The rapid growth of the e-commerce industry has made it possible for businesses to reach out to their target market in ways that were not possible before. The growth of the Internet has also made it easier than ever for customers to find, read, and respond to business reviews. Therefore, businesses that want to stay competitive and stand out from their peers should take note of this change.
If you own a small or midsized business, then you’re probably already aware that there are plenty of advantages that come with operating your company online rather than offline. With that being said, many business owners often forget about the fact that operating an e-commerce store can create new opportunities for them as well.
In other words, running your business online does not necessarily mean working harder than if you ran it offline instead. That being said, you should be aware of the different types of online reviews a business owner should know about so that you can react appropriately if needed.
Type of Reviews Based on Delivery
Written Reviews
Written reviews are probably one of the most common types of online reviews a business owner should know about. Written reviews are simply reviews that are manually typed by the reviewer himself. Moreover, written reviews are probably the most common type of reviews you will find online.
That being said, some online platforms, such as Amazon, only allow customers to leave written reviews. It is important to keep in mind the fact that written reviews are mostly positive in tone and are extremely helpful for businesses that sell products and services.
Video Reviews
Video reviews are common online too. It is not uncommon to find a business that has recorded a video review for its product or service. Alternatively, it is also possible for you to make a video review of your own for any product or service you use.
With that being said, video reviews are usually helpful for businesses that offer services where visuals and authenticity are extremely important such as doctors, fitness instructors, and interior designers. Video reviews are usually positive, but they may also offer valuable feedback or criticism.
Therefore, you’ll want to keep track of the type of feedback your customers are offering so that you can make adjustments to your product or service.
User Ratings & Reviews
If you have ever browsed through the websites of various hotels and restaurants, you may have noticed a rating or review system in action. With that being said, user rating and/or review systems are relatively common online as well.
That being said, instead of being hosted by a central website, these systems are hosted by individual users on the platform. In other words, users on an online platform can rate and/or review your business if they have used it.
Blog Comments
As an owner of a business, you will often receive an influx of comments, likes, and other forms of social media interaction. These interactions can be overwhelming, especially if you do not know how to deal with them. Fortunately, blog comments are relatively common online as well.
That being said, unlike normal comments and likes, blog comments are often subtle and not too pushy. That being said, blog comments can be extremely helpful for a business owner. That being said, you should be aware of the fact that most blog comments will be positive.
Website Ratings
Website ratings are relatively common online too. That being said, website ratings are essentially a summary of the type of experience a customer had on your site. With that being said, website ratings are usually helpful for a business owner. That being said, you should be aware of the fact that most website ratings are positive.
Photo & Tripadvisor Reviews
Photo and/or TripAdvisor reviews are relatively common online too. That being said, photo reviews and/or TripAdvisor reviews can often be found on both image-hosting websites, such as Amazon and social media platforms, such as Facebook.
With that being said, photo reviews and/or TripAdvisor reviews are sometimes written by the business owner and sometimes written by a third party. That being said, photo and/or TripAdvisor reviews are usually positive in tone.
Types of Online Reviews Based on Subject
Product Online Reviews
As we mentioned above, there are many different types of online reviews that you can incorporate into your marketing strategy. And when it comes to promoting your product, product reviews are one of the most effective.
Research shows that product reviews are among the top four ways for online brands to build brand equity. In addition, product reviews are also among the top five ways for online brands to drive sales. Product reviews can be used to help boost brand recognition.
And in many cases, product reviews are among the first type of content that a consumer will read about a brand. When it comes to product reviews, you should try to aim for 5-star reviews as this is the standard that most brands aim for. However, you should also aim to aim for no less than 3-stars.
Service Online Reviews
Like product reviews, service reviews are also among the most effective ways for online brands to promote their brand. And like product reviews, service reviews can be used to help build brand recognition.
However, they can also be used to help boost sales. Similar to product reviews, service reviews can be used to help boost brand recognition. However, they are even more effective in this role as they can also be used to help boost sales.
As with product reviews, you should strive for 5-star ratings as this is the standard that most brands aim for. However, you should also try to get no less than 3-star ratings.
Business Online Reviews
Business reviews are similar to product and service reviews in many ways. However, business reviews are different from product and service reviews in one key way: business reviews are from real customers and are unpaid.
As the name suggests, business reviews are from actual customers. This type of online review is different from third-party reviews where a company pays for fake reviews. And while business reviews are great for brand recognition, they are also great for boosting sales in some cases.
Business reviews can also be used to help boost brand recognition. However, they are even more effective in this role. This is because business reviews can also be used to boost sales.
Types of Reviews Based on Source
Verified Online Reviews
While online reviews are great for boosting brand recognition, there are drawbacks to these types of online reviews. One of the drawbacks is that many of these types of reviews are from fake accounts or paid reviews.
Paid reviews can be especially detrimental as they can sway a review away from being a genuine one. This is because paid reviews often leave the reviewer with a sense of satisfaction rather than leaving them with helpful information.
Verified online reviews are different from these other types of online reviews in that they are from real customers. This type of online review is helpful and helps to build brand recognition.
Unverified Online Reviews
While verified online reviews are great for boosting brand recognition, they are not as effective as other types of online reviews. This is because verified online reviews are from brands that pay to be featured.
However, while verified online reviews are great for boosting brand recognition, they are not as effective as other types of online reviews. This is because verified online reviews are from brands that pay to be featured.
Another drawback to verified online reviews is that they can be biased. This is because, in many cases, the reviewer has a vested interest in the product or service.
All Types of Online Reviews Are Important
As you can see, there are many different ways that you can promote your business through online reviews. And while there are many different types of online reviews, each type is important.
That said, when it comes to online reviews, you should try to aim for 5-star ratings. This type of rating is the most effective and will help to promote your brand the most.
Final Words
Even though it is not possible to reach out to every single potential customer online, it is possible to reach out to a large proportion of them. Therefore, business owners need to be aware of the different types of online reviews a business owner should know about.
With that being said, written reviews are usually positive in tone and are extremely helpful for businesses that sell products and services. Whenever you receive an online review for your product or service, you should try to answer any questions or address any criticisms your customers are offering.
This way, you can effectively respond to any online reviews your business will receive in the future.
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