The trend of company ratings - Importance of customer experience review

Why are Ratings and Reviews Important for Your Business

The world is shifting towards digital and online platforms at a fast pace. With easy access to the internet, all things are now at our fingertips. The global Covid-19 pandemic has worked as a catalyst to boost the usage of online applications, shopping and e-commerce website, and all. Right from buying groceries for our home to getting the right services for businesses, we prefer to check and buy all through online mode only. And the internet is now a place where the customers like to assess the products and services based on the reviews of other consumers and share their views as well. Whatever business you are into, a positive online presence can keep you way ahead of your competitors and offers many other tangible and intangible benefits.

Who are reading online reviews:

As per one report, there are 4.66 billion people who are actively using the internet globally which comprises 59.5% of the global population. This statistic shows the reach of the internet as of January 2021 and this is on an increasing trend. Most online shoppers prefer to check reviews before buying any goods or services. Market research reveals that online reviews influence the buying decision of more than 94% of customers. It is evident from all the data that ratings and reviews play a great role in your business development and making your brand a trusted one.

Why customer review matters:

In this digital consumerism age, customer reviews and ratings are an integral part of your business. Customers prefer to hop on the internet to check the reviews of your products even before they check in your business. It not only influences the buying decision of consumers, but also it’s a matter of trust and credibility of your business.

?1.??????Establishes trust and validation: Positive feedback and reviews help to build confidence and motivate people to connect with your brand. It is our human nature to believe the references and reviews the most. When people say good about your brand and business, it is more likely that people will trust that brand. Positive ratings validate the credibility of the business and the chances of conversion of potential customers to sales increases.

?2.??????Positive review-Positive sale: Whenever we plan to buy any goods or services, we check the reviews first. During the finalization stage, despite having great features and affordable prices, we incline towards the brands with more positive reviews. Brands with a positive presence generate better sales with respect to the negative ones.

?3.??????Increase in Branding and visibility: In the present online world, you need to make your brand and business visible. Shoppers like to do a Google search or explore other social media platforms like Meta (formerly Facebook) before making any buying decision. Through their unique way of indexing and ranking, always prefer to provide value to their customers and the algorithms of these search engines give preference to quality content and positive reviews. The better you rank on the Search Engines, the more you are visible to the online world and establish yourself as a trusted brand and business.

4.??????Improves SEO ranking: Reviews play an important role in your ranking on Search Engines. Online ratings and reviews are featured on the Google search results that surely attract clicks and help you to get a better ranking. As per statistics online ratings and reviews can affect?15.44%?of your Google ranking. This shows that the better reviews and ratings you get, the more your name will appear on Search Engine ranking.

5.??????Direct connection with consumers: Today the consumer’s expectation has changed. After posting a review they wait for a response from the company. This offers a great way to connect directly with your users and when you revert to any comment, it shows that you care for your customers. You also get a chance to convert a negative review to a point of improvement. Such direct interactions with users attract new people which, in turn, increases leads and visibility of your brand.

?How to Leverage Customer Reviews:

?Online platforms have given the option to the customers to leave an online review and they love it. And whether you are ready for it or not, your potential customers prefer to read those reviews. So, you need to know how to leverage the reviews and use them for your business benefits.

1.??????Invite your customers to review: Ask your customer to share their reviews and ratings after they purchase any product or services. You may send a notification mail or ask through the mobile application. A simple interface is the best way to gather what your customers think.

2.??????Highlight the positive ones: Showcasing the good and positive responses on your product page design can make a great difference. As we all have a very short attention span, these features reviews can help to attract shoppers.

?3.??????Respond to negative reviews: Positive reviews always give a happy feeling. But You must be prepared to handle the negative ones also. Don’t get afraid, instead take it as a suggestion for improvement. Shoppers do not expect an immediate solution, but an instant response shows that their complaints are registered. This way you can retain those unhappy customers as well.

Conclusion:

As the number of internet users increases, online interactions are also growing, and people are sharing share more opinions about businesses and brands. Customer reviews provide many insights that you cannot visualize standing upstream of the supply chain. Even many B2B companies are taking regular reviews and feedbacks from their clients to improve their customer satisfaction. How important do you think customer reviews are for your business???

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