85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations*

Today, customer reviews are wielding unprecedented power in the marketplace. While international conglomerates spend billions on slick advertising campaigns, more modest ‘players’ can take action to level the playing field, by harnessing the influence of online peer reviews.

So much more than ‘good PR’

There are a plethora of websites and associated apps (like Yelp, Trustpilot, Amazon and TripAdvisor) allowing us to read customer experiences directly from the source. If you’ve searched for a local restaurant, shop or service provider on Google recently, you’re bound to have come across a Google review, or two, or three.

While a clutch of 5-star Google reviews undoubtedly looks great when published on your website, the benefits of Google reviews go SO much further than that, by:

  • Giving your business a BIG credibility boost – for free!
  • Improving your ranking for local SEO – through Google reviews, your business is in a position to rank higher in local search results
  • Enhancing your online reputation

How to get them?

It’s a good idea to ask your customers if they’d like to leave a review on your preferred site. You could do this at the point of purchase, as part of a follow-up email or at the end of a satisfaction survey. That way, you can direct the reviews to an online review platform that suits you and allows for direct communication with customers.

While this might feel awkward at first, you’ll soon see the fruits of your labours; a study* found that 68% of customers will leave a review if asked to do so.

#DearLocal

In response to the turbulent times small businesses are facing, Google has enlisted boxer Anthony Joshua and Bafta-winning actor Sheridan Smith for a campaign encouraging the British public to support local businesses and leave a review of their local enterprises on Google.

Turn nuggets into treasure

While Google reviews are great, securing longer, more in-depth testimonials to use within your PR and communications collateral is another key way to enhance your reputation. Turning those little nuggets of positive feedback into compelling endorsements is a fine art requiring a variety of specialist skills.

Fortunately, we have those skills in spades here at Nimble, so if you’d like to maximise the potential of your customers’ reviews, but you’re not sure how, give us a call and we can talk about how we can get ridiculously creative on your behalf to secure those all-important testimonials and endorsements and use them to give your business the edge.

Nimble Media – The Home of Ridiculous Creativity!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Nimble can help you make the most of your reviews, then do get in touch – we are only a click or phone call away! Don’t forget to check out our Google Reviews!

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*according to research by BrightLocal (which has featured in some of the world’s biggest publications)

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