This could be the golden age of online content because there are multiple players on each platform churning out content for others. E-commerce has gained a lot of traction because of word of mouth and customer reviews. Marketing materials cost much to produce and maintain on the websites but the most value lies in customer […]
This could be the golden age of online content because there are multiple players on each platform churning out content for others. E-commerce has gained a lot of traction because of word of mouth and customer reviews.
Marketing materials cost much to produce and maintain on the websites but the most value lies in customer reviews online. Prospects believe that an anonymous user on the other side of the world could be rooting out for his favor. That’s why businesses and customers both cherish and seek out reviews to improve their business and purchasing decisions, respectively.
Peer-generated content is content that is composed by users on different platforms. From social media posting to on-site and off-site comments, everything written online by users falls in this category. Lately, this type of content is favored because it drives prospects to understand the real-life value of products and services by the provider.
Users are inclined toward this type of content which is evident from the whopping numbers. According to some estimates, around 93% of users believe and consider online reviews before making their purchasing decisions. For businesses, this is real money.
Social proof is an endorsement of a product or service by people who are not paid to put in the word. It is regarded in a higher place than web copy by company owners because users do not believe in every word that they say to sell their goods and services.
On the other hand, social proof lets them know that other people have tried and tested the said product or service and can vouch that the brand is indeed legitimate.
That’s the reason businesses do not shy away from collecting and consolidating testimonials and showcasing them on their websites and social media handles.
Before a prospect makes a purchase, he wants to know all the necessary things about a brand. Here are some of the questions that a typical prospect seeks answers for:
Through social proof, a prospect can get answers to these and other questions. Since reviews are hard to remove or suppress, they are legitimate most of the time. This makes it easier to understand their popularity for modern shoppers.
While customers cherish reviews made by other people like them, businesses also seek them to showcase their authenticity. Earlier, businesses were only concerned and owned positive reviews and would turn a blind eye to negative reviews.
Today, engagement is the key, and handling a situation counts more than just getting a good word out of it.
That’s why businesses are on top of the latest developments and techniques to collect, showcase, and capitalize on positive sentiment from customers.
There is a direct connection between positive brand perception and sales. The more people trust a brand, the more they will be inclined to purchase from there. On the contrary, no matter how great a brand’s products are, if it fails to develop a rapport with prospects, its chances of improved sales are slim.
So, positive social proof equals boosted sales in the virtual world.
The dilemma of online content production is the same in this case too, which is, what is the point of creating content if it will not be discovered by anyone?
No matter how great products are by the brand and how many customers are satisfied with the services, if the positive word cannot be discovered by prospects, it is as good as dead. Also, brands should prompt prospects and customers to engage with the brand for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Customers are finickier than ever these days. Whether it is their social thinking or stance over other issues, they want their brands to be on board. Transparency is also something that they expect from the businesses they engage with.
Through online reviews and comments, they get to see the “real” brand and often appreciate the straightforwardness.
It is hard for brands to stay relevant by merely harping on the marketing content. Since the virtual world is ever-changing and they need to be relevant or perish, it is important to get on with conversations to stay afloat.
Interactive sections where customers leave reviews and engage with others keep the websites and web pages abuzz. This all goes in the favor of brands.
The expectations of customers have changed in the modern world. They expect a brand that is an expert in a field to impart knowledge and engage the community in more productive ways. That’s why brands have on-site blogs where they impart education to prospects and market their services and products at the same time.
Through reviews, they are hailed as leaders in their sectors because they have a complete understanding of the field they are operating in.
Ultimately, brands can get the best of E-A-T by being proactive in collecting and consolidating customer reviews. Different customers often see different things in the same type of transaction. Some find the brand to be expert in the core business, while others find the authority appealing. In the end, the two combined can produce trustworthiness.
Before setting out to create the whole strategy of getting positive reviews and highlighting them for the benefit of the brand, it is necessary to know the major players in the game.
In this section, we are discussing some of the best reviews sites that are trusted by users, and naturally by businesses to have a good word about their products and services.
Google Reviews are ubiquitous in the online world because they are part of the Google My Business suite. As Google is one of the most widely used search engines in the world, every day, billions of users search for businesses through Google Search and base their decisions on Google Reviews posted by other users.
Due to their popularity and reach for online product reviews, they are considered to be a must-have for small businesses by marketing professionals.
This social media giant does not need any introduction. With around 4 billion active users a month, Facebook holds a special and large space in the virtual world. To help businesses gain a footing on the internet, Facebook Marketplace is a great resource.
It allows brands to set up business pages where they can share information in different formats and collect feedback from users in the form of reviews.
The large user base is a great attraction for businesses to ensure they are getting enough positive reviews there.
Yelp is a community-based reviews site that lets businesses and customers interact in the online world. Anyone can set up a page for a business with only rudimentary information such as the name, location, and so on. But to get verified only the real owners or managers can connect with the platform to get access to further customization.
Yelp is favored by users to find legitimate local businesses in the vicinity. So, it pays for small businesses to be proactive on this platform.
Trustpilot is another reviews site that is “trusted” by users whenever they are on the lookout for a new business or to review a tried and tested business.
The platform is geared toward transparency and customer control so businesses must be extra efficient in connecting and responding on the platform.
Almost all kinds of businesses can be found on the platform which explains millions of monthly users flock around it.
As the name suggests, TripAdvisor is a trusted platform by millions of travelers and vacationers. The most common categories of businesses on this site include hotels, restaurants, leisure places, and so on.
Brands in cities and towns with a good influx of visitors can take advantage of this platform that is geared toward helping customers to get better services and leave reviews for providers.
Building a brand reputation is one thing, but sustaining it and growing it is at another level. To help businesses have positive relations with their users, here are some pro tips.
An online customer review can for a lot of reasons. One of them is that the brand would take notice of it and proceed to resolve the issue if any. In the past, brands would hardly respond to both good and bad reviews. Today, they should respond to all in a commensurate fashion.
Since brands are out there to get positive reviews, they can collect them through a holistic strategy. First, they should maintain the best quality in-house. Second, it is about timely delivery and delivering exactly what is promised.
In the end, they should come up with subtle ways to collect good words.
As mentioned in the earlier section, brands are after positive sentiment from the customers because they love to showcase it to prospects and potential customers. It is proven that it is more effective and potent than marketing materials because of the intended trust.
That’s why websites these days are filled with customer reviews highlighted by brands.
False or fake reviews are a real threat to otherwise a brilliant process because consumers trust online reviews. The most concerning part are that spam is everywhere on the internet and can hurt real, legitimate businesses.
If a business finds fake reviews or spam in the reviews section, here are some of the things they should do;
Following are some of the ways brands can get more online reviews:
Positive reviews are cherished by brands so their value should be reflected in the relevant section. The best way to respond to a positive review is to thank the reviewer and politely urge them to again choose the brand for their needs.
Here are the reasons why:
Following are some of the best and most visited online reviews platforms:
Online reviews have drastic effects on a business’s bottom line. Since positive sentiment helps prospects in making their purchasing decisions, the impact of online reviews on businesses is far-reaching.
Since its inception, company reviews online have never fallen from grace by both customers and businesses. Prospects, these days, rely on these reviews to make their purchasing decisions. It would not be an overstatement to say that they have a snowball effect. The more a business collects and consolidates positive reviews, the more it ends up attracting.
This post has discussed the importance and benefits of online reviews for both customers and businesses in detail. We have also shared some tips on how to collect more reviews as well as the platforms that can be instrumental in creating and sustaining a brand’s online reputation.
How to improve online reputation for Roofers: Guide 
10 Ways to Respond to Negative Reviews + 10 Killer Templates! 
