9 Reasons Why Customer Reviews Are Important for Your Brand

You want to make it easy for people to choose your product, time and again. While marketing techniques such as blog posts and ads can bring about sales, customer reviews are solid social proof of the quality of your services or products.

Customer reviews prompt people to make a purchase decision without feeling confused or worried about the future.

In a way, customer reviews reduce the discomfort associated with the paradox of choice. This term was coined by psychologist Barry Schwartz.

Through his research, he observed that the more choices people have, the longer it takes to decide on what they want. And the unhappier they are. This piece of information is crucial for business owners and marketers.

Why? Because customer reviews can ease the anxiety of making a choice. This is one of the strongest benefits of customer reviews. But there’s so much more in store if you choose to add this type of social proof on your website or social media platforms.

And this is what we will tackle in today’s article.

What Are Customer Reviews?

Customer reviews are feedback from customers about their experience with a product or service. This can include everything from the quality of the product to the level of customer service they received.

You can add them to your website, create a Facebook business page or sign up for review sites to get them.

Why Are Reviews So Important for Customers and Clients?

Here is why reviews are so important for your prospective customers:

1. Reviews and Testimonials Indicate What Others Like

If you’ve ever been on the fence about whether or not to buy something, you know that reviews can be helpful. Other people’s opinions can help us make up our minds about everything from which restaurants to try to which movies to watch.

But why exactly do we place so much importance on the opinions of others? 🤔

We’re hardwired to follow the herd. . That’s why we’re more likely to try a new restaurant if it has good Yelp reviews. This isn’t just to avoid wasting money on bad meals. It’s also because we don’t want to be the odd one out.

We want to fit in, and reviews help us do that. Albeit in an unconscious way.

2. Expert Reviews and Testimonials Build Your Brand’s Expertise

Anyone can claim to be an expert. But it takes more than just big words and fancy rhetoric to convince people that you know your stuff. So, how can you make sure that your brand is seen as an expert in its field? One sure way is through reviews.

Good reviews from respected sources help to validate your brand’s expertise and show potential customers that you’re worth their time and money.

3. Make Decision-Making Easier

Too many choices lead to long decision-making processes. Online reviews help customers make safer and quicker purchasing decisions.

Online customer reviews have been shown time and time again to be one of the most reliable ways to make a purchase. By reading and evaluating feedback before acquiring a product, consumers can reduce their anxiety levels and feel more confident in their decision.

This is especially important when the consumer is faced with a wide range of choices.

Why Are Reviews So Crucial For Brands Today?

4. They Help You Rank To The Top

Let’s be honest. If your product doesn’t pop up on Google’s first pages, it’s like it doesn’t exist. While SEO techniques such as keyword-infused blog posts or optimized landing pages can do the trick, there’s another way to show Google that you’re popular.

Yep, you guessed it. Through online reviews.

What many business owners don’t realize is that online reviews can have a huge impact on their search engine ranking. When customers leave positive reviews about your business on sites like Google Reviews, G2, and Capterra, it signals to search engines that your business is relevant and popular.

As a result, your local business is more likely to show up on the first page of Google, giving you the visibility you need to attract new customers. So if you’re looking to increase your search engine ranking, encourage customers to leave positive reviews of your business online.

It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to give your business a boost.

5. They Give Brands Extended Reach On a Budget

If you want to attract customers, online reviews are essential. A product with a high number of online reviews is bound to receive more attention and reach across the audience.

Just think about it. The reviews can be seen by thousands of people. Higher reach equals greater brand awareness. And this attracts customers and investors your way.

Plus, including reviews as part of your marketing strategy is cost-effective. By harnessing the power of online reviews, businesses can expand their reach and build a strong reputation–both of which are essential for long-term success.

6. Reviews Generate Sales

Did you know that adding customer reviews to your website can increase conversions by 67%?

In the era of online shopping, reviews play a major role in generating sales. A positive review can convince a potential customer to purchase a product, while a negative review can dissuade them from doing so.

Even if a customer doesn’t read the reviews before making a purchase, the number of stars or ratings they see can still influence their decision. A 0.1% increase in your start rating accounts for a 25% increase in conversions.

Yep, that’s the power of user-generated social proof. 🤯

7. Reviews Help Build Brand Trust

Positive reviews are crucial for any business that wants to build brand trust.

Consumers trust online reviews. It’s human nature to want to go with the option that has been vetted by our peers, and that’s what reviews provide. By reading reviews, people can get a sense of what other people have experienced with a particular product or service, which can help them make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase it.

Reviews are essential for building brand trust– so if you’re not already taking advantage of them, you should be! However, they can also be detrimental to a brand’s reputation. So, don’t ignore negative reviews! Rather, be considerate and mindful of the customer’s complaints and improve.

An online review can make or break your brand. So, don’t neglect them!

8. Customer Reviews Allow Your Business to Improve

No business owner likes to receive negative reviews, but it’s important to remember that feedback – both positive and negative – is an essential part of running a successful business.

After all, without feedback, it would be difficult to know what customers like and don’t like about your products or services. Negative reviews can be helpful, as they provide valuable insights to help you improve. 📈

Sure, they can also hurt your brand’s reputation. But the way you choose to respond to a negative review can sway things around.

Most business owners ignore or delete negative reviews. This is a big no-no, as it can convey that you don’t care about your customers. Or worse, that you’re being dishonest about your product offering.

Try to view negative reviews as an opportunity to learn and grow! Answer the customer’s dissatisfaction, do better, and bring proof to the table.

This way, you can build brand trust. A responsive attitude shows that you’re taking the time to listen to your customers and make improvements based on their suggestions.

Who knows, you might even turn unsatisfied customers into happy, recurrent customers!

9. A Review Is a Free Marketing Tool

The best aspect of customer reviews is that they provide free social proof generated by users.

It costs little to nothing to add this kind of social proof to your marketing arsenal. You can add your business on Google for free, sign up for review sites, add a reviewing system on your website, or include testimonials and case studies on your landing pages.

What Makes an Online Consumer Review Trustworthy?

Not all reviews are created equal. People are generally wary of fake or biased online reviews.

In 2016, a study examined the factors people consider when judging whether a review is trustworthy. Here’s what people look for when gauging if a review is honest:

• Extremely positive or negative reviews tend to be discounted as biased, while moderate reviews are considered genuine.
• Online reviews filled with grammatical errors are also ignored by consumers.
• Vague reviews are counted as bogus, while longer-form online reviews which contain details about the product and its use in different contexts are considered genuine.
• Extreme language, such as “the best”, “the worst”, “awesome”, and “horrible”, tends to signal dishonesty or a bias on the part of the user.
• The pattern of online reviews also counts – people usually discount a review if it varies too much from the average opinion.
• The source – some people check the reviewer’s profile. If they only gave one vague review, they are more likely to discount the feedback. If, however, the person leaves reviews consistently on multiple types of products – the reader is more inclined to consider that reviewer as honest.

Customer Review Examples From Businesses That Do It Right

#1. Customer Review Example: Amazon

Amazon has one of the most renowned review systems in the world. And it works wonders when it comes to generating sales. Amazon’s review system is simple and accessible.

They showcase the number of stars a product accumulated from customers and the number of ratings. A simple click on the number of ratings will lead users straight into the review section.

Amazon’s review section is well-thought-out. Any business owner should take notes. Firstly, they use a keyword system so users can find reviews that mention certain features or benefits. If I’m interested in the “sleep mode” feature of this air purifier, I can just click on the keyword, and I’ll find all the online reviews mentioning this feature.

Additionally, they have a section that shows reviews with images. With some products, this is very useful for making a purchasing decision.

Their product pages also contain a “customer questions & answers” section, which is full of user-generated content. Those interested in a product but still have some questions can directly ask customers.

This is genius — people trust the opinion and answers of previous customers rather than the manufacturer.

#2. Customer Review Example: Sephora

We cannot talk about good customer review examples without mentioning Sephora’s unconventional and creative way of generating user social proof.

For instance, those interested in products that help with acne-prone skin can join one of Sephora’s sub-communities to find out which products worked for other users.

#3. Customer Review Example: Squarespace

Squarespace is widely used by photographers, and this use-case featuring Winona Ryder’s website sure is solid proof. It describes her project, showcases her website, and offers a short interview. Plus, it details how Squarespace was used for this project.

#4. Customer Review Example: BirdRock Baby

BirdRock Baby features testimonials from different experts in the field. Expert social proof is always a good idea, as it speaks volumes about the quality of your products and can persuade people to purchase your products.

Customer Review Templates For Your Website

You’ve put a lot of time and effort into building your business, and you want to make sure that your website reflects that. You want prospective clients to see that you’re the real deal, and one way to do that is to include reviews from your satisfied customers.

If you want to add reviews to your landing pages or home pages, Xara offers a selection of customer review templates to choose from.

Whether you want to show off your user awards or include client testimonials to provide social proof for prospective clients, there’s a customer review template suitable for you.

Customer review templates for your B2B or software solution:

Customer review templates for your real estate business:

Customer review templates for your marketing agency:

Customer review templates for your consultancy business:

Customer Review Templates for Your Restaurant or shop:

Customer review templates for your tourism business: