Consumers want to hear from other consumers. With the growth of digital media, there has been a growth of engagement online, including with reviews and recommendations. In my past posts, I have discussed word of mouth and viral marketing and the positive effects of both. I want to elaborate on the key importance of how people listen to friends and family or people they trust. A person is more likely to trust a recommendation or negative review from somebody you know as opposed to the company itself.
Utilizing Online for Feedback
Companies have a huge potential for feedback from monitoring recommendation sites. Many consumers are utilizing sites to share their insight on products. Amazon is a great example of consumers (including myself) who use the rating and review sections on products. Companies need to keep track of these recommendations to make improvements and ensure customers are happy with their services. These reviews are also of great importance to other consumers when deciding to purchase. Typically, people are going to use reviews more often when the product considered requires more knowledge and consideration, making it a higher involvement product.
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| Rating & Reviews from Amazon.com |
Consumers tend to trust what they read about products because those writing the reviews do not have much stake or benefit in the company. Companies can greatly miss out by not offering these review functions on places such as their Facebook pages. Companies may not offer these functions because they do not want negative comments, but there will always be other places for unhappy customers to complain. It is smarter for a company to have control over reviews and being able to respond and help resolve customer concerns.
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