden opportunity to bamboozle this
potential buyer with some killer sales copy. Who knows, maybe the power of
their words will be enough to overcome the so-so reviews they’ve received.
Now, let’s think about a consumer Googling the
words: ‘local plumber in Dallas, Texas’. Right at the top of the page is the
Google Maps listing – complete with the ‘3 pack’ of featured businesses. And
what sits alongside each business’ name? You guessed it, their Google reviews!
It’s a safe bet that the best-reviewed business will get the most clicks, so
poorly reviewed plumbers never even get the chance to win customers around.
In fact, the effect is even stronger than
that, since poorly reviewed local businesses are unlikely to ever get into the
‘3 pack’ to begin with!
Online Reviews: The
Numbers
Tired of words and theories? Still not
convinced that reviews influence sales? Maybe some cold, hard numbers will sway
your thinking:
86%. That’s the percentage of customers
that read online reviews written about local businesses.
74%. That’s the percentage of people that trust a
local company more, after reading positive reviews.
68%. That’s the percentage of people that say
they’re more likely to use a positively reviewed business.
57%. That’s the percentage of people that
won’t touch a business with a 10-foot pole – unless it has 4+ stars!
Who says? BrightLocal – in their local consumer review survey.
How Can I Improve My
Online Reviews?
For starters, take an honest look at how you
do what you do. Are you offering genuine value for money? Do customers come
away feeling satisfied? If not, then you’ll need to improve your products or
services first.
But supposing everything you offer is already
top-notch? Do you have to tamely accept a mix of the good, the bad, and the
ugly, when it comes to your online reviews?
Well, not necessarily. There is an answer;
it’s called…
Online Review
Management
Thanks to online review management, pro-active
local business owners can take back control. It’s actually perfectly possible
to manage your reviews manually, by yourself. But if, like most business
owners, you value your time, then you’ll need to find a more streamlined
solution.
One option is to work with digital marketing
experts, who specialize in this niche. Get Savvy Digital is a leading agency
offering online
review management – and a whole host of other marketing
services. The team have a special focus on helping local businesses in the
Dallas area to grow online.
Ultimately, whether you go it alone, or call
in the pros, your online reputation is too important to ignore. So, make sure
you’re giving your online reviews the TLC they deserve, and judge for yourself
whether your sales are affected!