Online reviews, when done well, create new customers. Done poorly, they repel potential customers.
How important are online reviews? More than 80% of Americans trust them, according to BrightLocal research. A new study I just finished yesterday for my upcoming book with Daniel Lemin found that online reviews rank second—behind only friend and family recommendations—among the critical sources of information driving a consumer’s potential purchase.
And among millennials? They trust online reviews MORE than they trust friends and family.
But they can’t be reviews from whenever. Like the new Harry Styles ballad, they have to be FRESH! In fact, 77% of consumers do not trust reviews that are older than 90 days, says BrightLocal.
Also, Google now uses “review velocity”—the pace at which your business accumulates new reviews—as a ranking factor for local search results.
We are at a point where getting a consistent supply of positive reviews has a material impact on business success. Yet, SO … Read More