The Power of a Review

Written By: Brittani Esplin

With everchanging technology, we do more and more online. The 2019 NPR/Marist Poll explains that 69 percent of Americans have purchased an item online, and 25 percent of adults in the U.S. purchase an item online at least once a month. With each year that passes these numbers increase. People are online every day, whether it be for their businesses, their groceries, their clothing, their cars, and more. One of the benefits of shopping online is the availability of reviews. Honest original feedback from customer to customer is changing the way purchases are being made. Online reviews have created a new form of marketing and communication that bridges the gap from simple word-of-mouth, to readily available customer feedback. Whether the company is a local grocer, a clothing store, a car rental service, or a medical equipment company like Med One, these reviews can affect business dramatically.

Many companies have review functions built into their website; an excellent example of this is Amazon. As you view an item you can clearly see how it has been reviewed by the stars it has been given. There are companies created simply for the purpose of reviews. Yelp was designed to review restaurants, TripAdvisor created to review vacation accommodations and, Glassdoor to review companies from an employee standpoint.

According to BrightLocal, 92 percent of web users now read reviews, and 40 percent make a decision based on as few as one to three reviews. Customers spend 31 percent more with a business that has excellent reviews, and only 14 percent of consumers consider investing in a business with a one or two-star average. These statistics show the power of reviews.

Good customer experiences happen every day. Unfortunately, potential customers and the general marketplace are not typically aware of these interactions. Reviews have changed that. Internet users trust and are influenced by online reviews. Today everyone has the opportunity to support companies they believe have a quality brand, service, or product by leaving honest reviews.

Why Are Reviews Significant to Businesses?

There are a variety of different reasons reviews are essential to businesses. One apparent reason is that online reviews can directly increase sales. This applies to global companies or small local businesses. Positive reviews are a springboard for an increase in business. In fact, according to Planet Marketing, up to 31 percent of people are likely to spend more on a business that has positive reviews. Another reason online reviews are valuable is that the more engagement that is created on the businesses platform, i.e., a website or profile, the higher the visibility to search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Google relies on signals to regulate whether a site is worth good rankings or not, one of these signals is customer reviews.

Brand loyalty is created when there is engagement with a brand. One way to engage with a company is through reviews. It allows customers to give direct feedback on what they enjoy or may not have enjoyed about the product or service. Companies get a clearer understanding of what their customers want. If a person takes the time to leave a positive review on a product, service, or brand, they are building loyalty towards it. If someone has left a positive review, they are likely to be a returning customer.

What Can You Do?

Show support to companies you appreciate. Customers are often neglected when people talk about the importance of online reviews. However, customers receive the most significant benefit. They are getting feedback from people who have already used a particular product or service. Good customer experiences are happening every day. Internet users trust and are influenced by online reviews. Everyone has the opportunity to support companies they believe have quality service by leaving honest reviews.