Importance of Customer Reviews Infographic

Online Customer Reviews

Many are not fully aware of the importance of reviews. Not only are they one of, if not the most important social proofs customers look for, they are also an increasingly important part of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

The Stats

Not convinced yet? These stats might change your mind;

• 90% of customers say buying decisions are influenced by online reviews
• Roughly 85% of consumers reported reading online reviews.
• Nearly a third of customers are likely to spend 30%+ more in a business with excellent reviews
• 72% of customers will take action only after reading a positive review
• Online reviews are thought to make up 10% of how Google and other search engines decide to rank search results.
• 67% of consumers will read 6 reviews or less before they form an opinion about a given business

See our infographic below & continue reading for tips on how to start acquiring reviews

How to Get Reviews

Okay so now you might be thinking that it is important to have positive reviews - but how do I go about getting them?

Well, this can be very simple, or very difficult depending on who you are and how your customers currently feel about you, but here are some universal ‘Do’s and ‘Do Not’s’ to follow

• Do - Audit your current review situation
• Do - Encourage customer-facing employees to ask for reviews
• Do - Include requests for reviews in your communication with clients, especially after a positive interaction such as post-sale customer service help
• Do - Use various review sites and allow users to use the medium of their choice
• Do - Reply to your reviews where possible - positive or negative

• Do Not - Write your own reviews/pay for fake reviews
• Do Not - Gather online reviews in bulk as this can be seen as spam by Google and other bots
• Do Not - Argue with those leaving negative reviews

If you want more information about how to develop a customer review strategy or anything about how online marketing can grow your business get in touch with us. We are here to help!