In 2022, online reviews are more important than ever – especially for niche businesses.
Nowadays, one of the first things that customers do prior to buying or ordering a product is check the online reviews. According to Qualtrics, 93% of customers read online reviews before buying a product, which is nearly all of them.
Essentially, now that the average person owns a smartphone (as well as various other tech devices), they can check online reviews anytime, anywhere – even when they’re standing inside a store.
So, with that covered, let’s take a closer look at how online reviews can shape a niche business.
Brand Reputation
Brand reputation is key to success in the current world of business. If you have a poor brand reputation, then sales will dip, and your business will face collapse. This alone is why online reviews are so important.
When customers search for businesses online, one of the first things that pop us is their reviews. If reviews are overwhelmingly negative, then it will, of course, influence people to not buy the products or services.
In the online gambling industry, the reputation of casinos and sportsbook sites is largely dependent on the reviews and star ratings that are posted online. Take a look at Gamble Online casino reviews for a better understanding of this.
Customer Trust
Reviews can drastically affect customer trust.
For instance, if you see that a specific company has received bad reviews in relation to their customer service, then this automatically means you’re less likely to trust them – even when it’s a big brand name.
Now, think about what it’s like for niche businesses! Due to how small they are, even a few reviews can send them spiraling downwards, hence why the owners of niche businesses spend lots of time worrying about reviews and keeping their customers happy.
Social Proof
Reviews are great tokens for social proof. The modern-day customer wants to engage with businesses that have social proof and credibility, as this makes them feel better about themselves. Take a look at Apple, which is a brand built largely on social proof. People see that iPhones are the most popular, which is why they flock in numbers to buy them!
Search Engine Visibility
Next, online reviews can help niche businesses boost their search engine visibility. In fact, this is why many businesses encourage their customers to leave reviews for them on Trustpilot (as well as other review sites), as good reviews can work in their favor when it comes to the Google algorithm.
Identify Areas to Improve
Lastly, online reviews shape niche businesses by highlighting and identifying areas in which they can improve.
If a niche business is flooded with negative reviews about their product packaging, then they can address this issue and make the appropriate changes. Essentially, online reviews are a blueprint for positive change, even when they’re negative in context!
As a niche business owner, this should be one of your biggest takeaways from the guide: always use reviews to improve.
