Gaining New Customers Through eMarketing & Online Reviews

BrightLocal put out the results of its 4th annual Local Consumer Review Survey, as reported on a recent WebProNews article. The survey has a lot of stats, some very interesting and I’ll bullet point some of them below. Overall it seems that customers are using online reviews more, and more importantly, relying on and trusting them. This leads to the question, are you using and actively engaging in online marketing, including monitoring and managing online reviews?

There are a number of ways small businesses can take advantage of online marketing opportunities, often for no cost and little time. A good website, one that is mobile-friendly, is the first step. Social media, being active on it, is another important piece. Online reviews are important for local businesses catering to the public. And while you can’t always remove negative reviews – and they are inevitable, more so in some businesses with tough customers like restaurants – you can be proactive in monitoring and responding.

Another important part of eMarketing is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Social media, your website, online reviews, other sites linking to you, these all are integral to gaining a greater online presence that will lead to more customers finding you on search engines and elsewhere. More traffic, more brand awareness, and more visitors on your site and engaging with your brand in social media, will all help with gaining new customers and building stronger ties with existing customers.

As promised, below are some highlights and stats from the Brightlocal survey:

• 57% of consumers searched online for a local business over 6 times in the past year
• 88% said they have read reviews to determine the quality of a local business (up from 85% in 2013). 39% read reviews regularly
• 67% of those surveyed said they read up to 6 reviews. 85% say they read up to 10
• 92% of users will use a business if it has a 4 star (out of 5) rating. 72% will us one that has a 3 star rating. 27% will use one that has a 2 star rating, and only 13% will use one that has a 1 star rating.
• 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
• 88% say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

I intentionally bolded that last one. That is very significant. People trust what they read, they always have; hence the old saying, don’t believe everything you read. But we continue to. This is a mixed bag for local businesses; customers can be difficult and finicky to say the least. A bad review can be damaging and it seems people are more likely to make the effort when they feel slighted. What it means is that businesses absolutely have to be proactive in online marketing. There have been many cases of businesses turning angry customers into loyal brand advocates, and those are more valuable than any advertising you can buy.

eMarketing, SEO, and brand monitoring can help you stay on top of your online reputation and grow your online presence. Lerentech can help you put together a plan and execute. Contact us if you’d like to discuss improving your online presence..