Why Reviews Matter

Quality Reviews help your business Take Off.

And How they Determine Success for your New Business Online

The transition of reputation building from word of mouth to online reviews was a quantum leap into the future of business. It’s estimated that nearly 80% of consumers now trust online reviews over personal recommendations. 

This change introduces a new challenge for new businesses. Without online reviews, your reputation is now in limbo. Even if you have serviced hundreds of local customers, you’re only as good as what people can see - and consumers are now, more than ever, focused on quality online reviews. 

Why Reviews Matter.

Beyond customer perception, there are measurable impacts to your online presence as a whole when you lack quality reviews. Search Engines like Bing and Google base their recommendations heavily on factors like reviews. Not only the quality, but the amount, frequency and interactivity from the company. Without all of these important indicators, these search engines are not going to recommend you to their customers - at least, not without recommending 15 of your competitors first. 

After all, Google and similar engines have customers just like you. Their most important priority is serving the best suggestions to their clients. When you don’t have online reviews, this is one of the fastest ways to indicate to search engines that your business may not have the experience or reputation necessary to be considered a top recommendation; even if that’s far from the truth. 

What can you do right now?

The good news is that as long as you have customers, you have potential reviews. As a new business, you need to capitalize on every opportunity for feedback that you can find. Online reviews are not only a great litmus test for the quality of your operations, but also an incredible tool for building your online reputation. 

If you have a business with low or non-existent online reviews, this should be your first focus. It’s free for you and for your customers and gives future clients assurance of your ability before they even call you. Go through your recent jobs and reach out to these clients for reviews. The more you have, the easier it is for you to grow. And the more you interact with these reviews, the easier it is for customers and Search Engines both to see that you are a responsible and reputable business worthy of recommendation.

Building your online reputation may seem like a daunting task. Just remember, every job you do should be seen as an opportunity to develop your reputation and ensure future customers. A job well done is a good start, but a satisfied client singing your praises publicly is a priceless asset to your growing business.