Nowadays, we do not order a take -out dish, we do not reserve a hotel or We do not buy a product without having read some opinions beforehand. According to Bizrate Insights, in 2021, 91 % of those questioned declared that they had read at least one notice before making a purchasing decision. Marketing specialists know that online research plays an important role in the purchasing course of the modern consumer. The successful e-commerce sites are those that use customer reviews as a precious sales tool. But then, what is the exact role of opinions in the consumer decision -making process? How to collect opinions to establish your credibility? This is what we will see in this article.
What is the importance of online opinions for your business?
1. Purchase decisions are based on customer reviews
According to Brightlocal, 97 % of consumers have already looked for online opinions on local businesses. This figure already says a lot about the importance of customer opinions and their impact on purchasing decisions. What matters, even more is that 85 % of consumers trust online opinions as much as the recommendations of parents and friends.
Positive or negative opinions can have a significant impact on your sales, because consumers are looking for comments before making a purchasing decision. We will come back to this later in this article. If they find the reliable and precise opinions, they will most likely take them into account. Customers want to identify with opinions of opinions; They want to hear the opinions of people who look like them, even if they are perfect strangers.
2. Customers will tell you what they think of your product/service
Consumers are not Not limited to digital And can share their experiences as they wish. They are free to say honestly what they thought of the product. What they consider essential that others know before making a purchasing decision. Often they do not limit their opinion to “this product is good” or “I did not like this product” – They explain why. And this is where these opinions are useful.
Thanks to opinions, companies will know what to improve, the details to modify and the advantages of your product to be enhanced and promoted. Even negative opinions are useful because they tell you what should be improved to offer a better product/service.
3. Gain visibility
Algorithms of search engines take into account the importance of customer opinions. A high number opinion indicates that Your business is legitimate and reliable. Your classification in search engines will improve If you get more positive reviews. When comments on a product are shared on social networksreaders may want to consult the brand's website, which increase there fame and the brand visibility. Comments on Consumer notice sites may also have a impact on the number of consultations Your own site.
Take the example of a hotel on Tripadvisor. This site allows travelers to note the hotels they have visited and on different aspects of it (cleanliness, location, etc.). They can also leave comments in free format. If a hotel is well -rated by travelers, he will appear higher in the ranking of all the hotels in the city. Which will encourage users Tripadvisor to visit the site of the hotel.
What impacts for positive opinions?
THE positive remain a medium capital For companies sell their products, customers being loans to spend 31 % more For a company with excellent opinions. But there are also other advantages:
- Increased confidence on the part of consumers – As you know, confidence is difficult to win and easy to lose as a result of a bad experience. 92% of B2B buyers are more likely to buy after reading a reliable opinion.
- A direct line with customers – Customer comments will give you information that will help you improve their experience. You will soon be able to draw up a table of the entire customer journey, and to discover the areas in which you are efficient and those which must be improved. With most evaluation sites, you can also respond to the customer and start a dialogue to find out more, and complete the loop to make sure that their problems are solved.
- Appear above in the search engines – Customers' online opinions have more weight (6.47 %) in local organic research. What customers say in their opinions is also important: “The negative feeling in Google reviews” is a negative classification factor.
What impacts for negative opinions?
On the contrary, negative online opinions can have a devastating effect For your business:
It is not surprising, but the figures confirm it: a negative opinion can have annoying consequences on your business. Take the example of a restaurant: the loss of half a star in its overall rating causes a 19 %reservation.
Now that you know how online opinion influence decisions consumers, it's time develop your own Online reputation management strategy. You will find below some practical tips To help you ask your customers to leave an opinion on your business.
- Send an investigation To find out what your customers think of your products or services.
- Then send a Thank you And ask them to give their opinion.
- Include a personalized link to your business's advice page to ensure that it is very easy For your customers of you give an opinion. For Google reviewsyou can use Google's dedicated tool For Create a short link To include in your email.
- Encourage your customers to assess Their experience of the services you have provided, as well as the mention of your brand, because it will generally include the keywords of niche for which you want to be classified.
- Make sure to give the customer a guideline To follow, because it will have a positive impact on the return rate.
- Answer the opinion. According to research, by responding to the comments, you do not only establish a relationship of trust with your customers, but you win also The confidence of search engines.
