Which is More Valuable a Referral or a Review?

The latest video from Good-Reputation TV answers the question:

“Which is more valuable to a referral from a customer or an online review?”

And…

“How the internet has changed the way that customers research your business”

Which one is more valuable – a customer referral or an online review?

A customer referral:

• Is generally a private conversation between someone and their close friends.
• It tends to happen once or at best a small number of times and usually happens shortly after a customer has made a purchase – in the time where they are happy about what they have just bought.
• And generally it only influences one or at best a handful of people.

An online review:

• Is a public announcement – it’s shouting to the world about how great your business is.
• It’s an ongoing residual advert that is working for your business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without ever taking a day off.
• And because of that, it’s reach is unlimited, an online review could easily influence hundreds or even thousands of people into becoming your new customers.

So which one should you focus on… a referral or a review?

It’s a trick question, really the answer is both.

You need to have a strategy in your business to get your happy customers (and their families) to give you both referrals and reviews.

Plus they are strongly linked together.

A review helps to convert someone searching online to choose your business – and a happy customer could refer to you more customers and could also write you a great online review.

Word of mouth and 1 on 1 referrals are still an effective ways to grow a business but now they are linked together with the internet.

357 customers were asked…

“After you have been referred to a business what do you do next?”

87% Go Online to Find More Information About the Company.

Only 6% used the phone book and another 4% called directory enquiries but the vast majority 87% went online.

The next question was the most important question it’s…

“Where Exactly Do They Go Online?”

52% Go onto online review websites.

Over half of the people are looking for a second opinion, and they go onto online review websites looking to read reviews from previous customers.

If I’m looking to go on holiday and book a hotel – I’ll look on the review website Trip Advisor.

If I’m looking to choose a care home I’ll compare different homes in the same city or area on Google Plus.

35% visit the company’s website.

13% look at a company’s social media sites.

Online your reputation is everything – a good reputation will win you more customers and a bad reputation will lose you customers.

Good Reviews from your happy customers should be prominently displayed for the world to see in all 3 of these areas.

Not just on the correct review websites for your industry, but your good reviews should be on your own website and they should also be displayed and syndicated online into your company’s social media sites.

We Can Help You Get More Customers for your Business!

To discover more about online reviews and online reputation visit “our services” page Click Here To Visit Our Services Page!

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To discuss how we can help you further with your online repuation Please call me at 01254 313393.