People buy from
companies they
know, like and trust
Many behavioral and social psychologists would agree that trust is the most foundational element of a personal, professional or business relationship. And sales and marketing experts concur that trust is the precursor to sales.
Before you can influence purchasing decisions, you need to create positive perceptions and opinions that lead to the sale. Decisions, therefore, can be influenced based on the perceptions and opinions created by online ratings and reviews.
Because of the influential nature of reviews, reputation management as a marketing activity and growth strategy has become a critical component of business success, simply because the statistics speak for themselves:
Of respondents trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Nearly 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase.
Of all Google searches are local.
Customers are willing to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.
