The Changing Landscape of Online Reviews
Harnessing the Power of Online Reviews is a Must!
The web today is built on conversation – and if your brand isn’t being talked about, you may as well be invisible. So, if you’re looking to bolster your brand’s credibility, harnessing the power of online reviews is a must.
The web is home to many websites that are dedicated to collecting customer reviews. But in recent years, a major shift has taken place, as customer reviews have increasingly found a home on sites not exclusively devoted to reviews at all. As social networks, search engines, and other Web 2.0 mainstays attract more web traffic, they’ve become the go-to spots for online reviews – and taking stock of this shift is essential if you want to take advantage of online reviews to boost your brand’s fortunes.
Let’s take a look at a few of these Web 2.0 hubs that have become hot spots for customer reviews…
Google
The world’s top search engine has taken command of the online review market, leaving traditional platforms in the dust to become the number one destination for users seeking reviews. A 2018 survey found that more than 6 in 10 web users are likely to check reviews on Google before visiting a business – and, consumers are also significantly more likely to write reviews on Google than elsewhere. So, setting up your Google My Business profile is a crucial step for any small business looking for a signal boost.
Facebook
As the world’s biggest social media platform, Facebook is ground zero for endless discussion – and it’s emerged in recent years as a vital platform for online reviews. It hasn’t seen the same explosive growth as Google, but it has experienced a steady increase in relation to traditional review-focused sites. It’s now the number two platform for online reviews, and also boasts the highest average review scores among online review platforms.
Amazon
The indisputable leader in e-commerce today, Amazon has become a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut – and more small businesses are leveraging its dominant market position for their own benefit. In 2017, Amazon announced that for the first time, more than half of the items sold on the site came from third-party sellers. If you’re among the many small businesses that rely on Amazon’s marketplace for a big chunk of sales, encouraging customers to leave reviews on the site should be a key part of your strategy.
LinkedIn
Geared towards professionals and job hunters, LinkedIn is a more narrowly focused platform than others on this list, with a much more focused audience. But if you’re a B2B professional, cultivating a good reputation on the platform should be considered a mission-critical task nonetheless. If doesn’t offer users the ability to leave traditional business reviews, but it does allow others in your network to leave recommendations and endorse your skills, making it a natural fit for B2B pros looking to burnish their credibility.
Online reviews are a powerful asset helping you leverage social proof – and on today’s social web, they’ve got more impact than ever. Ready to get started? Contact Rosie’s Creative today – and remember, with us, your first consultation is always free.