MARKETING MATTERS

A Little Yelp From Your Friends

Like it or not, online reviews carry clout in today’s marketplace. Ignoring them can be a big mistake

do online reviews really matter to your business? Consumer study results show and veteran eyecare professionals agree that addressing both bad and good reviews for your business are crucial in today’s increasingly online-review-influenced marketplace.

“Clearly, everything now pertains to social media and online advertising and reviews—everything is going in that direction,” says Kevin Cambra, franchise owner and operator of three California-based Site for Sore Eyes locations in Eureka, Oakland, and San Francisco.

He adds: “With Yelp, in particular—it’s become the new Google for people to find and research businesses.”

PROVEN TOOL

In fact, according to the 2013 Local Consumer Review Survey from BrightLocal, 85% of consumers say that they read online reviews to determine whether a local business is a good business (up from 76% in 2012). This upward trend continues from 2012 as consumers become more comfortable and familiar with reviews.

“Online reviews are a proven tool on retail websites and on external social sites to inform customers during their purchase decisions, improve customer experience, and, in many cases, drive sales for retailers,” says Artemis Berry, vice president, digital retail, at the National Retail Foundation’s Shop.org.

Positive reviews for your business on social media—from your Facebook page and Twitter feed, and on powerhouse review sites such as Yelp—can be an important aspect in getting today’s consumers in your door. But don’t just grumble about a review. Address it.

REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

“Online reviews had such an impact on the Emerging Vision stores—some stores were getting all these reviews and they weren’t sure how to handle them—that they now work with us on reputation management via online review sites and social media,” says Jamie Erhardt, account supervisor at the New York City-based EGC Group, which provides real-time online reputation tracking, review response, and social media management for the eyewear chain.

Erhardt explains that it is important to address online reviews—both positive and negative—as quickly as possible. By the time a consumer has started reading reviews, they’ve already identified an issue/need they have and a product/service they require and now want to select a business to use. That is exactly why it’s important for eyecare professionals to ensure they are serving up a positive online reputation, which is elemental in converting today’s consumers into customers.

“We see retailers optimizing their website experiences and customer marketing to drive more customers to submit reviews,” says Berry. “Many of our retail members correlate having ratings and reviews to increases in customer experience and conversion.”

And, while negative reviews may be hard to receive and accept, many retailers are using all types of reviews to their benefit.

“It’s important to analyze product reviews on a regular basis and share the information across the organization,” says Berry. “From marketing to product merchandising, retailers that share, analyze, and respond (when appropriate) to online reviews can turn them into a powerful tool for their brand.”

{BY THE NUMBERS}

How Do Online Customer Reviews Affect Your Opinion Of A Local Business?

Percent of consumers who say positive customer reviews make them trust a business more
(up from 58% in 2012)

Portion of consumers who say they take no notice of online reviews
(down from 17% in 2012)

Do You Trust Online Customer Reviews As Much As Personal Recommendations?

(Yes up from 72% in 2012)

Source: 2013 Local Consumer Review Survey from BrightLocal

— Erinn Morgan