In doing this, the King would not have been displaying weakness; rather, he would have been utilising the information available to him – first-hand accounts of the character of a potential ally from a trusted source.
Similarly, in the modern world, there is no failure to seek help or advice from an outside source before making an important decision. Whilst none of us, fortunately, will never have the pressure of such a cataclysmic scenario as the one outlined above, we will all have significant personal and financial decisions to make.
When it comes to the latter, evidence suggests that the vast majority of people are using the information available to them to make informed decisions. The statistic in the article's title shows that. It should also work as a wake-up call to any business owner looking to grow their market share and profits.
If you fall into this category, read on to find out more about why online reviews are essential and how to ensure yours are mainly positive.
Why are online reviews important?
The statistic that drew you into this article should comprehensively answer this question, but if you are left in any doubt as to the importance of online reviews, allow us to delve a little bit deeper.
Firstly, 93% of consumers are reading online reviews before making a purchase. In that case, it shows that reviews are essential to customers, and what matters to customers matters to business owners.
Secondly, and perhaps most crucially, online reviews are essential because they allow your business to be seen in an increasingly online marketplace - a company with lots of reviews will be indexed higher by Google than one with fewer.
Reviews you can trust
Another reason that online reviews are important is that they give increasingly savvy customers a way to find reliable opinions. Everyone has grown accustomed to the manipulative world of advertising and marketing, and most of us, quite frankly, are sick and tired of it.
We don’t trust adverts. We don’t trust affiliate marketing sites and we don’t trust celebrity testimonials. What we do trust is the views of a large number of customers who have bought the product or service we are thinking about.
Word of warning, though: modern customers are savvy and clever. If you think you can trick them with fake reviews, think again! Even just one can do way more harm than you think.
What makes a good review?
A good review is honest, detailed, and unbiased. It highlights both strengths and weaknesses, provides clear examples, and considers user experience. Accuracy, transparency, and trustworthiness are key, helping readers make informed decisions without being misled or having claims exaggerated.
The more competitive the industry, the more sceptical you should be of reviews. In the gambling industry, there are plenty of fake reviews generated to attract players to a particular provider. A reliable review site can help players identify trustworthy platforms, understand the variety of games, evaluate bonuses, and assess the quality of customer service. Reviews also provide insight into payout speed, fairness, and security, all of which are crucial when real money is involved. For those looking for expert guidance, here are the best slot reviews from Casino.co.uk, offering detailed insights into gameplay, features, and reliability, so players can make informed decisions before spinning the reels.
How to get good reviews
Ask for them. That’s how. It’s not simple or glamorous, but it is goddamn effective, and efficiency is what we strive for in business. Every time you make a sale or interact with a customer, be sure to ask them in person, or electronically, to head over to Google and leave your business a review.
If you have their email, send them a link to your Google page with their receipt, and make it easy for them to leave a review. If you aren’t a dreadful business and you sell quality products or services for a good price, then the vast majority of your customers are likely to leave a good review.
What about bad reviews?
The obvious way to avoid bad reviews is to offer great customer service at a fair price, but even when you do everything right, you still run the risk of receiving a bad review. Perhaps they misread the product description, maybe they really have it in for you or, most likely, they’re having a bad day.
Whatever it is, you’re going to get a bad review. Which is why the point above is incredibly important - get as many customers as possible to leave a review. If you do this, the positive will outweigh the negative.
The list of reviews will also tell a story to prospective customers. They will be able to see that the bad review is a misnomer, an anomaly, or a blip. If you haven’t gone to the effort to get your customers to review, though, that bad one will sit front and centre and have a huge impact on your online visibility.
In summary
Customer reviews are incredibly important to the success of modern businesses. Fortunately, making the most of them isn’t rocket science. Just make sure you ask EVERY customer to leave a review and offer good service.