Do Reviews Really Matter?
Yes, reviews matter! Quite possibly more than you realize!
But why are reviews so important?
Quite simply: Reviews offer the power of someone else saying how incredible you are without you saying a word! And with multiple reviews, it is the power of MANY people agreeing and sharing how incredible you are without you having to say a word. Reviews are a form of social proof, meaning that people often follow – and trust – the actions of others. Therefore, when a business demonstrates social proof through positive reviews, the likelihood of others purchasing their product or service is greatly improved.
Getting Reviews
At this point, you might be asking “But how do I get reviews?”. You have to ask for them! Unfortunately, I know, it is not always that easy! I have found many people are hesitant to ask, concerned that they will put the customer on the spot. Typically, though, most people won’t leave a positive review without being prompted to. It’s sad, but the average person will complain about a business they feel has wronged them before they think about praising a business. Therefore, you really do have to ask! And you usually need to ask more than once! I have found that having a Reputation Management program in place that sends texts and/or emails to your recently fulfilled clients drastically improves the chances of them leaving a review. It is even better when the system kindly asks more than once as a reminder since people are so easily distracted in today’s world.
How do you get reviews? ASK FOR THEM!!!!
Choosing a Reputation Management Program
Now that you know that the most efficient and effective way to collect reviews is through using a Reputation Management service, how do you choose which Reputation Management program to use? The best Reputation Management services automatically post the review to other places, including your website, to improve visibility and your overall Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Even better is when the service reposts the review to your website and posts to your social media and Google Business Profile that you got a review! (Unfortunately, no Reputation Management program can directly repost the actual review to a different platform because all review platforms require a login to leave the review so the system knows it is legitimate.) Many Reputation Management programs do allow the customer to post their review to multiple locations very easily, including Google, Facebook, BBB, Yelp, and more. It is worth noting that research has shown that Google reviews are generally the most effective, but The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has also shown to be excellent for professional services.
Exceptional Reputation Management programs also offer both written and video review options, which is fantastic since video is so effective for marketing these days! And since you usually just add a link to the program itself on your website (through an API), you don’t have to worry about it being text or video. The API (Application Programming Interface) takes care of that for you!
Another option many Reputation Management companies offer is automatic replies to reviews. If you find that you and your team do not have (or make) the time to reply to reviews, this can severely hinder the success of having the reviews at all. In Brightlocal’s 2024 Review Survey, it was found that 93% of consumers expect a response to their review, and 34% expect the response within two to three days. Ideally, the response should come from the person working with the customer who left the review to ensure accuracy and authenticity. However, any response, even an AI-generated response, is far better than not leaving one at all.
Does it matter how many reviews you have? And how current do they need to be?
At this point, you might also be wondering how many reviews you need, and if it makes a difference… and it DOES! The Brightlocal 2024 survey found that 59% of consumers expect to see at least 20-99 reviews for a business and only 12% said that the total number did not matter. With that in mind, I highly recommend you do everything in your power to get at least 20 reviews as soon as possible and build from there fervently and consistently. I say that because how recent reviews are left also matters! This matters for a couple of reasons. First and foremost: SEO! Google always wants to see CURRENT and relevant data on your website and on your Google Business Profile. By consistently getting reviews, you are going to increase your chances of showing up in searches on Google! And, secondly, your prospects expect it. Think about it – if your reviews are years (or even several months) old, what does that say about your business? A prospect looking at those reviews could have several thoughts: Are they still in business? Has their quality of service gone down? What changed? The statistic for consumer expectations in this area is increasing every year (22% in 2022, 25% in 2023, and now 27% in 2024). That tells me that this will only become more and more important!
Google Product Reviews versus Google Business Profile Reviews
Finally, it is important to remember that there are Google Product Reviews and Google Business Profile reviews, which are two very different sets of reviews. Google Product Reviews offer an exceptional visibility boost for E-Commerce companies, but are not nearly as effective for service-based companies while Google Business Profile reviews are specific to a business. There are Reputation Management companies that specialize in these services, but not all specialize in both services so it is important to know which works for you before evaluating which company to go with.
Final Word
At BizBolster, we offer a variety of affordable and exceptional Reputation Management options and we would love to customize a plan for you! Click here to Schedule a Free Consultation and let’s chat!
