3 reasons why online reviews are important to your customers

Reviews help your customers make easier and better-informed decisions during the buying process.

When purchasing a product online, you’re likely more inclined to buy the product with five stars versus one star. 

A product with a five-star review has that status for a reason. Whether from quality, popularity, or usability, a stellar review is an appealing tool for customers when deciding what product to buy.

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This is why online reviews are so important to your customers in the buying process. Reviews can determine whether a customer chooses your product or your competitor's product. Deciding which product to purchase can be a challenging decision, which is why customers rely on reviews to help inform their decision. 

Here are three reasons why online reviews are important to customers and why your company should care about them.

1. Reviews help different brands with similar products stand out.

There is an abundance of brands and competitors to fill the market for any given product. Someone interested in buying a new pair of running shoes, for example, could be overwhelmed with a mile-long list of choices.

Once a customer narrows in on what type of product they’re looking for, such as a trail-running shoe or road-running shoe, they look at the reviews to determine which to follow through with and purchase. 

With seemingly similar products everywhere, online reviews guide customers to choose between these options. Oftentimes, they’ll make it simple by choosing a product with the highest reviews.

2. The less search time, the better.

The last thing people want to do is spend hours searching for a product. High-quality reviews expedite this process and, in turn, help customers make better-informed decisions. 

For instance, an online shopper looking for a new vacuum cleaner online is more likely to only browse the top-rated products that pop up. For many searching for products online, it’s as easy as that.

Top-rated products entice customers for a simple reason: Seeing other people use and love products makes buyers believe it’s a good choice for themselves.

3. Buying a product with good reviews is validating.

It’s always nice to feel like you’ve won, and this is how customers feel when they believe they’ve made a good online decision and purchase. 

A product with a quality review can make the customer feel clarity in their purchase –– like they made the right choice.

ReviewMaxer can help your company gain more positive reviews online by providing one location for all reviews across the internet. You can learn how to turn your negative reviews into positive reviews here. 

Avery Beverly graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in Marketing. 

Photo by Christina Morillo