Word of mouth is still a very powerful marketing tool, which has now modernized itself in the online world as online customer reviews.

Online reviews left by consumers who have done business with you are just as influential as a personal recommendations from a friend or family member, especially when they are detailed and specific to their experience. Your prospects are actively researching these reviews about you.

This is the biggest marketing shift in 10 years!

To quote a study performed by Bright Local:

“88% of buyers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.”

People are giving a HUGE amount of trust to each other when it comes to deciding who to do business with and what purchases to make. The thought process behind it is, “If this guy on Yelp had the worst Rum & Coke ever, maybe I will too.” Most people are not willing to take a chance on the business to have a different experience. They scan online reviews assuming they will have a very similar experience.

Here is a restaurant, Smith’s Bar & Restaurant in New York City, that was actually able to make light of a bad review and use it to their advantage. We thought it was clever and funny, and it’s obvious that this restaurant stands behind their products.

Source: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/smiths-bar-and-restaurant-new-york#daLjVjSyNDL2ern1aG3PPQ

Looking into other very credible sources, we find more evidence that online reviews should no longer be ignored.

According to Bill Tancer, New York Times Bestselling Author, “more than 80 percent of consumers check online reviews before making purchase decisions.”

During his research, spanning more than a decade, Tancer has studied how consumers interact with over one million websites to determine their behavior patterns.

From that research, it has been shown that online reviews play an undeniable role in a consumer’s purchasing decisions. If local businesses are not giving proper attention to review sites and local directory sites, they are missing out on a huge, untapped opportunity to build and promote their reputation as well as gain more customers.

As stated on Marketing Land:

“No other social media channel is as influential as online reviews.” – Bill Tancer

The reason many local businesses aren’t putting their efforts into marketing themselves on review sites and local directory sites is because, to them, it seems out of their control.

“If a customer of mine leaves a review of my business, good or bad,” a business owner wonders, “what can I really do about it?”

Managing your customer’s feedback may seem nearly impossible to do since not all review sites allow the business owner to interact and reply to each reviewer.

Maybe business owners are afraid of the kind of feedback they’d receive if they put themselves out there to be reviewed, especially when they feel like they can’t do anything about it.

If that were really the case, I could totally understand their hesitation. Thankfully, there are some strategies available to provide assurance and allow for better interaction when it comes to your customers’ online reviews.

According to Tancer, “The biggest mistake most brands make is to not engage with online reviews.”

The second mistake would be not treating the online customer the same way would you in a face-to-face interaction. If a customer came up to you in person to complain about your business, you surely wouldn’t walk away and ignore him, so why do it online?

We couldn’t agree with him more.

If you are ready to find out how you can take control of your online reviews and use them as a powerful marketing tool, then I suggest you click the link below to schedule a no-cost 15-minute call with me. I am happy to discuss the options available to build your reputation, engage with your reviewers, and skyrocket your online reputation to new heights.