Benefits of Online Reviews For Business
Online reviews provide social proof and help establish trust and credibility for products, services, or businesses. Potential customers can rely on the experiences and opinions of others to make informed decisions.
A strong collection of positive reviews can give businesses a competitive edge. When compared to competitors with fewer or negative reviews, businesses with a higher rating and positive feedback are more likely to attract customers and stand out in the market.
By monitoring and responding to online reviews, businesses can address customer concerns and provide better customer service. Prompt responses to negative reviews demonstrate a commitment to resolving issues, which can help retain customers and improve overall satisfaction.
Ratings and reviews are valuable for online and in-store sales, web engagement, SEO, customer service, reducing returns, merchandising, marketing, and product development. Reviews and testimonials help customers validate their purchase decisions.
There are two kind of reviews found on websites
- Organic reviews – These are ratings and reviews that the company has collected itself from its customers, probably with the help of tools, such as ShopperApproved, Trustpilot, Yotpo, etc. Companies can get reviews from customers by incentivized requests, post-checkout web surveys, sampling and requesting reviews via social media channels or post-interaction email (PIE), and soliciting reviews via website banners.
- Syndicated reviews- Review syndication, also known as review aggregation or review distribution, refers to the practice of collecting and distributing customer reviews from various sources across multiple platforms. It offers several benefits for businesses and consumers alike.
Example of Review Syndication
Shop Direct’s Littlewoods.com has customer reviews syndicated from its sister website Very.co.uk. Customer reviews from L’Oreal’s website lorealparisusa.com are syndicated to other retailer websites like ULTA and Walgreens.
Merchant reviews can also be distributed through syndication networks such as Yelp, Google My Business Reviews, Facebook Reviews, etc. If your business is new and it is still in the process of sourcing direct reviews from customers, it is advisable to show syndicated reviews on its website. Syndicated reviews help boost conversions and SEO efforts when done correctly.
How to Use Online Reviews for Business Growth
***Pro Tip- Use Cheerleader Effect on Your Testimonial Page
Create a ‘Customer Reviews’ or ‘Testimonials’ page and display all your merchant reviews collected from your merchant review platform. On the same page, you can display banners linking to Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, and other review aggregators of your choice and ask visitors to read more business reviews and give their feedback.
When a potential customer would search for your business name, your page would appear in the search result. Instead of getting redirected to other websites, the user would come to your website and can read all the reviews you have on your reviews or testimonial page.
Benefits of Review Syndication
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Increased Visibility
By syndicating reviews to various platforms, you can expand your reach and expose your business to a wider audience. This increased visibility can help attract more potential customers and generate greater brand awareness.
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Social Proof and Trust
Reviews act as social proof and play a crucial role in building trust and credibility for your business. Syndicating positive reviews across different platforms reinforces the positive image of your brand and products/services, making it more likely for potential customers to trust and choose your business.
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Improved Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Reviews can contribute to your website’s SEO efforts. When you syndicate reviews to multiple platforms, you create more backlinks and mentions of your brand, which can positively impact your search engine rankings. Additionally, user-generated content, such as reviews, is often considered valuable by search engines, leading to improved visibility in search results.
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Diverse Customer Feedback
Review syndication allows you to gather feedback from different sources and platforms. This diverse feedback provides you with a comprehensive understanding of customer opinions, enabling you to identify areas for improvement and make informed business decisions.
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Competitive Advantage
Syndicating positive reviews sets you apart from competitors who may not be utilizing this strategy. When potential customers come across consistent positive reviews across multiple platforms, they are more likely to choose your business over others that lack such visibility and credibility.
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Reputation Management
By syndicating reviews, you gain better control over your online reputation. You can actively monitor and manage your reviews across platforms, respond to customer feedback, address concerns, and resolve issues promptly. This proactive approach to reputation management helps maintain a positive brand image and customer satisfaction.
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Enhanced Customer Engagement
Review syndication encourages customer engagement by providing them with opportunities to share their experiences on various platforms. This engagement not only benefits your brand but also fosters a sense of community among customers, leading to increased brand loyalty and advocacy.
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Feedback Integration
Syndicated reviews can be integrated into your website or product pages, creating dynamic content that keeps your web presence fresh and informative. This integration provides visitors with valuable insights directly on your website, improving the overall user experience and potentially increasing conversion rates.
Reviews are important for business and can increase conversions and customer loyalty due to the Cheerleader Effect.
People tend to rely on a group of people than an isolated individual. The review page where a group of people (about 10 to 20 reviews on the page) has said favorable things about your business makes it appear more attractive and credible.
Display groups of testimonials on the homepage and other critical pages with a link to read more reviews that redirect to your review page. Apart from merchant reviews, try to collect as many product reviews as possible. Make it easy for customers to leave product reviews by displaying the option to leave product reviews prominently.
Product reviews and merchant ratings make your business look attractive in search engine results, make your business more reliable and give a boost to your SEO efforts. You can also add your reviews in Google Ads and PPC campaigns on various advertising platforms.
Hunaid Germanwala is a digital marketer and content creator at Health Products For You since 2014. He has an MS from Ulm University in Germany. His mind is always buzzing with creative ideas and is eager to explore new perspectives. His motto in life is “Better to Light the Candle than to Curse the Darkness.”