Customer reviews and ratings are critical to a business’s online performance. This has never been truer that it is now, as consumers stay home and avoid brick-and-mortar locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a digital marketing and reputation management agency, GrowthEngine Media has for years encouraged clients to prioritize online reviews, especially on Google. Now, new data suggests review-building and -management should be more of a priority than ever.
Last week, Search Engine Land published an article on ‘reputation experience management,’ by contributor Adam Dorfman. The article contains insights from a recent survey conducted by Fan & Fuel. According to the survey results, reviews factor into the buying decisions of 97 per cent of customers. Ninety-two per cent of customers also hesitate to purchase products from companies or retailers without any reviews.
The article also reports that 75 per cent of consumers lose trust in businesses that publish inaccurate information on Google My Business and other platforms. Finally, Dorfman asserts that negative reviews prompted by inaccurate information, or subpar customer service, or any other cause impact search rankings.
‘Google says that high-quality, positive customer reviews will improve a brand’s visibility and increase the likelihood that a potential customer will visit you,’ Dorfman writes. In other words, if your competitors are receiving positive reviews and you are not, your search position may suffer.
As a reputation management agency, GrowthEngine Media has experience encouraging positive reviews from satisfied customers and developing strategies for responding to negative reviews. In both cases, the goal is clear: to build your business’s reputation as an empathetic and engaged member of the online community. We understand the immense value of positive reviews and ratings, and see negative feedback as an opportunity for business development.
GrowthEngine Media is a Google Premier Partner search engine advertising and reputation management agency with unique insights on Google’s preferred practices. Contact us today to discuss how reputation management can help improve your business’s digital performance.
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