Digital Marketing Trends for 2020
January 22, 2020
7 Ideas For Small Businesses During The Coronavirus
March 30, 2020Today’s consumers are savvier than ever. They are looking deeper than a flashy website or eye-catching social media channel. They want to hear how good the service is behind the scenes. Traditionally, a general attitude of ‘buyer beware’ spread word-of-mouth between friends and family. Today word spreads quickly, and far beyond just friends and family.
The Power Of A Review
Online reviews have become the go-to for customers to share their experiences. The public values the opinions of others, regardless of being strangers. A recent study from Berkeley showed that:
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation
- 72% say good reviews make a business more trustworthy
3 Popular Choices
- Yelp allow people to share positives and negatives about locations like restaurants or bars.
- Travelocity focuses on hospitality venues, like hotels. Travelers can share everything from bedbug discoveries to a tasty breakfast menu.
- Google My Business presents recent comments in any search performed through this browser.
Sometimes They Are Grouchy
Certainly online reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. Everyone’s experience reflects their own attitudes and perspectives. If someone is having a crummy day, they’re likely to have a crummy dining experience. They leave a crummy review of a restaurant, even if they had exceptional food and service. Then readers may not know, that after reading a critical review, a business owner implemented improvements.
Always Respond
Businesses should actively ask their customers to post honest reviews. They also should respond quickly and politely to any negative reviews. Most sites provide the ability for the critiqued business to share their perspective and offer an apology. This demonstrates that the business takes these reviews seriously and wants to do better.
To learn more how reviews can help your business grow, contact us.