Word of mouth is a powerful tool both in person and online. Today consumers are more aware and more connected.  More and more people are using the internet to research a product or service to help them make a purchasing decision. So what other customers say about you can make or break the deal.

84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

As a result, online reviews are a powerful tool for boosting trust, strengthening your brand and increasing sales.

When a prospect browses your reviews they have an interest in what you are offering and are asking “Are these guys any good?”

Internet browsers take microseconds to form a judgement and on average, people expect to read 5 reviews before forming an opinion about a business.

People don’t always trust what you say, but they’re more likely to trust what others say about you.

Benefits of online customer reviews

• Each review is a form of advertising for your business because they are available online to be read and increase awareness of who you are and what you do.
• Search engines such as Google take into account how many times your business name is mentioned in reviews. If you're mentioned a lot of times, you're likely to appear higher in the search results than a business that isn't reviewed very often.
• Research shows that consumers generally trust peer recommendations more than they trust advertising. Consumers are most likely to trust recommendations from people they know, but many also consider online sources to be credible.
• Some reviews may raise concerns or suggest improvements. This can be a good opportunity to resolve a customer's problem and/or improve business practices.
• You're likely to get to read reviews from customers who might not otherwise tell you their opinions of your business. You then have the opportunity to reply to both positive and negative reviews, demonstrating that you're interested in what customers have to say.

How to get more reviews

Make leaving reviews a smooth, painless process and you’re likely to get more of them.

Focus on your raving fans and customers. Customers are more likely to leave a glowing review if they are benefitting from your product or service.

Don’t want until weeks or months after you have had dealings with a customer, strike while the iron is hot.  You will be more likely to get feedback while you are top of mind and working with the customer than two weeks later.

Respond to reviews

Respond to all reviews positive and negative because this can help and grow your reputation instead of damaging it. You are not expected to be always perfect your responses to reviews often reveal to readers how you communicate and constantly work to improve your service and relationships.