Today the digital economy does not operate in a vacuum, and you cannot launch a product and expect it to bring in sales immediately. You need a perfect strategy from SEO Company Irvine.
What’s more, you are not entirely in control of the overall image surrounding your company, as customers today do not need any permission or formal procedure to add their reviews about your business. Your customers do have a voice, and it is a voice that is perhaps louder than your own, or at least more powerful than you can expect. And they are not afraid to use it! All you need is the capacity to leverage your customers’ voice in your favor. If you are successful in doing so, it will do magic for your business both in the short term and in the long term.
Customer reviews are a great tool, and it’s not something you should be afraid of. Quite the contrary! Embrace authentic reviews from real users, as it can increase brand awareness. Genuine reviews can also help you improve the return on your investment and develop your brand trust now and in the future.
Below are some of the significant aspects that can help you grow your business:
Search engine boost
Whether it is a brick-and-mortar business review on Yelp or a product review on Amazon, SEO Company Irvine encourages you to use customer reviews, as they can provide you a significant SEO boost on platforms like these. All else held equal, listings with more reviews tend to have a higher rating. Products or businesses that have more in-depth reviews from genuine customers rank higher than those with fewer reviews. According to SEO Company Irvine, this is very much true for Google as well, where the local listings are given preferential treatment wherever relevant.
Social proof
Research shows that customers almost always read the reviews before they make a significant purchase decision. They trust an authentic review from another customer more than advertising, marketing, and other strategies that come directly from any business itself. The more customer reviews you have, the easier it will be for you to build brand trust. Once a potential customer sees authentic reviews from past customers, he is more likely to trust your business and buy your products.
Most customer reviews serve are testimonials that you can highlight on social media. You can also showcase all the customer reviews on your website directly, further strengthening your reputation, which helps to improve credibility and legacy of your brand further. Only truly authentic reviews can do the magic.
Authentic feedback
Not all reviews are going to be positive because not every customer is going to be satisfied with your product, and let’s be honest, no product will be 100% perfect.
With authentic customer reviews will come genuine feedback that provides insights into the weakness and shortcomings that you might have overlooked otherwise. Take this opportunity to grow by thanking the customer for their honest feedback and integrate their suggestions into future offerings.
Customers always appreciate when you validate their concerns, which will also go far in building your brand trust.
Augmented reach
If you have a product-based business, you are probably aware that it’s a very common practice for PR firms and companies to distribute review samples of products. Some of those samples might go to loyal customers who sign up for beta testing or other review programs. Others might go for the site owners, professional reviewers, or the online influencers who can share their genuine thoughts with their followers, reviewers, or readers.
As a result, your product could be considered by potential customers who did not have prior experience with your product. Always remember, you do not need a glowing review, but authentic reviews from customers with an honest impression. If the reviewer or the influencer starts to look like a shill, then the value of their review drastically diminishes.
Expert endorsements
Regular customer reviews can play a significant role in platforms like Google, Yelp, and Amazon. What you will ultimately find is, when you have an authentic opinion from respected authorities and industry experts, the reviews tend to carry a lot more weight than those of your next-door neighbor.
When industry experts review your service or product, it puts your product in front of a broader audience that may be genuinely interested. Remember, the audience is more likely to trust the reviews of the influencer they are following instead of reaching out to the brand itself. If your product descriptions or press release make a claim and if your industry expert can verify that claim, the customers will trust your brand when you make any similar claims in the future.
A single customer review might not seem meaningful, and it might not improve the ROI of your business. However, you need authentic customer reviews that can play a significant role in the long run. Think of it in terms of the long-haul, and as good reviews can help bolster the ever-intangible expresses of trust that break or build a successful business.