A Positive Review Is More Valuable Than Paid Advertising
Advertisements make us sit up and take note of products and services. They make us aware of the various choices available in the market. But how much do we trust advertisements? We know them to be biased after all. It’s not a surprise that some people find ads annoying and invasive.
Another fact with advertising is that its effectiveness is based on the media used. For instance, user advertisements on user generated websites don’t attract people that much. Based on the survey conducted by International Communications Research, over 80% recall television ads while it was only about 28% for user generated site ads. On the other hand, online customer reviews do their work very well. Of all consumers considered by Eloitte & Touche USA Consumer Products Group in their study, 62% read customer reviews. Out of them over 80% had indicated that positive customer reviews had directly influenced buying decisions.
Customer reviews can push the envelope when it comes to listing your products or services in the local business directory. They assist in search engine optimization. Now you know that customer reviews reach areas that ads don’t go.
Reviews are not repetitive like advertisements. You have the option of reading reviews while advertisements are pretty much shoved in your face everyday. Consumer reviews give more information. They are written in a practical manner, so basically they speak the language of the consumer. They do not try to impress with every phrase. Generally, a positive review will be honest and not exaggerate unless it was written by someone with ulterior motives (like someone related to the business owner!). All these add up to the fact that a positive review is more effective for business than an advertisement.
Any business has to think of the cost benefit ratio. If you consider reviews and advertisements, there is not much difference because although ads are established and effective, reviews too have proven their efficacy and they are absolutely free.
It’s the customer reviews that save the day for most of us. Just think about it. How many times have you found yourself searching for reviews of that mobile phone you have your eyes on? Do you wait for an ad to appear so that you can get the details you need? Probably not! Advertising may give way to customer reviews in the future as computers top television.
Bizymoms.com has been helping women work from home for over 10 years. Now, Bizymoms strives to share valuable information with Moms about businesses in their area. Our Mom Reviewed section includes a local business directory with reviews by moms on restaurants, department stores, schools and more.
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