Negosentro.com | Building Trust to Your Website With the Use of Online Reviews |For today’s consumers, the digital marketplace can be quite scary. With so many brands, both renown and anonymous, fake designer goods, and scam websites, gaining consumers’ trust is more important than ever. One of the best ways to do this is by relying on customer reviews.
If you’re still not sold on the importance of reviews in building trust, take a look at these stats:
- More than 70% of customers won’t take action until they read reviews
- 15% of consumers don’t trust businesses without reviews
- Nearly 90% of users trust reviews as much as recommendations by people they know
- Google accounts for almost 60% of all reviews worldwide
- More than 95% of B2B buyers find reviews more credible than other types of content
- More than 90% of millennial consumers trust online reviews as much as family and friends
- 90% of consumers need less than ten reviews to form an opinion about a business
- Customers could spend 31% more on a brand with great reviews
- More than 80% of customers don’t trust advertising
- Online reviews are trusted more than celebrity endorsements
Customer reviews can boost brand trust and make customers feel comfortable when buying your products or service. However, if you want to use reviews to build trust, the reviews themselves have to be trustworthy.
To achieve this, you should use a service like Google Customer Reviews or a Google Licensed Review Partner, such as Reviews.io which require verification of reviews by means of proof of purchase. This way, you’ll make sure that your reviews and genuine and, in turn, trustworthy and reliable for potential customers.
This helps even when you’re serving local customers because people google for things like hotels near me, a veterinary clinic near me, etc. In fact, local businesses have an average of 39 Google reviews.
Now that you’re aware that reviews are a great way to build trust, let’s see how you can use them for your business.
1. Reviews Are a Proof That You’ve Already Served Other People
Even though this may sound somewhat foolish, online reviews are proof that you have customers, i.e. that other people have already used your products or services (successfully or unsuccessfully, doesn’t matter). In fact, more than 60% of buyers are more likely to shop on a website that already has reviews.
You’ve probably heard about situations where consumers have paid for a product online but never received it. Reviews demonstrate authenticity and make customers relaxed and reassured when shopping on your website. This can be especially beneficial for small businesses or newer brands because it will help customers who haven’t made a purchase from you to gain trust.
2. Reviews Give Details About Your Business Performance
When it comes to online shopping, almost everyone has their own fear. Some of us have had negative experiences with delivery, others may have trouble with inaccurate sizing. Even if you have already displayed info about pricing, delivery dates, return policies, and shipping methods on your website, many consumers tend to think that what brands claim and what they actually deliver can be quite different.
Verified reviews are a great way to neutralize these fears, as they provide additional information and details about your performance. Reliable info about the aspects of your business which fall outside the standard parameters will help customers make more informed decisions and feel more comfortable when buying from you.
3. Reviews Show You have Nothing to Hide
Of course, gathering reviews comes with a certain risk, as there are always chances that someone will leave a negative one. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, consumers tend to find websites with 100% positive reviews somewhat sterile and even suspect they might be fake!
On the other hand, businesses that aren’t afraid to openly allow feedback project confidence in their own performance and belief they won’t be affected by negative reviews. And when a business is self-confident, it fills consumers with confidence too!
In addition, openly displaying both positive and negative feedback shows that you are totally transparent and have nothing to hide, which helps increase trust even more.
When done right, positive reviews can definitely outweigh the negative ones.
4. Replies to Reviews Show That You Care
Even when you have negative reviews, you can always salvage the situation by responding and turning it into a constructive conversation.
It’s very important to learn how to respond and when to respond to reviews. When done right, responding to reviews can help you build trust because it shows that you really care. People can see that you’re easy to reach and that they’ll never be forgotten or alone if there’s a problem.
The fact that they have an opportunity to review your business publically helps consumers realize that their voice will be heard. In a way, it gives them a bit of power, making them more willing to engage with your businesses.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to using online reviews to build trust, you first need to make sure that the reviews you are gathering are credible. Make sure to reply to all reviews, whether positive or negative, to demonstrate that you’re encouraging them but you’re also prepared to learn from them. There’s a reason why people trust online reviews and why so many businesses are collecting them. You’d better join the bandwagon or risk being overrun by your competitors.
