In the past, people relied on family or friends for recommendations on products and services. Nowadays, more and more people are turning to online reviews before purchasing.
On average, 90% of consumers need to read at least 10 reviews before forming an opinion on a company. 58% of people say that the star rating of a business is the most important decision factor. If your business is one of the nearly one out of three without star ratings, that could be a problem.
Not only do you need to get reviews for your business, but you also need 5-star reviews—and lots of it—to appeal to today’s customers. Still not convinced? Here are the top four reasons your business needs more 5-star reviews and how you can get them.
Reason 1: Builds Consumer Trust
A high number of positive reviews serve as powerful social proof to potential customers. Positive reviews and high ratings show that a product or service is worth the purchase. Five-star review signals to customers that your product or service is of quality.
Negative reviews and low ratings push customers away. Customers tend to overlook a business that has less than a 4-star rating. Good reviews have the bonus of changing how customers perceive your business. People are less likely to go against the grain and differ in feedback when a business has lots of good reviews and an overall 5-star rating. In that way, more Google 5-star reviews can also reduce the number of bad reviews you receive in the future.
Reason 2: Improves Your Search Ranking
If you’re looking to organically increase your search ranking, then having more 5-star reviews is your best bet. Google 5-star reviews add ‘SEO points’ to your web listing, thus contributing to an increase in your ranking in Google’s algorithm. This means that the more good reviews people leave on your brand, the more visible your website is in Google. Google is always searching for the most relevant websites to show to consumers. Every review creates content that is unique and relevant to your brand.
Reason 3: Increases Sales
Having more 5-star reviews boosts your sales. Studies show that people are more likely to buy from companies with top-rated reviews. In fact, with every increased star rating, your business stands to gain a 5%-9% increase in revenue.
Companies with more five-star reviews are more likely to see website views converted into traffic and sales. Online reviews drive an average of 18% sales uplift, including increased conversion rates, order sizes, and repeat orders.
Five-star reviews can be a major driving force for foot traffic. That’s because Google displays your star rating with your listing in Google Maps. Top-rated businesses appear first in Google Map search results. A study by Berkley found that a half-star improvement for a restaurant made it 30%- 40% more likely to fill up at peak hours. And when compared to lower-rated companies with similar products and services, customers are more likely to do business with the 5-star rated company.
Reason 4: Extends Your Brand’s Reach
You can reach more customers with more 5-star reviews. People with good things to say about your brand are more likely to share their reviews on other sites, like FourSquare and TripAdvisor. This builds your business’ review ecosystem across the web and exposes your products and services to more people.
Because so many customers rely on reading reviews before making purchase decisions, it’s important to have your brand’s 5-star reviews on niche or industry-specific sites like TripAdvisor and Realtor.com. This has a positive correlation on your online presence because Google collects data from other review sites to build its results ranking. Research has shown that having positive reviews increases web traffic by 360%.
Five-star reviews can also extend your business’ reach by giving you more opportunities to positively connect with customers. Great reviews give you the chance to reinforce positive sentiment by extending thanks and incentives to loyal customers. You can also display your 5-star reviews on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to positively influence visitors to your social media accounts.
How to Get More Google 5-Star Reviews
- Offer a great product. Offering a stellar product and service is the first step to getting more 5-star reviews. Working to delight customers can earn you the 5-star feedback you need to improve conversion, enhance your reputation and stand apart from competitors.
- Ask for reviews. Say you already have a great product or service, but don’t have reviews. The simplest step to get reviews for your business is to ask. Talk to your most loyal customers and ask them for support. Reach out to people that already support you on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Nearly seven out of ten customers will leave a review if asked. People love to be asked their opinion and you’ll continue to build trust by making your most loyal customers feel like they are part of your success.
- Don’t wait to ask for feedback. It’s best not to wait to ask for feedback. A customer is more likely to leave a review immediately after receiving a service. Emailing customers after they make purchases can be an effective way to get more 5-star reviews.
- Respond to reviews. Responding to reviews is another way you can gain more positive feedback. More than just simply posting reviews, customers today expect companies to respond to their feedback. You can significantly improve your number of reviews and ratings by improving the rate at which you respond to both negative and positive responses. For example, the company MedQuest Associates review volume on Facebook soared by 163% and it got 23% more reviews on Google by responding to reviews. Responding to good and bad feedback shows customers you care and promotes positive sentiment about your brand online.
Rize Reviews Can Help
Finding time to manage your reviews on your own can be a challenge, especially when you have a business to run. That’s where an effective online reputation management company can help! Rize Reviews offers a fully managed service that takes care of everything for you, from review collection, customer review outreach and review sharing automation. Contact us to learn more today!
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