Public relations is all about communicating the benefits of your brand to potential customers and the wider public, but one of the most powerful PR tools at your disposal might actually be the public themselves.
New research from WebsiteBuilder.org looks at the role user-generated online reviews has on a business’s ability to attract customers and increase revenue, and the results are important, to say the least.
The data suggests that consumers who view reviews and positive feedback have a 133 percent higher conversion rate than those that don’t. Consumers are also likely to spend 31 percent more on a business with excellent reviews, and 72 percent said that reviews made them trust local businesses more.
Conversely, negative reviews showing up in Google results can cause a business to lose 70 percent of potential customers.
This is why it’s not only important to encourage reviews but to respond to negative ones. Retailers that responded to negative reviews directly with an aim of solving the issue were able to convince a third of those reviewers to either delete their comments or replace them with a new positive spin. Furthermore, nearly a fifth went on to make another purchase and become loyal customers.
Check out the full infographic below to learn more about how reviews should factor into your public relations strategy.
