We know that the first thing you do when you want to buy something online is to check the opinions of other consumers. Why? Because humans trust other humans. “People are more likely to trust a complete stranger because they see that reviewer as a peer, like they’re in it together.” (Pesce, 2021).
In fact, the power of reviews is sometimes much more powerful than product descriptions and photographs. This information, generated directly by users and customers, has become a guarantee of confidence for all those interested in the purchase of products or the acquisition of services. There is a word that keeps gaining popularity within the Digital Marketing world, trust. Users need to feel that the services or products they are about to purchase are trustworthy, their data is protected and their money can be trusted to third parties. This means that companies have to make big efforts to persuade their customers and users that what they offer is safe and can be trusted; thus, the million dollar question here is, how can you convince someone you don’t know, on the other side of a black screen, that your product is legit and safe? The magic answer is reviews. Reviews are important in the buyers journey Particularly in the Wellness sector, reviews are decisive factor in the buyers journey because they encourage loyalty and conversion in the buying process. More than 80% of consumers find in the reviews a personal recommendation, which can help you decide on a particular product or service. Therefore, including comments, opinions or reviews in the digital marketing strategy is what makes good SEO which increases the degree of consumer confidence. Reviews help improve Search Engines Optimization How many times have you seen user reviews on a website? These recommendations have a positive effect on brands. They not only retain consumers by providing helpful information, but also positively affect organic search results on Google, which rewards websites with positive reviews. Don't forget that the Google algorithm absolutely love good reviews. Reviews generate trust in the wellness sector This is the case of brands such as Airbnb. The entire Airbnb system is built in the trust generated by the reviews that guests and hosts write about each other after a reservation has ended. Airbnb offer many Airbnb Experiences focusing on wellness, customers usually search for meditation classes, spa services, luxurious hotels, and even online experiences about tarot reading and astrology (among other services). These services require 100% trust, as they must comply with high standards of god quality, cleanliness, customer service, and secrecy, even in the cases of more “spiritual” experiences where personal information can be shared. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky explained that the company “redesigned a system of trust where the reviews are the equivalent of a public trust ledger, essentially”. (Why the future of work is the future of travel, with Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, 2021). Are all reviews the same? The answer is no. There are different types of reviews, and they go from the more classic example such as the ones that are made by a user through a comment on a blog or social network, to those made strategically and premeditated. Here we are going to expand on both. Customer reviews Customer or consumer reviews help hesitant users to know if a product is good or not. These reviews are made on a voluntary basis and can be good or bad; positive reviews are the result of a good shopping experience that depends on many factors (product or service quality, customer service, speed of delivery, etc); on the other hand, negative reviews relate to unpleasant experiences, disagreements or errors where the user seeks to expose a product/service or brand. These types of opinions are very common and sometimes difficult to manage, but you can find a new opportunity to help a customer by answering them correctly. Fake reviews Not all the reviews on the internet are real. Some of the reviews that you see on websites, and social media profiles can be bought, especially the reviews posted on Google Search. In fact, buying reviews is quite easy, all you have to do is typing on Google Search “buy reviews”, and you will kind thousands of sites offering to help you “boost your rating” or “bury those negative reviews” (3 Reasons Why Buying Google Reviews Hurts Your Business, 2021). However, it doesn’t matter how easy and even convenient may seem buying fake reviews, it is never advisable as the probabilities those reviews affect the brand or business are considerably high; Google has made it very clear that posting fake reviews on Google listing goes against their Terms of Service. “Unlike a review site like Yelp, which slaps consumer alerts on businesses that have fake Yelp reviews, Google can actually take down the entire listing of the violating business, based on the Google review policy.” (Should You Buy Google Reviews? The Answer May Surprise You, 2021). This means that you can go from having great visibility to having no visibility at all. Reviews made by influencers Influencers are still a key piece in the great puzzle of digital marketing. Involving people with some degree of influence on the internet, allows to increase the reach of a product, service or brand. An influencer or a relevant personality is part of a campaign by reviewing their experience with the product will help to give visibility to it, get new followers and customers and create new opinions. Reviews can be found everywhere on the world wide web. More specifically, there are some popular platforms where customers can leave their reviews; the most used worldwide is TripAdvisor, a website that allows you to search for reviews of hotels, restaurants and travel in general; it's followed by sites like Google and Ekomi. Lastly, we can find reviews on each brand's own social networks, where more and more users are looking to share their experience. It doesn’t matter where the reviews are found, the most important thing is that the evaluations made are made voluntarily by users after having lived a certain experience. Reviews are not mandatory, but the benefits are tremendous and they should be considered as a key piece of your digital marketing strategy. by Christian Hernandez.
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