Think back to the last time that you purchased something. This can be either online or offline. How exactly did you decide what product you were going to buy? The truth is, you probably based your decision on what reviews said about the product. You may have even found a few negative reviews which caused you to skip a particular product and move on to the next. The same can be said when you are looking to work with someone – say a contractor. Online reputation is the heart and soul of the business world today.
Remember when you were younger, and your parents told you not to trust strangers? This could be anything from taking candy to giving you a ride home from school. The takeaway from your parent’s conversation was that strangers were not to be trusted. Now flash forward to today. We get in cars with strangers and even take the advice given to us by them on the internet. That last one is driving the business world. People read and follow the advice of random strangers to the point that we base our buying decisions solely based on what we read on a website. But who are these people that we decide to make purchasing decisions for us? That’s right. They are strangers. If one of them were to walk up to you on the street and give you advice on what brand of fabric softener to buy, you would probably think they were nuts and walk away. So, why do we trust these same people online?
Since we put so much trust in what we read online, a single negative review can ruin a business’s or person’s reputation. Knowing this, you need to realize that these reviews are the lifeblood of your personal or business status.
Statistics
We have mentioned it several times, but it bears repeating. More than 85% of consumers read reviews about local businesses. This number jumps to about 95% when we are talking about consumers aged 18 – 34. Consumers read about ten online reviews before they feel they can trust you, your product, or your brand. An increase from just under 20%, 40% of customers takes into account any review that is less than two weeks old. Over 55% of customers will only do business with a company that has over four stars. A vast majority, approximately 80% of 18 – 34-year-old customers have written an online review. This is much more than the age groups over 55 years old; just over 40% of them have written an online review. Over 90% of the 18 – 34 age group take online reviews as seriously as a personal recommendation from a friend or family member. Of that 90%, 89% of them read the responses posted by businesses. That is enough statistics. Let’s jump into why they trust them so much.
Trust
The truth of the matter is, most shopping is done online these days. As a result, they turn to reviews left by others that are shopping the same way they are. The reason for this is that it takes the entire experience into account. Everything from how easy it was to order, how long it took for the product to arrive, and what to expect if there is a need for a return. Since they cannot physically look at the item they intend to purchase, they have to rely on others to describe what they received. After all, a business can write anything down as a description of the product they are selling. It is not until someone buys it that they know if what was described is actually what they received.
In much the same way, experiences in restaurants validate the buying experience. We all know that pictures can be altered, and commercials can be misleading. When a customer is in the restaurant, there is no hiding what is being served. That is why the most popular websites for reviews revolve around food. Shopping for a birthday or Christmas is something that does happen every day, but not to the same person. We must nourish ourselves often, and for that, we turn to restaurants. As a result, we trust the prior experiences of other consumers like us.
Sadly, online reviews eliminate the need to ask a friend or family member about a restaurant. On the upside, though, you will have more than one opinion. Additionally, it is highly unlikely that you know someone that has dined in every restaurant in your city. Of course, this will depend on the size of your town and the number of restaurants. Bigger cities like Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have a large number of restaurants. There probably isn’t enough time in anyone’s life to visit them all. You can still ask your family and friends, but you will get more answers from online review sites, faster.
The Reviews
In a growing trend, people seem to trust negative reviews more than positive ones. Studies have shown that not only do these negative reviews receive more attention, but as many as 60% of customers will not use a business that has negative reviews. The reason for this is that since there are more positive reviews than negative ones, more substantial value is placed on the less than perfect reviews. Since no one wants to have a bad experience with a business, we need to be informed of possible warning signs ahead of time. Negative reviews are used as a way to assess the potential risks associated with the possible adverse outcomes.
Conclusion
It is time to warm up to the fact that reviews are here to stay. Your online reputation will depend on how well you can maintain a spotless brand image. Reviews are just one way to accomplish this. Don’t worry about the reviews too much, but know they exist. Also, recognize that people are reading them and trusting them. The best thing you can do when receiving a negative review is to take a deep breath and respond to the review positively. There is a lot of stock place into how a company handles negative reviews.