The website ReviewTrackers recently published a new report about online reviews, and there are many good takeaways for auto dealers. Let’s take a look.
The Review Sweet Spot is Above 4 Stars
Four-star reviews matter a lot. Google allows customers to filter reviews by star rating, and data show that more customers sort reviews by four stars and above than any other filter.
Potential customers want to know how past customers have been satisfied by a business; it sets their expectations for a similarly great experience. But you’ve got to crack the four-point mark. The data suggests that reviews with a 3.9 rating or below won’t even be seen by the majority of potential customers.
Five-star reviews aren’t critical. ReviewTrackers reminds readers that Northwestern University’s research on 5-star ratings found that a perfect score isn’t necessary to build trust. Potential customers are most influenced by reviews with an average rating of 4.2 to 4.5 stars out of 5. So shoot for most of the stars, if not all of them.
93% of customers said that a negative review influenced their purchase decision. This is a great reminder that it’s critical for dealers to intercept negative customer experiences with automated feedback tools before these experiences are posted as reviews.
Respond to Your Reviews!
More than half (53%) of customers say they expect businesses to respond to their negative reviews within a week. And a third (33%) of customers say they want to hear back even faster, in 3 days or less.
It’s no wonder then that faster review response times are closely linked to a positive reputation. ReviewTrackers’ analysis found that the top 10% of brands respond faster and more consistently.
While it may seem daunting to reply to every review, there are easy and affordable ways to manage reviews automatically (psst, AutoSweet’s reputation management tools can help!)
Google Reviews Reign
88% of all reviews come from only 4 review sites. Top directories like Google (the leader by a vast margin), Facebook, and Yelp influence buyers and help local search rankings. No need to spend time focusing on updating business information on a wide range of review sites – just focus on the most important ones.
People read Google reviews without even clicking on a company’s search result. Google’s “zero-click searches” have continued trending up. More users than ever are reading Google reviews directly from search results. That means when people search “car dealer near me” they’re seeing your Google My Business data, including your business’ most recent reviews, and they may never even click through to your URL.
Like it or not, because of the power of social influence, inviting customer reviews and responding to them quickly is a business imperative. Managing this important customer information is critical to building trust, being found, and gaining leads.
It doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Schedule a FREE strategy session with one of AutoSweet’s digital marketing consultants today and let us help you manage your online reputation automatically.
