There is nothing more convenient than shopping for products on the Internet. Today, many small businesses are using their Internet marketing prowess to reach a broad demographic of tech-savvy individuals who love to browse and click to find great discoveries. Indeed, online shopping has become a part of everyday life, as some people nowadays don’t have time to go out looking for products and gauging their quality and price.
However, it is very important for those who wish to shop online to consider the safety of the product they wish to buy, as well as whether it is effective and feasible. In this case, the buyer should turn to online reviews. Wre they? Simply put, they are the digital equivalent of word of mouth, which is common in old-fashioned retail.
Just like word-of-mouth reviews, online reviews are first-hand accounts of people talking about their experiences with a particular product they purchased. Online reviews usually list the benefits and other great qualities of the product, as well as the downsides. Generally, a satisfactory product will generate 80 percent positive and 20 percent negative reviews. Obviously, a bad product will generate a typically negative review, full of unsatisfactory comments.
Online reviews can take the form of essays, written in one or two paragraphs. Primarily positive, such reviews are usually written on personal blogs which may also include negative comments about the product. Apart from that, online reviews are also written on websites specially dedicated to reviews. While these reviews will do much to assist customers in determining whether an item or group of products is worth buying, they are also helpful to Internet marketers who promote the products themselves through the use of social media and the websites they optimize.
Indeed, online reviews benefit consumers, marketers and, in a sense, the entire Internet marketing scheme in general. Businesses that rely on customers valuing quality over price should be pleased with the statistics regarding the use of online reviews. It is said that about 52 percent of consumers are more likely to utilize an online business’ product portfolio if the latter generally receives positive reviews. Additionally, about 52 percent of people trust user-generated online reviews as much as recommendations from close friends and family members. These statistics show the benefits of reviews not only for customers but also for those involved in online marketing.
For an online business to thrive, it is important to get reviews; really positive. Marketers may ask their satisfied customers to review the site via business email, and when most of the general reviews have been collected, it is helpful to have them posted under the business website’s testimonials section. That way, more people looking for products online will engage in making online transactions, resulting in more revenue for the business. Such is the power of online reviews.
Steven Boccone is a seasoned economist and business executive taking part in the financial management industry. In recent years, he has focused on Internet marketing, making him one of the pioneers in the industry. You can follow him on Twitter @Steven Boccone etc Google+
