Reviews really do influence buying decisions

Studies show recommendations influence your customers decisions more than any other form of advertising. 90% of buyers trust peer reviews and 70% trust online reviews, according to the American Marketing Association. 

So... add customer reviews to your products pages to help sell products in your online store.

Or... add testimonials to your services page to encourage visitors to pick up the phone and hire you. Or start a blog and allow visitors to add comment.

Reviews are not just something you add to your website... your customers will make comment on your brand on other sites too!

Think of your web presence as not just www.yourwebsite.com - it is everywhere that people are talking about you online such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, blogs - everywhere your customers / fans are.

Find out what people are saying about you online and then take action by responding with true dialogue. Keep a record of your findings so that once you have a handle on the conversation, you can redirect readers to your website.

Word of mouth can't be faked

Attempting to fake word of mouth is unethical and ultimately damages your brand.

Legitimate word of mouth marketing acknowledges consumers intelligence - it never attempts to fool them.

5 steps to help you with word of mouth marketing

STEP 1. Find people to talk about your brand (this could include fans, volunteers, customers, bloggers)

STEP 2. Give them a reason to talk about your brand (such as a special offer, cool product, neat ad, new feature). Be interesting. Nobody talks about boring companies, products or ads. The same works for your website. Make it interesting - ensure the design really does stand out. Make it fun - embrace YouTube and create a fun video to share something about your company! ALSO... provide excellent service. Go the extra mile to fulfill their needs. Stay honest. Happy customers are your best advertisers. Think of your customers as friends to ensure that whenever you are talking to them you do it like a true friend.

STEP 3. Provide them tools to spread their message (for example a tell-a-friend form, share links for facebook and twitter, blogs, handouts, samples, message boards)

STEP 4. Make sure you join the conversation by replying to comments, posting on blogs, answering emails and offering personal service.

STEP 5. Most importantly track and measure what people are saying.

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