Recent history has seen the popularity and impact of online reviews increase significantly. Whether business owners like it or not, potential customers often use the reviews of a service or product as a key tool in their decision-making process.

Whether people are looking for a restaurant for an evening meal, a hotel for their holiday, a plumber to fix a broken pipe or anything in between, online reviews have quickly become an integral part of promoting your business online.

There are of course two sides to everything and to provide you with a full picture of the pros and cons of online reviews, we have drawn up a list of potential positive and negative impacts.

A 5 Star Review

The Positive Impact of Online Reviews

Positive reviews can result in:

  • Increased conversion rates (customers spending more money!!)
  • Creating increased trust with your clients
  • Free advertising (great reviews on external sites can be key in drawing in new customers)
  • Improved results on search engines (regular reviews are strongly believed to play a role in ranking algorithms)
  • Increased feedback (the ability to leave reviews can be key in opening lines of communication with your customers)

The Negative Impact of Reviews on Businesses

On the flip side, receiving negative reviews can result in:

  • An impact on the perceived reputation of your business
  • Damage to trust levels (Too many negative reviews or no reviews at all can impact the trustworthiness of a business)
  • Increased costs (some 3rd party review sites will charge to use their services)
  • Reviews being left which may not be accurate (3rd party review sites offer complete freedom on the reviews that can be left)
  • Without a drip-feed of reviews, old reviews can seem out of date

Please Note – It is essential to remember that regardless of the platform, you will always have the option to reply to any review. Positive or negative, responses are strongly encouraged. However, taking the high ground in response to a negative review is also strongly encouraged!

If you would like more information relating to online reviews and how they can impact your business, please contact Footprint Web Design today.

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