In the information age, consumers have more choice than ever over the products they buy and the services they use. Today, it’s incredibly easy to search a product name online and instantly find hundreds if not thousands of reviews from other people who have previously bought the product. Consumers are increasingly using reviews to make purchasing decisions, deciding whether or not to use a particular brand based on the online reviews they read.
The consumer experience has changed as a result of crowdsourced reviews. However, this applies to more than just flights, hotels, and restaurants. Customer reviews have a significant impact on all businesses, large and small. According to statistics from a recent survey, 67% of buyers base their decisions on internet reviews. One of the most popular uses of online reviews is when players are looking for a new online casino to sign up to. Online casino reviews can be found on affiliate sites and forums and help players understand more about a site before they sign up. This is particularly important when it comes to finding a trustworthy site.
Why Customers Check Online Reviews
Online reviews are becoming one of the primary ways consumers make purchasing decisions. The internet has allowed people from all over the world to share their opinions and experiences, giving us more information about products and services before we buy them. Before, information only came from the company itself, with marketing speak and exaggeration often hiding the true facts.
Luckily, good online reviews aren’t about marketing. They’re about sharing an honest opinion of a brand. For that reason, customers are far more likely to trust online reviews compared to salespeople and marketing material. In fact, a recent study found that only 3% of people trust salespeople and marketers, meaning that the claims of a brand are often ignored.
On the other hand, most consumers will believe word of mouth either from online reviews or information from their friends, family and influencers. Reviews offer a quick way to check the trustworthiness of a brand, its reputation and the experiences of previous customers before purchasing. Because they’re so commonly used, businesses need to take care to ensure that their customers are leaving good reviews by improving the quality of service, helping to make the industry better overall.
How to Ensure Your Business Gets Good Reviews Online
If you own a business, it’s more important than ever to ensure that the online reputation of your business is positive. While you can’t directly influence what your customers think about you, you can make changes to your service to ensure that you get a higher frequency of quality reviews. Here are some of the main ways you can boost your business’ good reviews:
- Use some examples of positive reviews on your site – You can use reviews left by previous customers on your site as a way to encourage more feedback from your customers. Research has shown that sites with testimonials are more likely to receive positive reviews in the future.
- Respond to negative reviews – It’s inevitable that you’re going to get some bad reviews at some point, even if your service is perfect. Always take the time to respond to bad reviews and consider taking their feedback on board if it’s constructive. Responding to bad reviews is a good sign to customers that read it, as it shows your business cares about the service it offers.
- Follow up with buyers – Every buyer should receive a follow-up if possible, asking them about their experience and what they think of the product so far. You can learn a lot about your customers’ experience through this method, and it often encourages them to leave a positive review too.
Provide incentives for reviews – This method isn’t always accepted on all platforms, but offering an incentive such as a discount coupon for a review can help to boost the number of positive reviews about your company.
