7 Reasons Why Online Reviews are Essential for Your Brand
Reading Time: 5 minutes Building a brand is an important part of growing your company and achieving success. Your brand is how the public will see and understand your company. A strong brand that people can trust and think positively of is incredibly important.
One often underrated aspect of maintaining a positive brand reputation comes down to online reviews. But why are these online reviews so important to your business and brand. Well, that is exactly what this article is going to take a look at. Read on to learn about 7 different reasons why online reviews are essential for your brand.
Table of Contents
People Trust and Believe Reviews
First and foremost, people trust and believe in reviews. If you have a bunch of positive reviews, that makes your company look more credible and could entice people to become customers. Even if your product and service is quality, if your reviews are subpar, some people may not trust you simply based on that.
These bad reviews will also follow you and can be tough to shake. For example, you can use Google My Business to promote your business, but if all of your reviews are poor, people will likely think poorly of your brand. While you want customers talking and thinking about your brand, you also want to make sure they are saying good things, as it can impact the thoughts and behaviors of others.
They Can Expand the Reach of Your Brand
A lot of reviews (preferably good) can also expand the reach of your brand. If people see a lot of reviews, they are more likely to leave their own and join in on the party. These reviews can also have a positive impact on your SEO, which could give you a boost on Google, leading you to get in front of more eyes. Of course, other things like visual content and using correct keywords on your site can also improve your search rank.
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Also, doing things within your product or packaging that warrant a conversation or a mention in the review is a good idea for expanding reach. For example, if you create great packaging with help by Deepking Labels or another third-party company, people will want to share that in a review. The more people hear about how cool your product or unboxing experience is, the more they will want to see it for themselves. Finding ways to encourage reviews is always a good idea.
They Give You a Chance to Start a Conversation
While many think of online reviews as a one-way interaction, this doesn’t have to be the case. Many customers will actually expect companies to respond to their reviews. They may want to hear a thank you for their kind words, or how you plan to right the wrongs that they feel as if they have experienced. Either way, a thoughtful and helpful response to these reviews can show that you care, which many customers like to see.
Engaging with customers is incredibly important, and responding to reviews gives you a simple and beneficial way to do this. Of course, be sure to put thought into a response before you make it public. If you respond poorly or overly defensively to a comment, it could have a severe amount of blowback and actually hurt your reputation.
Better Reviews Will Often Lead to Better Sales
As a company, one of your primary goals is to increase sales. While marketing and improving your product can boost your sales, getting positive reviews can as well. People want to buy products or services that are quality, and better reviews normally demonstrate better quality (or at least a better perception of quality).
Customers are more likely to purchase a product with 5 stars than one with 3 stars, because they feel as if it will be better. Simply put, higher-quality reviews and better ratings will only help your sales improve. There is a reason why a number of the most talked-about brands are also some that sell very well.
Many People Start Their Search With Reviews
Another reason these reviews are so important is that nearly everyone starts their product search by looking at reviews. They often begin by looking up “best x” on Google, which will lead them to numerous results with their ratings and reviews. They likely end up choosing one off of the first few pages or so.
If you are able to gain largely positive reviews, people are likely to see your brand in their initial search. For example, anyone looking for a smartwatch is likely going to run into some reviews or mentions of the Apple Watch, due to their popularity and a large number of reviews. However, without good reviews, your company might not even be on the list of potential options for many customers. Or, they will have to travel further in the page results to find you, which limits your potential.
They Play a Role in the Decision-Making Process
As we have touched on throughout this article, customers often use reviews at some point in their decision-making process on purchasing products. People turn to reviews on Google, social media and other sites when researching their options. However, in addition to being an important part of the decision-making process for customers, the same can also be said for companies.
Making decisions on product changes, service alterations and other things can often come about from reviews. They are valuable pieces of information and data that can identify customer pain points, what they like about your offering, and what could be improved. Also, if you implement changes that many customers suggest in reviews, it will make them happy and will improve your reputation as a whole.
They Can Create Brand Loyalty
Online reviews are also essential because they can contribute to an increase in brand loyalty. If someone is willing to leave a positive review of your product or service, they are taking things a step further than the average customer.
So if you are getting more reviews, it is generally a good sign that many customers are starting to become more loyal and invested in your company. If you respond favorably to their review, share it on social media or post it to your site, it can have an even larger impact on their positive thoughts and attitudes towards your company.
In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn why online reviews are so important.
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