With the internet facilitating an unprecedented amount of communication between individuals and about each other, it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of businesses, organizations and websites are concerned with the overall reputation of their brand. When it comes to online reviews, many people turn here first when trying to get an idea about whether your brand is all that you make it out to be. Still, the reasoning behind why these elements are so important is much more nuanced, and below, we will discuss several reasons why numerous, positive reviews help augment your brand’s appeal.

Most Reviews Are Positive

When weighing whether or not to encourage your customers to leave reviews on select websites for the world to see, you may be worried that the strategy could be a net negative if a certain number of people leave negative feedback. Statistics show us, however, that nearly three-quarters of all reviews featured online are positive reviews. Obviously, if you are being proactive and responsive when it comes to customer complaints and considerations, you can increase the percentage of your own reviews being positive. If you are making good impressions on your customers, then encouraging them to leave reviews is vital for your success and exposure.

Reviews Comfort Potential Customers

Even if you are pinging search engines with paid ads and gaining valuable exposure in your niche, this may not be enough to reassure potential customers that your business is the best solution for their needs. More than 70% of all customers in consumer reviews have reported that reading online reviews prior to making a purchase helped them feel more assured that the purchase decision they were making was the right one. Many of us would be surprised to learn just how many sales we missed because people were on the fence and a competitor had a more solid review profile.

Reviews Lead to Sales

Not only do reviews help reassure customers who were already considering a purchase, but they help elicit them, also. Similar consumer research has shown us that potential customers are nearly 65% more likely to purchase from a company that has both product ratings and reviews. This is not even confined to reviews through external sites: legitimate reviews displayed on the business in question’s site (which can be done directly or external reviews being displayed via widget) help achieve this effect all the same. And remember: if your website has reviews on them, then you are also pinging search engines with them – which helps gain additional exposure and will make it more likely customers see them.

While encouraging product reviews can open your brand up to criticism (fair and unfair, unlike), the end result for brands that satisfy their customers is a positive one. By encouraging customers to leave on and off-site reviews about your brand, you will help reassure potential customers that you are a legitimate operation, increase the number of sales you receive over time and find that the vast majority of reviewers have positive things to say about their experience with your brand.