How User Reviews Influence Your Digital Marketing Success

Is your business rated by users on Facebook, Google or App stores? Do you know how these ratings impact your conversions? Read on to understand the role of user review in digital marketing and some guidelines to handle regular as well as negative online reviews.

user-reviews-blog-image

One of the key differences between traditional marketing and digital marketing is the two way communication between users and marketers. Online platforms like Facebook, Yelp, Justdial and other review sites have given consumers a seat on the marketing table. Consumers are continuously shaping how you are perceived online by

  • choosing what to read and watch,
  • interacting with brands publicly, and
  • providing reviews to the world.

Negative user reviews have the power to take you down despite brilliant digital marketing efforts.

According to 2016 survey by Vendasta, online reviews impact 88% of purchase decisions. 92% of consumers now read online reviews vs. 88% in 2014 and star rating is the number one factor used by consumers to judge a business.

User review is just the online version of the good old ‘word of mouth’ channel of marketing. For past few years social factor is a major influence in buyer’s decision. Following are the ways in which user reviews influence your digital marketing:

1. Form a brand personality

Your online presence gives your brand a personality. Information like how active you are on social media platforms and your responsiveness form an instant image in the reader’s mind.

But these are not the only information shaping your image. Visitors give more importance to other user reviews on your product and service. 73% of consumers form an opinion by reading up to six reviews.

2. Impact your Sales and Conversions

88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. User reviews have a direct and strong impact on online sales. Think about the last time you brought a product online. Did you look for the star rating or scroll down to see product reviews?

According to a survey 94% consumers would use a business with a four star rating whereas only 14% would consider a business with a one or two star rating.

3. Better Ranking

Yes, review ratings can help you rank higher in search engines. Google rates local business on prominence which is indicated by user reviews and ratings. More reviews can give you better visibility not only in Google but on other social media platforms as well.

4. Generate Ideas for Digital Marketing

User reviews are ears of a marketer in this digital world. You can find out what your customers like, why they buy from you and why they don’t. Good marketing is all about listening and those who listen well to the user reviews can adapt their digital marketing strategy effectively.

User reviews can give you

How to Support Digital Marketing with great User Reviews

Presence of user reviews on your site can increase your conversions by 4.6% according to Reevo. Here is what you can do to make sure user reviews are supporting your digital marketing efforts:

  • Ask your customers to review you online. You can send them mails or notifications to do so. Higher number of reviews improve visitor conversion rate. Make the process of reviewing your business easy and quick.
  • Make sure you have recent reviews. 44% of survey participants said reviews must be less than a month old to be relevant.
  • Be responsive and reply to maximum comments in a relevant manner.
How to Handle Negative User Reviews

There may be instances of negative ratings and user reviews. If you are a large company some negative reviews are inevitable. Following are the best practices to follow while resolving them:

  • Never delete the review  –  Ignoring the review is the worst response. You can reply with an apology and a solution where possible. In fact, negative reviews are not necessarily a bad. 68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both positive and negative ratings. Users suspect fake and censored reviews if there are no bad reviews at all.
  • Try your best to resolve  – Take feedback positively and resolve the issue at the earliest. This is an opportunity to fix your product and service before it costs you money in recall or damages. According to a study for every customer that complains there are 26 unhappy customers who remain silent (Lee resource). Be glad someone spoke up and resolve the issue.  Also, if a business resolves its issue quickly and efficiently, 95% of unhappy customers return back to your business.
  • Don’t get defensive  –  Never get defensive or attack the customer with logical arguments. Lay down the reason/ facts and apologies to close the issue. A full blown fight can quickly become viral on social media. This will harm your reputation even if you are right on your part.

Reviews are going to be a major part of digital marketing strategy in coming years. User reviews help build trust with your business and directly affect your conversions.