10 Reasons Why Online Reviews Make (or Break) Your Service Business

How much do your customer’s opinions matter? In the age of online marketing, the answer is, quite a lot! As studies like the ones below show, positive reviews on sites such as Yelp and Google can either kick-off, or shut down, a booming business.

The marketing strategy that pays attention to what people are writing in their online reviews and manages them correctly is way ahead on this game. The ones that don’t are a great example of a disconnect between what customer’s think is important and what business owners and marketing managers often do.

A good way to stay on top of this strategy is to manage reviews honestly and transparently. Don’t freak out if you end up with a negative review, but know that there are ways to increase your number of positive online reviews from real, truly happy customers, that can even improve the satisfaction of your employees as well! Read on for the ten good reasons this is so crucial to do right now:

  1. Your Customers Love Online Reviews
    Today 92% of consumers read online reviews. And not only do they read them, they trust them. 88% said they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal Survey)!
  2. Customers Trust Yelp, Google And Facebook
    The 3 review sites that matter most are Yelp, Google and Facebook. Your business profile on these sites with millions of monthly visitors will rank higher in search than maybe even your website will.
  3. Reviews Help You In Google Local Search
    When a customer searches for local service providers, the results include local listings and reviews from top review sites. In 2 out of every 3 searches, the business with the most reviews will show up first.
  4. Reviews Drive Action
    What do customers do after seeing positive reviews? Nearly half (48%) visit your website (Score.org). If your contact information is visible and current, you should be on your way to making the sale.
  5. You Get Direct Feedback From Your Customers
    Today, customers expect you to address feedback, good or bad. And your public response also shows potential customers that you value your customers.
  6. Reviews Boost ROI
    Having more positive online reviews boosts ROI. The majority (80%) of people will not buy from a business with negative reviews. It takes 10 to 12 positive reviews to offset one bad one (Vistion Critical).
  7. Reviews Provide Invaluable Marketing Intelligence
    Determining which services to offer and for how much can be overwhelming. Online reviews serve as your own (free) focus group to help you understand what to keep and what to nix.
  8. Reviews Help You Identify Heroes And Zeroes On Your Team
    When your technician does a great job, you’ll get a 5-star review. But, if they were late or unprofessional, you’ll hear about it. Reviews help you take care of issues and reward superstars easily.
  9. Reviews Motivate Employees And Attract Talent
    Great reviews not only improve employee morale. When your company looks good online, more people will want to work for you. Better applicants, better customer service, more jobs sold!
  10. Reviews Drive Revenue
    Just like brand or price, your online reputation has an impact on whether a customer buys or not. In fact, 86% of consumers are willing to pay more for a service provider with positive reviews (Software Advice).

Managing your online reputation is so important in today’s economy. A single good review can bring in multiples of new calls, a bad one can threaten to shut you down entirely. As a business owner or marketing manager, it is essential that you get in this game and learn how to use it to your company’s advantage. To learn more about the psychology behind the power of social posts and why Review Buzz founder, Mike Montano, compares a positive online reputation to printing money, see our blog, “Online Reviews: The New Currency.”

Image Courtesy of: Online Reputation Solidarity Club

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