888-296-7629Online Reviews Matter - Here are 4 Reasons Why
By Jonathan Preston
Do reviews on your website really matter? Yes! Here’s why...
The Power of Word-of-Mouth
Before the digital era, consumers would turn to family, friends, and neighbors for recommendations and suggestions about which products and services to buy. They wanted to know which companies were reputable and which to stay away from. Savvy business people realized that a personal recommendation from someone in your community was better for business than a slew of TV spots, billboard ads, or the Yellow Pages.
Today that word-of-mouth marketing continues, just in a new form. According to a recent survey:
- Online review use is on the rise -- 87% read online reviews for local businesses in 2020, up from 81% in 2019
- Only 48% of consumers will consider using a business with less than a 4-star rating
- Of those who read reviews:
- 94% said positive reviews make them more likely to use a business
- 92% said negative reviews made them less likely
- 79% said they trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations from friends or family
Having a large number of positive reviews is therefore crucial to getting people “in the door” to listen to your message and sales pitch.
Reviews Improve Your Ranking in Search Engines
According to search experts like Moz ( https://moz.com/local-search-ranking-factors ), reviews are the third-most-important factor the major search engines use to determine where your page shows up in their listings. So, when a prospective customer asks Google or Bing for “foundation repair near me”, having a bunch of 4-star and 5-star reviews shows the search engine that your customers like the services you provide, making it more likely they’ll show your site.
Reviews Improve the Look of Your Search and Business Listings
When you have reviews available on your site, search engines like Google will pay special attention and display stars and other indicators below your listings
The more your listing stands out from the pack, the more likely someone is to click on it, and that drives eyeballs to your site.
Reviews Build Trust
Businesses run on trust. Sure, running a bunch of YouTube ads may get people to your site, but what then? The consumer wants to know that you’re competent and that you’re trustworthy. Having a slew of 4- and 5-star reviews shows both of these things.
When a consumer sees that other people have already used their services, they know they can relax, because they’re not the first person to utilize a company’s services. They gain confidence that they’re using a company who not only knows what they’re doing, but who will stand by the quality of their work.
Supercharging your site by adding Review Central
If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve probably already realized that you need to add reviews to your site as soon as possible! With leading platforms like WordPress or Wix, this can be a challenging process. By contrast our software, Review Central (a part of the Jupiter Platform) was designed from the ground up to make adding credibility to your site quick and easy!
If you already have reviews from your customers, adding them to your site should only take a few minutes. Here’s a video where we go over adding a review -- It’s just 2 minutes long and covers the whole process.
Here’s a summary of the steps:
- Sign in to the Jupiter Platform at https://www.jupiterplatform.com .
- Click Reviews in the quick link bar at the top of the page, then click Add Review.
- Fill in the review information from your customer.
- Select which site the review came from (such as Google, Facebook, Yelp!, etc.).
- Click Save.
That’s it!
If you don’t already have reviews from your customers, that’s okay too. Our most successful clients use our platform to actually generate more reviews. We even give you the tools to send links and text messages to your customers, getting reviews on your site quickly.
Get started today by filling out the form below or calling us at 888-296-7629. Our US-based team will take you through the onboarding process, providing you with concierge-level support every step of the way.
Clients Testimonials
Following reviews are received from Central Station Marketing clients on web marketing services.
Evan,The only reason i did not give you all 5s,is for what you do not have any control over, namely the information, awards certificates, photographs, that I need to give to you so you can better market me and my firm... Read more about Mike Davis reviewRead More
Central Station Marketing and their Jupiter platform is the perfect platform for Floodbusters Basements. Our website continues to place higher in the search engines. The staff at Central Station is highly skilled and attentive... Read more about Pete Sommerfeldt reviewRead More
Couldn't be happier -- we think you all are da bomb!! Certainly recommending CSM to others is a no-brainer. You've exceeded my expectations. The only things we had to work through have been getting peeps to the stream... Read more about Sheryl Powers reviewRead More
CSM is not your average website designer and optimization company. Where others fall short and fail, they excel with proven results. And we should know - we hired three companies, all of which failed miserably, before finding them... Read more about Terri Arnett reviewRead More
