Why Online Reviews Matter to Every Business?

Online reviews have a great impact on businesses today. It doesn’t matter whether you’re running a fast food chain or a small print-on-demand store. If your business is listed on Google, having good reviews can be a game-changer.

It’s why many brands are now focused on getting more positive online reviews. Different people are using different strategies. We’ve seen people improve local SEO, buy reviews for Google, send requests to previous customers, and whatnot.

So, without further ado, let’s discuss the top 5 reasons why online reviews matter to every business!

1.  Optimizes Google Business Profile Listing

Google Business Profile (GBP) refers to a free listing service that displays your business separately under search results. It’s like a business card in the online world.

When someone searches for a specific business, Google shows this card based on relevancy, prominence, and distance from the user. So, it’s important to create a good business listing for Google to rank it higher and show it to more people.

Online reviews have a huge influence over your business listing ranks. These reviews are what make your business appear prominent (or reputable) in front of Google. If you’ve negative feedback, chances are that the ranks of your business will drop and vice versa.

2.  Improves Ranking on Other Review Sites

Google is not the only place where consumers seek information about a business. There are several sites that review brands and offer buying advice. Some popular examples include Yelp, Trustpilot, and TripAdvisor. 

So, if you want to establish a strong online presence, it’s best to start focusing on all industry-relevant review sites. Direct your customers to the site and ask them to leave reviews. Respond promptly and properly to the ones left by others.

The reviews on these sites will help boost your overall ranking. Because, although they’re not Google listing reviews, the search engine will extract them from the database and show them to the user wherever relevant.

3.  Provides Valuable Insights

Knowing your customer’s experience is a valuable asset for all businesses. It gives an insight into what the people are liking, where are the problems, and which strategies are performing better. You can use it to improve operations.

Unfortunately, in the traditional market, obtaining this data is expensive and time-consuming. A business needs to conduct surveys, research markets, analyze reports, and whatnot. This puts small businesses in a difficult position since they do not have the budget to spare for feedback collection.

Online reviews make all this very easy. You can just give your Google Business Profile or review platforms a look to know what the customers are thinking. And, guess what the best part is? You don’t have to allocate a budget for it!

4.  Builds Trust & Increases Profits

Almost 95% of consumers take online reviews into consideration before purchasing anything. Some might even trust these reviews as if they’re personal recommendations by friends and family. And, well, it makes sense.

Imagine yourself in a customer’s position. Would you prefer a business with more positive reviews or one with negative remarks and comments? Of course, the first option!

The digital world offers unlimited information to the modern-day buyer. He can access the history of different brands, check their products thoroughly, and even compare them with competitors. But, since the buyer cannot see the product in real life, the only evidence behind the claims are reviews and photos/videos.

So, good online reviews play a crucial role in building trust. It’s especially true for Google reviews. We say this because the majority trusts Google and views it as a reliable source of information.

More positive reviews on the Google business listing would mean a much better response. And, with more people trusting your business, it would be easier to make sales and increase profit margins.

5.  Helps Improve Customer Relations

Another reason why online reviews matter to every business is that they give you a chance to improve customer relations. Since you know what the customers are thinking, you can respond accordingly and show them how much you care about them as a business.

For example, if it’s a positive review, thank and appreciate them for taking the time out to leave feedback. However, if it’s something negative, you can handle it by:

•     Apologizing
•     Finding a solution
•     Offering compensation for any loss

Never argue and respond to a negative review rudely or angrily. Not only will this reduce the chances of winning the customer back. But, it will also leave a poor impression on other potential customers.

Last Words

All in all, if you’re an online setup for your business, it’s high time you start to work on collecting more positive reviews.

There are around 266.7-million online shoppers as of 2022. It means that the market is huge and full of opportunities. Having a well-established online business profile can give you more leads, sales, and success!