Do your clients still have their heads stuck in the sand when it comes to their online presence? Marketers have long used word-​of-​mouth influence to attract new customers. While word-​of-​mouth can still serve as a tool to attract interest, online channels carry more clout. Before consumers will buy from your clients, they’re conducting online research and checking out reputations. And, they're not impressed when businesses delete negative reviews.

How to Increase Trust

Consumers look for specific details about vendors before they click the purchase button, according the results of TrustPilot’s Value of a Trustworthy Brand Reputation study. Specifically, consumers want to see that a company has:

• A good online reputation 95.6%
• Positive customer reviews 93.7%
• Quick customer service 92.9%

Consumers also have opinions on the number of customer reviews they want to see. The sweet spot, for U.S. shoppers, seems to be a rating of 3.4 out of 5.0 and 11 reviews. At least 72% of U.S. consumers will trust a company with these statistics. When they see over 100 reviews, the trust rate drops to around 60%. That decrease may happen because consumers feel the company has paid for reviews. On the other hand, few consumers trust a company with no reviews. That’s why it’s so important for you to encourage prospects to seek reviews from their clients. 

The Challenge of Negative Reviews

Your clients must be frustrated about the review process. They might point out that disreputable customers have posted negative reviews about them. Plenty of dirty business tactics are at play in the online review world. That harsh reality doesn’t mean your clients should delete negative reviews. Instead, they should respond publicly with comments that show their willingness to take action to help customers. Deleting reviews negatively impacts trust for over 95% of consumers. That behavior can create a negative reputation. And, over 60% of U.S. consumers will tell their friends to stop doing business with that kind of provider.

Social Responsibility

Should your clients take a stand on important social issues? In some cases, the answer is a resounding yes. Over 80% of U.S. consumers want to know where your clients are getting the products they sell and whether you’re treating your employees well. And about 60% of consumers increase their trust in companies that take the initiative on social responsibility. This factor may grow increasingly important in the next few years. Younger consumers are particularly likely to make purchase decisions based on brand position on social issues.

To learn about your clients' reputations, check out the Digital Audit available at AdMall from Salesfuel. The report will tell you how many reviews your clients have on major social sites and the percentages of their key audiences who use these sites.