The Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Word-of-mouth marketing; Photo Credits: https://capecodchatter.com/
Every day, consumers are bombarded by a barrage of advertisements and product offers via email and social media feeds. Marketers capitalize on elaborate advertising campaigns just to capture attention and make consumers want to spend their hard-earned money on a product or a service. Yet, the thing that pulls a massive weight in today’s e-commerce industry virtually costs nothing. It is another consumer’s product review that becomes the sound of reason in a sea of misleading and confusing advertisements.
Those little stars and snippets that appear adjacent to a product or service are powerful testimonials that influence a consumer’s perception and decision. If you’re not paying attention to reviews yet, here are some reasons why you should start already:
Provides Credibility and Creates Confidence
Product reviews function as a social proof of a brand’s credibility or a product’s quality and value. By providing authentic reviews, users can influence the perception of others. They help consumers and prospectives make informed decisions; ease the mind of anxious customers and eliminate doubts they might have when selecting a product from numerous choices.
Increases User Conversions
There are lots of studies that validate the importance of product reviews in user conversions. According to stats presented by Reevo, eighty-eight percent of consumers have been known to consult reviews before making their purchase. And this number is growing every year, as validated by Brightlocal’s 2013 and 2014 Local Customer Surveys. Bazaarvoice’s Conversation Index showed that site visitors who interact with User Generated Content (UGCs) such as reviews and Q&As are 105% more likely to buy than those who didn’t. They also have the tendency to spend 11% more than those passive site visitors.
Product Reviews; Photo Credits-https://lonelybrand.com/
Makes for Good SEO
Google’s mantra since its Hummingbird update in 2013 is all about generating fresh and unique content. Customers actively riffle online for reviews by typing in the product + the word “review” before making a purchase. Capitalize on the traffic by incorporating such feature into your site. Whether it’s a good or bad product review, Google recognizes authentic information and in turn, rewards the site with increased ranking.
Your job as a marketer is to make products look good, but it’s another thing when others say nice things about you and your brand. Word-of-mouth has become a powerful tool for online business success because of its transparency, relevancy and authenticity. Build confidence in your product by having others talk about it. Back it up with a great post-sales experience to reap the most benefits for your brand.
Contact us to know more about product review best practices.