If Yelp has taught business owners anything, it’s that the power of a negative review is a real threat to their revenue. From Google to Facebook, those five little stars can make or break a business. Why do consumers pay so much attention to these ratings, though?
The Neighbor Effect
In a recent study, 84% of consumers said they look to reviews before giving a business a try. The 18 to 34 age range makes up 91% of that group. So, it’s obvious that reviews are important to consumers. Part of what makes them so important is something called the neighbor effect.
In the past, having your neighbor or a friend recommend a restaurant was the best thing possible for businesses. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire, getting customers in the door at a faster ate than any marketing technique could dream of.
Reviews offer the same feeling to consumers. When they see a group of people just like them talking about their experience with a business, they feel they can trust them like a neighbor. That’s the power of positive reviews these days, but you have to keep negative reviews in mind as well.
In the same way 50 positive reviews can boost your revenue by attracting new consumers or clientele, it only takes three negative reviews to ruin that reputation. Forbes reported that even one negative comment holds the potential to thwart incoming business by 22%.
Why? The answer is simple. Those negative reviews or comments resonate with the masses. Whether it was an issue with shipping, packaging, or the honest mistake of a manufacturing mishap, everyone has experienced something similar. Potential customers are reminded of their sour experience with a previous company and dread the idea of going through that again. Remember, the neighbor effect works both ways.
Ease of Information
It isn’t just the neighbor effect, though. The age of all things internet allows consumers to learn more about a business than ever before without having to step foot inside its doors. Naturally, everyone wants to take advantage of that because it saves them time. Why waste your time and money on a business with a history of horrible service?
At the same time, why go anywhere else when you can have nothing but the best? Take a look at these Schoenberg Family Law Group reviews. With a solid 4.6 and 51 five-star ratings, would you trust them to handle your case?
Now consider the number of positive comments in the reviews. When it comes to attorneys in the Bay Area, a location saturated with law firms, Schoenberg stands out from their consumer reviews alone. Within seconds, hundreds of thousands of potential customers can pick them out from the crowd.
You can do the same for your business, but it takes the right tools. Companies like Bird Eye help business curate their reviews by sending personalized templates to customers, offering instantaneous updates when stars are given, and allowing you to respond to negative feedback within seconds.
Your ability to stay on top of your reviews is paramount to the success of business. Just ask the 84% of consumers who take your previous customer’s words at face value.