Why Online Reviews Matter
Do you pay attention to online reviews of your small business? You should, because your customers certainly are. Did you know that 70 per cent of people trust businesses more as a result of positive online reviews? What’s more, a whopping 80 per cent say online reviews influence them just as much as personal recommendations from people they actually know.
With over 40 per cent searching for local businesses online at least once a month, it’s clear that garnering positive online reviews is a great way for your business to stand out.
What do consumers do after they view positive online reviews? Most will visit your business website. About 25 per cent will actually visit your business, 21 per cent will “shop around” (maybe because they’re still in the research stage) and 9 per cent will call your business.
But no matter how hard you work to get and monitor positive online reviews, your business website is where the rubber meets the road. The best reviews in the world won’t help you if, when customers try to take action and visit your website, they’re stymied.
Imagine this. Hungry customers are out and about, looking on their mobile phones for a place to eat. When they read a positive review of your restaurant, they try to click on your business website to check the menu, but can’t pull it up on their phones. Are they going to keep trying or get frustrated and go somewhere else for lunch?
Now, imagine how different the experience is if, when they click on your website, they not only go to a mobile-friendly version of your website with yummy photos, but also see a “click to call” button that makes it easy to tap on the phone and reserve a table ahead of time.
Also consider this. More than 60 per cent of people say they’re more likely to contact a local business, if its website is mobile-friendly.
If you don’t think your customers are checking out reviews on their phones, think again. Nearly 40 per cent read online reviews on their mobile phones using a browser, 29 per cent do so on tablets and 25 per cent do so in a mobile app on their smartphones.
Even if customers do visit your website on a desktop or laptop computer, it’s important to make sure that your website does the following things to fully take advantage of good online reviews:
- Provides clear contact information, including your business address, hours of operation, phone number and directions/a map.
- Is up-to-date with the latest information about products, services, events and prices.
- Promotes a positive image of your business. For example, consider posting testimonials from customers, linking to reviews and ratings of your business, and linking to your social media accounts from your website so customers can easily access more information about your business to help them make a purchasing decision.
SOURCE: ZenBusiness
