Did you know that the customers who are most likely to review your business are the happy ones? In our first installment of our What Consumers Want series, we focus on the power of the satisfied customer.
Happy Customers, Great Reviews
To develop our report, “Yodle Insights: What Consumers Want from Local Businesses,” Yodle commissioned an independent online survey of 6,000+ U.S.consumers to plumb their perspectives on how they locate, choose, and interact with area businesses. While we uncovered fascinating data sure to be of interest to businesses (be sure to download and read the full report), one of our most exciting findings was that 8 out of 10 people who have posted an online review did so to share a positive experience.
Using Online Reviews to Your Advantage
While it’s definitely good news for local businesses that so many people are willing to share their positive transactions online, it’s unfortunate that only 7% of consumers have been asked to write and post a review online. Our data suggests that many small businesses are missing the opportunity to garner positive feedback from their customers that can be used to promote the business to other customers. We found that only 7% of customers say they’ve been asked by local businesses to post an online review, but a whopping 89% say they would post a review if asked. This begs the question, are you asking your customers to share their good experiences with your business online?
It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask
Our findings indicate that more local businesses should invite customers to post online reviews. In fact, 40% of customers expect to find online reviews for businesses in their community and 36% of consumers say that having reviews sets a local business apart from its competitors. There’s also every likelihood to believe that that percentage is likely to increase, as more and more consumers rely on customer reviews when making their own purchasing decisions. By tapping into that 89% of willing customers, local businesses can ramp up their positive online presence. When inviting customers to post an online review, it can be helpful to mention where they might share their experience and how thankful your business is to customers who are willing to post their positive transaction.
Harnessing the Power of Positivity
According to a survey conducted by the Ipsos Open Thinking Exchange, an independent research company, 78% of U.S. consumers’ purchasing decisions are impacted by online reviews. In addition to asking your customers to post online reviews, businesses should also establish company profiles on several review sites and display reviews on their websites. Let your customers know where they can share their experiences with your business. By encouraging your satisfied customers to post online reviews, your business stands to benefit by each positive experience it promotes—and the data proves it!