Five Reasons why Customer Reviews are Important for Small Businesses

It is hugely important for small businesses to build product reviews. These reviews get the business out there – people often look at reviews before buying, after all. A small business relies on these reviews for a lot of its custom.

1. People Read Reviews

The biggest change the internet has brought to people’s lives is change. Instead of being limited to their immediate area, they can now buy things from all over the world! People can now compare and contrast before they buy what’s on offer. They read reviews of the various businesses that offer that product! A small business needs reviews because that is the only way they will be seen. Customer reviews bring the business to a whole new level of visibility! If there are no reviews, no one will see what the business offers. They will get no new custom.

2. People Now Get Suspicious of No Reviews

Strange as it may sound, people are so used to seeing reviews for almost anything online that they get suspicious if they don’t see any. Even one review can be enough. No reviews will make people pass over your wares for somebody who has reviews. Reviews ae therefore essential for drawing people into your business. They make people stop and think. They make people come into your site, however briefly. The more people who come to your site, the more likely it is that some of them will stop and shop there.

3. You need a Healthy Mix of Good and Bad Reviews

People are automatically wary of reviews that can seem too extreme. If you have all negative reviews, then people will assume that your product is terrible. But if you have all positive ones, then they will still avoid you. People now assume that positive reviews with no negative ones mean that you have bought all the positive reviews. A small business therefore needs as many reviews as possible. It could unintentionally be caught in the trap of having too many of either kind of review, which can affect sales.

4. Small Businesses Rely on Word of Mouth

Small businesses often don’t have the marketing budget that big ones do. They have to rely on word of mouth to a far greater degree. In the modern world, this now includes product reviews. If a business has no reviews, this will have a huge effect on sales and profits. Even one review can mean a product turns up in an internet search. Word of mouth leads to more people using the business and leaving reviews. Then the cycle repeats itself with other products, and other areas of the business.

5. Visibility is Key

Reviews mean visibility for small businesses. Think about it. When people search for reviews, the sites that have the most reviews come up first or second in the results. If a small business has no reviews, it won’t turn up in the search results at all! No results means that no one will know about the products. No one knowing means no sales. Reviews are absolutely vital for putting a small business on the map. Most sites now put reviews on their own site. When somebody searches for reviews, they are then taken directly to the site itself. If a small business does this, it could mean more sales.