Did you know that 96% of consumers read reviews before choosing which business to make purchases from? The word of other consumers is gospel while what brands say about themselves doesn’t mean much in comparison. So, if your client wants to achieve true digital marketing success, they need to inspire lots of positive reviews.
Don’t Expect Customers to Leave Reviews on Their Own
Brands may assume that if customers like their products and have no issues getting them that positive reviews are assured. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. According to a study by XM institute, only an average of 33.5% of consumers share feedback directly with companies.
The good news is that it’s not because they don’t have anything to say. On average:
47.5% of consumers tell their friends and family about their experiences with brands
30% will put a comment on a third-party rating site
22.5% will post something about their experience on social media
Overall, only an average of 19% of consumers won’t say anything about their experiences to anyone. So, they have the review/feedback at the ready. Your client just needs to draw it out of them to achieve digital marketing success.
How to Get Reviews
According to XM institute there are two good ways to influence customers to leave reviews.
The first is to make a survey available on your client’s website. That way, customers are aware of the option to leave reviews and can do so whenever they’re on the site.
The second option is to email customers after they receive their order to ask them to leave a review. If your client wants to entice them into leaving a review, they can promise a coupon/discount code upon completion.
How Positive Reviews are Earned
There’s more to inspiring positive reviews than meeting customer expectations. According to a previous SalesFuel blog based on data from BrightLocal, positive reviews are earned by:
Overperforming to provide exceptional experiences: 81% of consumers agree they’re more likely to leave positive reviews when this happens
Turning negative experiences into positive ones: 79%
Making your client’s business eco-friendly/sustainable: 60%
Having employees ask customers to leave reviews: 57%
Highlighting your client’s business’ diversity (for example, LGBTQ+-, women‑, black- or family-owned): 53%
Positive reviews are the backbone of digital marketing success and this is how to earn them. For more inspiration of how to influence positive reviews, check out your client’s target audience’s profile on AdMall by SalesFuel.
Bad Reviews are Still Opportunities
When your client asks their customers for reviews, they open themselves up to the possibility of negative reviews. In fact, customers are more likely to be motivated to make reviews after they’ve had a negative experience. But don’t let that scare your client.
Another key to digital marketing success is turning bad experiences into opportunities. Read your client’s bad reviews to figure out what went wrong. Then, comment back and fix the problem however you can.
Why It Matters
Consumers don’t always trust what brands say about how great their products are. After all, their content’s purpose is to influence sales. So, user-generated content (UGC) (i.e., customer reviews) is the perfect way to inspire trust in your client’s brand and products.
According to a previous SalesFuel blog based on data from Bazaarvoice, UGC:
Gives consumers more confidence in a product, service or brand: 78% agree
Is something consumers rely on, especially during economic difficulties: 43%
Plus, “All consumer age groups rely on UGC in come capacity, especially those under the age of 45.”
So, not only will inspiring online reviews help your client achieve digital marketing success, they also attract new loyal customers.
Photo by: Windows