Why do You Need Reviews?

93% of customers say that their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews. Okay, so that’s almost everybody. When almost everybody says that their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews, that tells us that online reviews are absolutely necessary to your business. In other words, online reviews matter to your business because they influence your customers’ and potential customers’ decision, and they also affect your SEO (search engine optimization).

How do Reviews Affect SEO?

Online reviews matter to SEO because online reviews matter to consumers. Did you know that 84% of shoppers say they trust an online review as much as a personal recommendation? Not everyone will immediately trust a review, which is why 68% of people say they read at least four reviews before making a decision about booking a service or making a purchase. If someone is willing to trust a review from a stranger, it’s important that those reviews are positive and speaking highly of your business.

Because reviews matter so much to shoppers and customers, they are a big part of SEO. Businesses with more online reviews naturally show up higher on the search engines when someone is searching for a business like yours in their area. In fact, according to MOZ’s recent Survey, online reviews are thought to make up 10% of how Google and other search engines decide to rank search results. That’s a pretty big percentage when you think about what it is. They’re ranking your business higher on the search engines, simply because of what people are saying about you online.

How Can You Gain Reviews?

Online reviews are crucial for gaining new business, keeping the trust of your current customers, and aiding in your SEO strategy, but not everyone knows how to gain those reviews. If you’re having trouble building up your online review inventory, try some of these tips:

• Train your staff to ask each customer to leave a review after every service they complete.
• Remind your customers to leave a review  by sending a follow-up text or email after each service.
• Be personal and provide quality service that makes them want to leave a positive review.
• Let your customers know how grateful you would be and how beneficial reviews are to your business.
• Respond to each review you receive online.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!