Why You and Your New Business Idea Need to Embrace Reviews

“Peer Review” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by AJC1

So, you’ve come up with a cool business idea, given it an online presence and now the masses are starting to take notice. Things are going well, but as your business starts to grow you need to find ways to engage customers and get them to part with their cash. One of the best ways to encourage them to hit the buy button is to use reviews.

According to the experts, customer reviews, expert reviews and ratings are extremely effective at boosting customer confidence which, in turn, makes them more likely to make a purchase. As outlined by BrightLocal, 88% of consumers use reviews to determine the quality of a business. Surveying 2,104 US and Canadian consumers, BrightLocal found that only 12% of people don’t read reviews, which suggests that they should be seen as a priority for all online businesses.

In fact, a website doesn’t even have to be selling something for reviews and ratings to be important. Look at YouTube for example. Under each video you’ll now find a thumbs up/thumbs down icon and that gives viewers a chance to see whether it’s worth watching or not before they hit the play button.

Of course, beyond the likes of YouTube you’ll find all manner of businesses and industries using reviews to boost their credentials. To give you an example of how reviews can be used in real time, we’ve broken them down into three categories and given you some prominent examples to learn from.

Customer Reviews – TripAdvisor

Founded in 2000, TripAdvisor is one of the largest review sites in the world and now covers everything from hotels and restaurants to spa days and leisure facilities. Aside from being a standalone site where people can search through millions of reviews, business owners can also integrate TripAdvisor into their own sites.

Strong reviews on TripAdvisor are something to brag about and many independent businesses can thrive off positive feedback which is why they often stream its ratings and reviews on their sites. In essence, TripAdvisor performs two functions.

As a standalone entity it gives travelers a place to get unbiased insights into certain products which they can then go off and purchase. Conversely, when it’s integrated into a site, TripAdvisor acts as a seal of approval, a note to consumers which says that this is a good business and worth using.

Expert Reviews – Bonus.ca

“Read/Review” (CC BY 2.0) by Wiertz Sébastien

In addition to customer reviews offering a form of authority and confirmation of quality, expert reviews can also assure consumers that a site is worth patronizing. Bonus.ca is a platform powered by experts in the iGaming industry and offers a similar service to TripAdvisor. Players looking to make a deposit in the online casino world can visit Bonus.ca and read unbiased, expert reviews on the top operators.

On top of giving its take on certain sites, Bonus.ca also highlights the latest offers and gives visitors a comparative overview of these Casino Deals. Indeed, while it’s great to review a product, it’s infinity better to give them some context. By reviewing the latest offers and then comparing them like-for-like, consumers will feel more comfortable that their decision is the best one for their personal needs.

Buyer Rating – eBay

“Gi karakter” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by nrkbeta

The final system for adding an air of legitimacy to a product or business is a rating system and few platforms do this better than eBay. To become a top seller on eBay you need a positive rating and it’s this pressure that not only ensures that consumers get the best service, but it keeps the platform ticking over.

For example, 99.9% positive feedback is fantastic, but if that’s the opinion of five customers then it won’t be taken too seriously. In contrast, if a seller has 98.9% positive feedback over the course of 10,000 sales, their stock will be worth a lot more. In this instance the rating system is encouraging more activity which is great for eBay, but it also has the benefit of keeping standards to a high level (low scores are fateful for sellers).

In fact, this in a nutshell is the beauty of online reviews. Because it takes just a few seconds to complete, businesses can collate thousands of positive reviews in just a few months. This in turn generates more activity on the part of the consumer and the seller which results in a more positive ecosystem. Therefore, if you’re thinking of setting up an online business, you should make sure reviews are an integral part of the process.