There is strong evidence that reviews and ratings for products and services have a big influence on brand choice, especially in categories where people research different options before buying.
 
- Products with 50+ reviews have a conversion rate 5% higher than products with fewer than five (Spiegel Research Center, 2017)
- Most consumers will only use a local business if it has a star rating of four or more (Marchant, 2014)
- Restaurants have revenues that are 5-9% higher for every one-star increase in their Yelp ratings (Harvard Business School, 2016)
 
This should be no surprise to marketers. Great products and excellent customer service are major drivers of sustainable profit growth and lead to positive reviews and ratings. If your brand delivers a superior experience, remind customers to leave reviews and make it quick and easy for them to do so. You can do this by handing out 'thank-you-for-your-business’ cards or sending follow-up emails or texts. If the praise comes flooding in, amplify its effect by highlighting it in your paid or owned media. 'Social Proof’ of this kind can be highly persuasive.

It pays to monitor reviews for your brand and respond quickly and professionally to any criticism, aiming to put matters right whenever appropriate. If you receive consistently poor reviews, make it a priority to understand the problems and fix them. As previously shown, even the best advertising cannot compensate for a bad product.