Share this page
Online reviews have transformed how people connect with companies and the last five years has seen a huge surge in the number of people both reading and writing reviews. In fact 61% of customers now read online reviews before making a purchase decision.
Stats show that 47% of Britons have reviewed products online, which highlights just how many people are now ready to offer their opinions. From TripAdvisor to Argos, companies are starting to tap into this growing trend as a way of building trust with their customers. The funeral industry in particular is now starting to embrace online reviews and use them as a powerful way to connect with ‘at need’ customers.
What makes reviews so powerful?
It’s simple really. User reviews increase conversions. They are proven sales drivers, and something a majority of customers will want to see before they make a decision to buy a product or service. This is because reviews can help eliminate any doubts or questions a potential customer may have about your product or service.
For bereaved families, choosing the right funeral director is a big decision. Those ‘at need’ customers that look online will undoubtedly use reviews to help them make an informed choice.
What about bad reviews?
Interestingly, 68% of consumers trust reviews more when they see both good and bad scores. 30% actually suspect censorship or faked reviews when they don’t see any negative opinions on the page. So bad reviews can actually help. They will build trust as well as helping your business identify areas for improvement.
Are there any SEO benefits?
There are significant benefits to SEO performance as reviews can generate star ratings in Google's results. This helps your website stand out from the crowd and get a lot more clicks from potential customers. In fact, these types of results can often mean a 10-20% increase in clickthrough rate to your website.
Furthermore, the additional content generated by user reviews will keep your website fresh which is an important part of modern search engine algorithms. It will also increase the chances of your website ranking well for long tail searches (searches with more words in them). Often, people leaving reviews will use the same language as those who are actually searching for them so this can help your page match those search queries in Google.
Ok I’m convinced. What next?
Funeral Guide offers a range of services for funeral directors including independent reviews. Because they work with the best funeral directors, their partners are seeing an average of 4-5 stars on nearly every review. Their partners are already seeing a positive outcome and are enjoying more visibility in Google. To find out more about how Funeral Guide can help your business get in touch today.
