People influence people. When shopping for a service or product, most consumers are influenced by a personal recommendation. And, if they can’t get one from colleagues, family or friends, then it’s the customer testimonials and online reviews they rely upon most. According to several studies, Internet shoppers make reading online reviews a top priority before making any final purchase decision.
For Jim Hobart, “Reviews help build that initial trust … They are key to the long-term success of our company.”
If that’s not enough to ease the mind, it is also worth noting that most consumers are compelled to leave reviews from a sense of goodwill. In fact, according to market research performed by Keller Fay Group, an impressive 87 percent of consumers tend to write reviews when they have something positive to say.
“Ninety percent of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70 percent trust opinions of unknown users.” (Econsultancy, July 2009)
Did you know that search engines, like Google, Yahoo! and Bing, factor in a company’s positive reviews when calculating their rankings? Google says they have now developed a new algorithm into the searching ranks, making reviews tremendously influential in your online marketing strategies.
Recently, a small business began soliciting satisfied clients for good reviews on many of the online directories, creating a link to his site. He printed that URL on his business card to make it easier for clients to post reviews. Within several months, his reviews had doubled. He now found himself appearing near the top of search engine results for his niche. This top ranking translated to an influx of many new Internet shoppers, substantially increasing his sales and profits.
As many Internet shoppers look for the best buys and the most trusted name brands, a positive review may be the single, strongest determining factor when making that ultimate purchase.
Are you reaching out to your clients? Are you implementing any social media marketing into your Internet marketing campaigns?
Nothing takes the place of a pledge to offer the best services to clients and standing behind that promise. Customers will be unhappy if the problems they experience are unresolved or ignored. And, if they are totally satisfied, wouldn’t that be a great way to start a simple viral campaign? Word of mouth is still very powerful, especially when it is accompanied by a Tweet and Facebook comment. The world is at your fingertips, literally, so the question becomes: how do you get customer referrals and online reviews?
Here are 5 easy ways to encourage more customer feedback:
The Internet makes it possible to connect with a global marketplace filled with people of every gender, age, and culture. Know your target market: understand their needs and offer the solutions they are looking for. The world may be spinning on a fast track of technology, but people have not changed. They want quality products, coupled with good customer service. Nothing takes the place of that — absolutely nothing.