Are Reviews Really That Important?

Sometimes reading and managing your company’s reviews feels like a never-ending waste of time. But the truth is that 91% of people read reviews before purchasing products, and 84% trust reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Based on these numbers, you could then reasonably conclude that reviews mean something after all. So, now what? Read on to learn everything you need to know about reviews.

Why Reviews?

How did reviews become so influential in modern marketing and business culture? HuffPost describes online reviews as “the new form of word of mouth referrals.” Don’t have a friend who has used the product? You’re in luck: dozens of strangers on the internet have left accounts of their personal experiences for you to read. 

While it may seem strange to trust a stranger’s advice, reviews give customers a chance to hear an unbiased opinion from someone other than the business itself. Once they’ve heard good things about your product from several sources, they trust that your business really is reliable.

Benefits and Difficulties when Getting Reviews

When it comes to reviews, there will always be good ones and bad ones. It’s part of the deal.While a really great review can go a long way in securing customers, a bad review can make reputation management difficult. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and difficulties you might face when receiving reviews.

Benefits

This Forbes article claims that “online reviews are the best thing that ever happened to small businesses. There is actually a lot of truth to this claim. Reviews give your business a chance to win the loyalty of customers before they even try out your product. A simple glance at a 4 or 5 star rating tells potential customers you are trustworthy. 

Word of mouth is powerful, and there’s nothing quite like word of mouth from dozens of people to win over a new customer. Good reviews can open doors for your business that couldn’t come from any other marketing strategy.

Difficulties

But with good reviews come negative reviews. If people are saying terrible things about your product, this can be hard to deal with whether their complaints are warranted or not. A big problem in online reviews is being attacked by fake negative reviews, and managing this can be frustrating and time-consuming. Reputation management will always be a part of marketing, though, and in this age of review-based decision making it is well worth the investment.

Managing Your Reviews

Once your business starts getting reviews, you will want to do everything you can to make sure good reviews get attention and negative reviews do not. Using a review management service can be a great way to do this.

Evolve Digital has the resources you need to get the most out of online reviews. Check out our reputation management services here or contact us for information!