Did you know that 92% of consumers read online reviews, or that star rating is the number one factor people use to judge a business? Digital marketing company Increase Your Profits knows that online reviews are incredibly important now, and they’re anticipated to grow in significance with each passing year. One thing that businesses may not know about reputation marketing is that there are actually two important types of online reviews. Read on for details on each, and advise on how to make the most of them.
Review Type #1: Third Party Reviews
Third party reviews are consumer reviews on websites that your company doesn’t own or control. Yelp, Google, and Facebook are the three big third party review sites, according to internet marketing company experts. Google places high value on these reviews, and will put their own Google and Google+ ratings at the top of search results. These reviews are ideal for drawing people in and converting brand new potential customers or clients. They can be considered as top of funnel content, because they’re most often used when someone starts their search for a business or provider in your industry.
Third party reviews are also crucial because they provide legitimacy, and people tend to trust them more. 4 or 5 star average ratings on a verified site like Yelp or Facebook shows searchers that real people have found that you offer real value. Be sure to utilize any badges or plug-ins that can show your average star rating or top reviews from these websites. These is part of a strategy that you might not be aware of – incorporating third party reviews into your first party review content.
Review Type #2: First Party Reviews
First party reviews are, as you might guess, reviews that are posted on your own website. This is absolutely essential for reputation marketing – if you don’t have a review page on your site, you need one ASAP. Contact Increase Your Profits for a professional page and review strategy from a trusted digital marketing company. Your first party review page should feature all of the reviews that you have received, and include a form where people can submit reviews. The right software – such as Yext – will display forms for submitting the reviews, and allow you to auto-filter what is display.
First party reviews are more important for people who are already interested in your brand or company specifically for their needs. This makes them more of middle or end of funnel content. Basically, a third party reviews gets someone in the door, and a first party review makes them feel comfortable and confident with making their purchase. They’re also a big deal for Google – the search engine actually places more importance on first party reviews than third party reviews.
The secret trick, though, is to incorporate your third party reviews into your website as first party reviews. When displaying reviews on your review page, for example, include the Yelp, Facebook, etc., logos, and link to the original review. Mix these in with reviews placed directly on your site to show that you have positive rankings across a wide variety of review sites. Take it even further by using review quotes in emails, sharing them on social media, and incorporating them within your site content.
If you’re wondering how reviews can help your business, or where to get started, schedule a discovery call with us today. Increase Your Profits is a top-rated digital marketing company that excels in reputation marketing. Click here to schedule your discovery call!
