Online Reviews Make a Big Impact
According to a recent survey conducted by comScore, we love to read reviews, and not just for movies or books or theater. What other folks say about service providers via online reviews submitted by patrons, not professionals, impacts our buying behavior, too. I admit that I have been known to read those comments and reviews but I didn’t realize how significant they are in the decision process.
At the high end, 87% of those surveyed said they use online reviews when selecting a hotel and 79% read restaurant reviews from patrons before trying a new place. The categories for service providers include travel, automotive, medical and legal, all with above 75% consumers saying they read and were influenced by online review. In fact, 41% of those surveyed said they would spend 20% more to go to an Excellent or 5-star rated restaurant rather than one with an Average or even Good rating. We all share information with friends and peers about what to try, where to go, who has the best prices…in our business it’s called Word of Mouth marketing. Online reviewing of service providers sends WOM into another realm: I don’t need friends when I have an online community in every city that can tell me what’s hot and what’s not.
Go to any search engine and type in the subject and a city, like “hair salon reviews columbus ohio” and you’ll get several sites that offer the opportunity to rate and review businesses. If you are a service provider, you might want to spend a little time checking out your own reputation. Maybe even encourage satisfied customers to rate your service. There is no editing on these sites so you do run the risk of nasty reviews being posted but it’s the balance you’re looking for. Dissatisfied customers will always find a way to vent; you want to be sure your very satisfied customers take advantage of the same opportunity.