In fact, we rely on online reviews so much that a single bad review can completely ruin the online reputation of a company. A 2018 study suggests that 91% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations—as long as the reviews are authentic. But about 20% of reviews are fake.
So if you're still wondering -- "Should I trust online reviews?" the answer is no. You should not trust online reviews -- at least not all of them. If you don't have the time to verify a review through a service like Fakespot, there are other ways to tell if product review is legit.
Do online reviews really matter, and do they make a difference to your business? The answer is yes, they absolutely do. Consumers increasingly use reviews left by other consumers as part of their pre-purchase research efforts, and a bad review can have serious effects on your sales.
Online reviews matter because they get more people to see your business. More importantly, they get more of the right people to see your business (those searching for information on it or for your products and service), and they present your business in a positive and trustworthy light.
The Impact of Reviews
Reviews not only have the power to influence consumer decisions but can strengthen a company's credibility. Reviews have the power to gain customer trust, and they encourage people to interact with the company. Customer interaction ultimately leads to improved profits for businesses.Key findings: 70 percent of consumers have been asked by a business to leave a review. 50 percent of consumers have been asked to leave a review about a business and actually left a review.
70% of consumers need to read at least four reviews before they can trust a business. Isn't four reviews too few? For most people it seems enough. After all, they do have other things to do than read reviews.
Here are 10 simple ways to encourage your customers to write product reviews:
- 1) Do your homework.
- Make it easy for them.
- 3) Reward them.
- 4) Send a follow-up email.
- 5) Ask quickly …but not too quickly…after purchase.
- 6) Ask for help.
- 7) Survey them.
- 8) Tell reviewers exactly what you want.
Well, more than 93% of consumers take online
reviews into account when making their purchase decisions.
The list of the top 10 business review sites
- Google. Average monthly US traffic (Alexa): 158.03 million.
- Amazon.
- Facebook.
- Yelp.
- TripAdvisor.
- Better Business Bureau.
- Yellowpages.
- Manta.
Some reviews are unreasonable, undetailed or fake. Although 91 percent of people trust reviews as much as personal recommendations, nine percent of people are pretty skeptical about online reviews and only trust a few reviews.
When purchasing search products, literal (vs. figurative) online reviews give consumers stronger social presence, resulting in higher purchase intentions. When purchasing experience products, consumers have stronger social presence because of figurative (vs. literal) online reviews, thus enhancing purchase intentions.
Another reason why reviews are important is the fact that they help boost customer loyalty towards a brand. A person who takes the time to leave a positive review on Yelp about a particular brand on product is likely to come back for more business should the need arise.
In a review you do not have to mention any other titles. At the end of the review you will either recommend (or not) that particular title. In recommendations you are suggesting similar titles. You do not need to provide detailed reviews for your suggestions.
Customers are given general guidelines for reviews, and asked to allocate a star rating for the product or service reviewed. The remaining reviews are then posted on a page. When more than one review has been posted, the sites average the star ratings to give a business or product an overall rating.
The Many Uses of Product Reviews
- Grab quotes and anecdotes for Web sites and marketing collateral.
- Provide a supplement to more traditional forms of references.
- Provide visibility into strengths and weaknesses to refine product plans.
How Positive Customer Reviews Can Help Your Business
- They improve your organic search CTRs (click-through rates).
- They help improve your SEO.
- They provide solid social proof.
- They build immediate trust.
- They provide you with priceless feedback.
Online ratings and reviews give customers a voice, increase consumer confidence, enhance product visibility, and can dramatically increase sales. When it comes down to it, online ratings and reviews provide incredible value and benefits that businesses cannot afford to ignore.
Generally, the purpose of a review is to analyze critically a segment of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of prior research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical articles.
The biggest name in
business review websites is Yelp. However, Yelp is far from the only reputable
review site out there.
Tired of Yelp?14 Alternative Business Review Websites
- Business.com. Credit: Business.com.
- Angie's List.
- Better Business Bureau.
- ConsumerAffairs.
- Expresit.
- Foursquare.
- Glassdoor.
- HomeAdvisor.
