Why Online Reviews Are Important for Your Business
Researching a business online before making a purchase is now part of our day to day lives.
Think back, when is the last time you bought something without looking it up online first? We browse through Yelp before picking restaurants, we scan blog posts before buying new tech, we’ve all made it a habit to look up reviews before spending money. Although in-person word-of-mouth once reigned supreme, like many other things it’s all gone digital. The ins and outs of any company’s performance, people, and products are often only a click away.
How Online Reviews Boost Your Biz
Online reviews have a significant impact on the growth and success of all kinds of businesses. The three main impacts can be boiled down into visibility, conversion, and satisfaction.
Boosting Your Businesses Visibility
Simply put, online reviews put businesses on the map. By increasing awareness of your company to audiences near and wide, the feedback from previous clients strengthens your relevance, distance, and prominence. Those are the three main aspects that strengthen a company’s overall SEO strategy, performance, and ranking. The higher your rank, the more exposure you get! And more exposure online leads to increased opportunities to attract and engage with new clients.
Get More Conversions
After gaining attention, online reviews can help convert potential consumers into real customers! Having the ability to read reviews of what makes you stand out in your industry, how well you work with your customers, and the ins and outs of your performance help to build trust with prospects. Online reviews really can weigh into pushing someone from online browsing into deciding to buy from your business.
Learn What Leads To Customer Satisfaction
Once you and your online reviews have attracted and wowed audiences into working with you, their feedback gives you a chance to better understand your customers’ point of view. What part of your work or team are they most impressed by? What opportunities can you take to improve in the future? In continuing to communicate your willingness to grow and improve, your reactions to reviews also indicate what type of partner you are.
Different review websites are popular in different industries. We all head to Yelp or Google My Business for restaurants and local businesses, and we look at Facebook for brands we really connect with. Keep in mind there are more review websites that may be popular in your industry! Claiming your profile is the first step to making sure that your customers can find your business and leave you a review. Other options for businesses to get reviews are the Better Business Bureau, Clutch, Manta, and Bing Places for Business.
Online reviews are a valuable asset for both customers and companies. They can boost your SEO, increase visibility, engagement, and conversion, and provide a stand-alone platform for learning more about your business. At Get Online NOLA we know how to build your whole digital presence to drive more sales and raving fans! Want the scoop on marketing your business online? Sign up for our email newsletter and get the best business tips straight to your inbox.