What about Reviews?
We all know reviews are important, but are they still important in 2021, with all the other challenges that businesses have had to face in the past year? The answer is a resounding “yes!”. Reviews are still extremely important. Let’s review why they are important and then we’ll dig into some stats and dig into the numbers for 2021.
The Purpose of Reviews
Reviews aren’t on your actual website, so what is the purpose of an online review? There are several reasons why you want to get online reviews. First and foremost, it helps to validate your business from the standpoint of the consumer gaining trust through other consumer’s experiences. This, in turn, can attract new customers to your business. Most review websites will also have a link to your website on your business profile, which can indirectly lead to increased traffic for your site as well. Reviews also allow you to respond to customers and build relationships, creating repeat business along the way. Finally, reviews can help improve your local marketing by providing localized pages where people can check to see just how your customers feel about your business. And in a local market, some of those customers may be people that your potential customer already knows! How’s that for validation?
What’s Working For Reviews in 2021?
Despite the challenges presented over the past year, online reviews are still going strong in 2021. Let’s dive in and take a look at some statistics that will not only show that reviews are alive and well, but where you should focus your efforts to get results.
Reviews are written on many websites across the internet. The most popular website for reviews is Google, where 67% take place. Second in line is Facebook, then Yelp!. It drops off significantly after that, with reviews taking place on sites like the Better Business Bureau, Yellow Pages, and others. To maximize your results, especially in a local market, you’ll want to focus on the top three and then any specialized review sites that deal with your industry in particular.
Of course, this raises the same old question that has plagued business owners since online review sites started, “How do I get reviews?”. The process isn’t complicated, but it does require consistent effort. The primary ways of requesting reviews from customers is through SMS text and email. Text requests are invaluable, as they are always seen by the customer. Emails are good as well, but the open rate is only 69% on average (your results will vary). In today’s technology-driven world, nothing beats getting directly to the customer. This is why SMS text requests are gaining popularity, representing 45% of all review requests sent out! Response rates are higher for text requests as well, with 30% conversion for SMS vs 21% through email.
Conclusion
There are many different websites on which you can build a review portfolio. You need to focus on at least the top three: Google, Facebook, and Yelp! Text (SMS) messaging review requests get a better response than email requests. Reviews are important because they build trust in and validate your business in the eyes of potential customers.
If you’re struggling to get the reviews you need to build your local business profile, we can help! Our review product, Simply Review Us, helps simplify the process and provide the tools you need to get more reviews for your business across the review sites that are important for you. Contact us today for a free demo!
[Statistics source: https://birdeye.com/blog/online-reviews-statistics-2021/]
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