{"id":102015,"date":"2015-11-23T17:48:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T22:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/five-reasons-why-businesses-cant-waste-the-online-review-opportunity\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T16:40:26","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:40:26","slug":"five-reasons-why-businesses-cant-waste-the-online-review-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-gb\/insights\/blog\/local-search\/five-reasons-why-businesses-cant-waste-the-online-review-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 reasons why businesses CANNOT afford to waste online reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Venting in a newspaper used to be the closest a customer could get to leaving a bad review of a local business. Nowadays, there are ample opportunities for customers to sound off, be it via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and increasingly, through online reviews. The review rating is one of many ranking factors Google uses within its algorithm, so it\u2019s not to be ignored. The better the rating the more chance of ranking higher in web search or map results. But if this isn\u2019t reason enough, here are five reasons why local businesses shouldn\u2019t be ignoring the online review opportunity…<\/p>\n

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  1. Google is hedging its bets on online reviews, and Google is usually right!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Google is doing all that it can to boost the prominence of online reviews, which are now more visible to searchers following the recent redesign of the Google Maps interface. Additionally, it has just announced changes to its \u2018Local Guides\u2019 programme, which sits within Google Maps and encourages the direct contribution of user reviews. These changes include new incentives<\/a> to write online reviews, and are aimed at broadening participation and the types of content collected. In a blog post, Google says,\u00a0\u201cyou can earn points and level up by writing reviews, uploading photos, adding new places, fixing outdated information, and answering simple questions. Each contribution type is worth one point, so you can earn up to five points per place.\u201d So not only is Google doing more to encourage consumers to write reviews, but it is also inviting them to correct local business information. \"Online<\/p>\n

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    1. Consumer trust in online reviews has never been higher<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      It might surprise you that 88%<\/a>\u00a0of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Furthermore, according to market research specialist iPerceptions, 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase\u00a0from a site which has user reviews. Additionally, consumer reviews are nearly 12 times more trusted\u00a0than descriptions that come from manufacturers, according to a survey of US internet users by online video review site EXPO. The volume of reviews customers are reading is also on the increase, with many reviewing a minimum of five before they put their trust in a local business. The amount of faith a customer has in online reviews is now almost equal to a recommendation from a trusted friend.<\/p>\n

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      1. Customers need coaxing into writing positive online reviews<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        A recent poll by AYTM Market Research found that few consumers actually post local business reviews. Nearly three-quarters of US internet users said they had never posted a review of a business on Yelp or a similar site, while 16% had only done so once or twice, and just 10.5% many times. This represents a missed opportunity. In coming months, we are likely to see local businesses doing more to encourage customers to write and publish reviews, and particularly when they\u2019ve received a positive experience. It\u2019s crucial the review process is a simple one, to help with up-take. Remaining in dialogue with a customer, once they have made a purchase, and encouraging them to leave their feedback on the product or service, is one of the most popular tactics currently being used. Without reviews, businesses are at risk of having no reputation signals, or worse, having one single, scathing review, visible in the local search listing.<\/p>\n

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        1. Businesses can turn a negative online review into a positive<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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