NEW YORK, NY — (Marketwire) — 04/01/13 — According to posted to online review sites — such as Yelp.com or TripAdvisor — are deeply influential to consumer behavior. To illustrate this point, the company points to a revelatory new survey, posted by MarketingProfs. The study reveals that online ratings and reviews have a huge impact on consumer purchases, both online and in-store. ReputationChanger.com has released a new statement to the press, commenting on the implications of the MarketingProfs article.
“The reason why online ratings and reviews matter so much to businesses and brands is that they actually have a very significant, real-world impact on lead generation, on sales, and on client retention,” remarks Michael Zammuto, the President of Reputation Changer, in the company-s new press statement. “Online reviews are not just concerns for the business owner-s vanity; they can make or break a business, simple as that.”
The MarketingProfs statistics indicate much the same thing. Thirty-three percent of those surveyed noted that online ratings and reviews were the most influential factor in informing their online purchasing decisions. Twenty-four percent said that online reviews were the most influential factor in shaping their in-store purchasing decisions — suggesting that online reviews are critically important not just to Web-based businesses, but to enterprises of all kinds. The study notes that online review sites influence purchasing decisions more than Google search results or e-mail promotions.
“Today-s consumers tend to turn to their smartphones to help them research their purchasing decisions — which means they are either heading to the Yelp app or typing your company-s name into Google, where online ratings and reviews are usually among the foremost listings,” Zammuto explains. “What this means is that what your reviews say about your business or brand can have a massive effect on your sales, and on the bottom line for your business.”
More and more companies are growing privy to this fact, with many seeking to boost their online reputations via paid, positive reviews — but Zammuto says this is not the answer.
“Buying fake, positive reviews is not the way to go, because if it ever comes to light that your company is engaging in this duplicitous practice, it will only make your online reputation issues more severe,” says Zammuto. “Additionally, there are potential legal ramifications, even possible FTC violations.”
Instead of paying for positive reviews, Zammuto says that companies can simply ask clients to help them out. “E-mail your most faithful customers and explain to them how much it would help your business if they left you a quick, glowing testimonial on Yelp or TripAdvisor,” Zammuto suggests. He also says that companies with robust social media activities, company blogs, and press releases can take some of the focus away from their online reviews. “Online activity and content creation can help you to suppress potentially negative listings, including reviews,” he says.
Additionally, companies beset with adverse and unhelpful online reviews can reach out to Zammuto-s company for their review suppression services. “At Reputation Changer, we are in the brand-building business, and we are ready and able to help companies amass honest, positive feedback while taking the edge off those negative ones,” he says. “At are taken very seriously, and dealt with as efficiently and as decisively as possible.”
ABOUT:
ReputationChanger.com was developed and launched in 2009, and since that time it has grown in stature and esteem. Praised by TopSEOs as the #1 company of its kind, Reputation Changer is heralded for its standard-setting practices and innovations in the field of online reputation monitoring and repair. The firm was founded by a seasoned team of direct response marketing professionals; ReputationChanger.com reviews the online reputation management needs of individuals and brands alike.
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