1. They Show that you Have Customers
As a business, it’s important to look legitimate to customers who may be finding you online. This means having a website and establishing a presence on social media. Online reviews help to prove your legitimacy as well. When someone searches for your business and sees no reviews, they may wonder if you’re a trustworthy establishment, or if you even have customers.
Online reviews prove not only that you have customers, but you have customers who are willing to leave feedback about the experience they had with your business.
2. They Show That You are Transparent
When you let customers share their opinions, both positive and negative, it shows that you aren’t trying to hide anything. Certainly, you don’t want to be posting about the mistakes you made, but even negative reviews are an opportunity to learn and grow. Responding to individual reviews lets you show customers that there is a person behind the business striving to do the best they can.
3. They Inform Potential Customers About Your Performance
No matter how well you think your business is doing, if your customers aren’t happy, you won’t find success. Potential customers don’t only want to see that you have done business in the past, they want to see what people think of the experiences they’ve had with you. Reviews inform potential customers about how you’re doing, what you do right, and areas where you may need to improve. This allows potential customers the freedom they want to make informed decisions about the businesses they work with.
4. They Show You Care About Customers
Reviews, and the way your business responds to them, show that you have customer service at the forefront of your operations. When you allow customers to let their thoughts be known, and you respond to these thoughts in a productive and mindful way, you can increase customer satisfaction.
5. They Give Customers a Chance to Voice Thoughts
Customers are more likely to choose a business if they feel that they’ll be treated well, listened to, and given the opportunity to express their opinions. Reviews give your customers a platform where they can talk about what’s on their minds so that others can get a better picture of what to expect from your business.