Given that nearly 86% of online shoppers do not buy products without reading reviews, brands need to focus on gathering, featuring and encouraging customer reviews.
Consumers tend to trust companies that have more than 50 reviews. Therefore, marketers should build upon their reviews by collecting them from across different channels, including websites, social platforms, and even payment platforms. Companies should also think beyond Google and look at dedicated, industry-specific niche websites.
As customers turn to reviews for everything, brands must proactively display and broadcast reviews across all platforms where their prospects are present. Instead of deleting negative reviews, companies should respond to them calmly and sympathetically.
They should also leverage negative reviews to improve products and services, which can help them win over disgruntled buyers and simultaneously build social capital. Marketers can also encourage customer reviews by emailing links to the brand’s review pages on Yelp, Google My Business and their official website.
[7 minute read]
