Be warned: Online reviews shape shopping

In the Kikuyu community, whose son I am, a crowing rooster facing the gate is a sign that a visitor is approaching the homestead. Likewise, if there was a rooster of the advertisements industry, it would be crowing its lungs out signalling the changes online reviews and ratings are bringing to the industry. Online product reviews and ratings are not new. In the West consumers almost always read reviews to help them decide on products to buy and services to patronise.

Traditional advertisement on newspapers, television and radio still holds the sway. But, thanks to technology, online customer reviews and ratings are becoming the go-to reference point before buying a service or a product.

Buyers often go online and look at star ratings (the total number of reviews.) They then explore the individual reviews to learn what to expect from a business and whether or not they should buy the product or service. The inclination is usually to buy what has better rating.

For business owners, providing excellent service yields good reviews. Premium-rated hotels and restaurants are particularly adept at managing online reviews. Positive reviews act as badges of trust and quality in the eyes of consumers.

Of course, not all reviews will be positive. But if more clients like the services, good reviews will outweigh the bad ones. Though it may seem counterintuitive, even negative product reviews can have a positive effect on the sale of something. Having a balance of good and bad reviews evokes trust — in any case, it may appear phoney if all the reviews are positive. Online reviews and rating will continue to play an influential role in funnelling clients to businesses or scattering. So, business managers should devoutly work on online reputation for their businesses.

Online reputation is improved by acting on reviews timely on a timely fashion, especially the negative ones. Bill Gates says, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Responding to clients proves that the business is sensitive and cares for its clients.

Ratings and reviews can also be an appropriate bulwark against declining online visibility. Encouraging customer reviews is also helpful for online presence. People who leave reviews will typically use the kinds of keywords that people are actually searching for. So, encouraging customers to leave reviews — negative or positive — can improve keyword density and online findability. Businesses that ignore online reviews do so at their own risk. They could be building their businesses on quicksand.

If a customer has to leave the sales channel in order to search for appealing reviews, they may not come back and that means lost business.