Should Small Businesses Care About 5 Star Reviews?

In a digital world where so much of our shopping and interactions take place online, reviews can make or break your business.

Having a 5* rated online presence isn’t just about pride, it can be the difference between hitting your growth goals vs stagnating. 

Let’s look at why you should care about online reviews.

Reviews build trust and credibility

In 2021, a study on how reviews impact purchase behaviour found that 98% of UK consumers consider online reviews an essential resource when making purchase decisions. 

Similar findings have been reported across numerous studies, even discovering that 54% of consumers are putting their trust in online reviews first, outweighing the opinions of friends and family.

Trust boosts conversion rates

Positive reviews reduce hesitation and make prospective customers feel more confident in their buying decisions.

Every business is likely to tell you that their product or service is the best on the market. Your leads are much more likely to trust your business when your claims are backed up by others in their position.

Boosting your business visibility with reviews

Search engines will prioritise highly-rated businesses in their rankings. If you want to boost your visibility on Google and other platforms, having highly-rated Google and Trustpilot reviews will help you.

This enhanced visibility will also help your SEO (search engine optimisation) performance of content on your website such as blogs and service pages. Better discoverability leads to more traffic and more leads for your business.

This Method client couldn't have achieved their growth goals if not for their stellar online reputation.

Reviews build relationships with your customers

As a business owner, reviews feel personal. They allow you to understand your customers, their likes and dislikes, and see the reward for your hard work. 

The more touch-points you create with your customers, the more you encourage repeat interactions. Why not go a step further and reply to your customer reviews - this offers them appreciation and acknowledgement for their feedback while adding another interaction to strengthen the relationship.

How to get five star reviews

Here are a few steps you can take to gather more online reviews:

• Provide excellent customer experiences
• Ask for reviews
• Respond to reviews
• Take feedback on board

Need help building a strong online presence?

Get in touch with our team to discuss improving your online ratings:

Book a call

Pop us an email: hello@methodhq.co.uk

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