Online Reviews: Does Your Local Biz Get 5 Stars?

How Important are Online Reviews?

Are online reviews and rankings really that important for your local business? 

Well, we asked over 5000 moms in our recent survey, Moms Online and Looking for You, and over 90% of them said that online reviews influenced their purchasing decisions. 

So yes, online reviews and rankings are very important for local businesses trying to reach moms.

In today's world of instant feedback and information, moms are savvy consumers.  They look to reviews to establish trust and credibility in businesses they haven't worked with yet. 

This is even more important for local businesses like yours that are asking moms to make commitments or purchases on behalf of their kids.  Trust is huge when it comes to their kids. 

HOW GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH?

There are several things moms are looking for when they're searching for businesses – the presence of reviews and the rating. 

If you have just one review and a five-star rating, that's fine, but a mom is likely to put more trust in the business with 25 reviews and a 4-star ranking. 

Quantity matters. 

Imagine walking into a restaurant you're not familiar with and seeing no other patrons.  You'd be skeptical right?  Now what happens if you stumble across a new pizza place with a line out the door, you'd probably be more apt to try it. 

In fact, a study from the Spiegel Research Center finds that the purchase likelihood for a product with at least 5 reviews is 270% greater than one with no reviews. 

Boosting customer conversion rates by those percentages would definitely be a plus for any business.   

But what if you can't get to five stars.  Maybe you have one or two disgruntled customers that are dragging your rating down? 

Turns out you don't need to worry so much.  The Spiegel study also found that across product categories, the purchase likelihood peaks at star ratings of 4-4.7 and actually goes down as you get closer to 5.  Seems like some people assume five stars are too good to be true.

WHERE TO START

Ok you're probably thinking this is all great advice, but how do I get reviews? 

Getting reviews is actually easier than you think.  Most moms are more than happy to help out a business they've had a positive experience with, you just have to ask. 

Tell them exactly what you need them to do and don't be shy about being specific.  You can ask for reviews on specific classes, camps or services that you offer. 

Or maybe request reviews about an event you hosted.  Having well rounded reviews that highlight different areas of your business will make you look that much better online.

There are a lot of review sites out there these days, where should you focus your energy? 

Keep it simple – focus on those places where you know your audience is looking.  When you're talking about moms, Google and Facebook top the list. 

It's impossible for small businesses to manage everything everywhere so stop feeling guilty.  Prioritize what's most important and do that.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Asking for reviews is only the first step.  It's just as important to monitor reviews and ratings regularly. 

No need to obsessively check reviews every day but set aside 10 minutes a week to check in on your reviews and ratings. 

Respond to new reviews – positive or negative.  Being present on the review sites makes you look like you really care about your customers so don't skip it. 

When you get a really great review, take advantage – share it in other places online so everyone can see how great you are!   

Negative reviews will happen now and then but the majority of reviews online are positive so just keep doing all the great things you already are, and your happy customers will tell others. 

Reviews can be an amazing addition to your online marketing strategy.  With some consistency and intention, your business can be topping the ratings in your community.