Good Online Reviews Help Consumers Buy More From You.

Online reviews are here to stay. Whether you sell a product or provide a service, Online Reviews play a vital role in increasing customers and sales. In fact, online reviews and ratings continue to be one of the most critical elements in decision making for consumers.

It is a great idea to encourage product and service reviews and feedback from customers, especially if you sell unique items or services. This is a smart tactic that costs you nothing but wins you new customers. When it comes to making purchase decisions, consumers mostly rely on recommendations from others. Word of mouth is still in, but has grown to include online reviews and ratings.

Statistics shared by Pew Research Center reveal that 82 percent of adults in the United States read online reviews and ratings before doing business with a brand. This includes 40 percent who always do so.

How To Generate Trust in this Distrust Era

There has been a decline of trust among consumers.

A survey by the Trust Barometer points toward an implosion of trust.

According to an Edelman report, about 60 percent of respondents said they trust peers more than academics and experts.

In the past, consumers would look up to experts to guide their decision making. Now they tend to trust the word of other consumers more than anyone else. But this does not mean that online consumers blindly believe product reviews. About 51% of consumers take a lesson or two from product reviews and use their judgment before making a purchase decision.

While there has been a decline in trust, online shopping trend continues to rise, proving that consumers do trust online brands and are willing to do business with them.

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Request Customers for Reviews

About 10% of American customers prefer to share their views in the form of reviews and business ratings, according to the Pew Research Center report.

Requesting shoppers to leave a word or two about their experience with your product or service is a great step forward. You should request your customers to “tell it like it is” and to share their review of your product or service.

Welcome Bad Reviews

Remember, you cannot please all customers. This means some of them may leave a legitimate negative review or a low rating. Do not fall into the temptation to delete a bad review, as an occasional negative review may impact your bottom line positively, according to a PowerReviews and Northwestern University report.

In fact, the report points out that if a product is rated anywhere from 4.2 to 4.5 stars, it has a higher probability of being purchased, because customers do not believe in a “perfect” rating.

However, beyond the 4.5 star mark, purchase probability declines. On top of it, every legitimate negative eCommerce product review must be publicly addressed at your end. Solve the customer’s problem, so potential customers know you accept constructive feedback and are willing to go an extra mile to resolve issues.

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Good Online Reviews Help Consumers Buy More From You.