Reviews debut in... 1995!
When Amazon.com first began letting customers freely review products without monitoring the content of those reviews, analysts thought the free wheeling online retailer had lost its mind. Putting power like that into the consumer's hands was a recipe for disaster, investors worried.
There’s a reason Jeff Bezos of Amazon is the wealthiest person on the planet. Early on he recognized the value of the 5 star rating system and the “social proof” it provides. Consumers purchase products and services based heavily on the number and quality of reviews on the most popular review sites like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Yelp, Zillow and others.
ONLINE RATINGS STARTED WITH PHYSICAL PRODUCT REVIEWS BUT QUICKLY BECAME CRITICAL FOR BUSINESSES OF EVERY SIZE AND KIND
2009 - Google made business reviews part of its local business platform.
Just two years later, businesses were given the opportunity to publicly respond to reviewers, creating a valuable dialogue and actually increasing the number of reviews for companies that engaged.
2012 – Facebook leapfrogs all other platforms with the most online reviews.
Facebook allows it’s users to follow and like companies and leave reviews based on their buying experiences which became very simple to share with friends.
2017 – Google reclaims the lead as the platform boasting the most reviews with its huge emphasis on driving local traffic.
With Google My Business, Google emphasized the importance of local data and helping customers find businesses and professionals nearby. Some estimates put reviews as high as 16% of the current Google search results algorithm and even higher for local specific businesses.
Online reviews help companies become more consumer centric.
Actively seeking positive reviews helps organizations focus on the consumers needs and journey. With Hip Review, Hip Hip Converse and Hip Hip Convert, you’ll be able to offer incredible customer service that customers will be thrilled to share with others.
