Case studies feature prominently on a large proportion of websites as businesses try their best to prove that they are trustworthy and capable. This is all very good, and studies have shown that 70% of online consumers look at a review before making a purchase.
Luckily for you though, the benefits of reviews and testimonials don’t just stop there. Online reviews, and we’re talking specifically about Google My Business reviews here, are fantastic for your search engine rankings and local SEO. Google trusts the words of your customers, so if you’ve got 5-star reviews by the boatload, you’ll appear much higher in local searches than your competitors.
Online Reviews and the Buying Decision
As we saw earlier, 70% of online consumers look at reviews before making a purchase. Social proof is staggeringly powerful. When someone tells us they’re trustworthy we tend to be quite sceptical. When they’re backed up by three or four other anonymous people all agreeing then we’re much more receptive. Modern businesses cannot afford to underestimate the power of a good review, and the danger of a poor one. Online reviews, in particular, carry an extra sense of significance, with 88% of consumers trusting them as much as a personal recommendation. If it helps, try imagining your Google reviews as a group of friends personally recommending you to people they know every time a user searches for you.
Aside from the personal and powerful nature of online reviews, there is also an aspect of making a great first impression. If you were a café, for example, appearing alongside your competitors on a local Google search you’re far more likely to entice that customer if you have more and better reviews. Don’t necessarily expect people to read every single one, if you have plenty of them and average high ratings that can be enough!