Psychology Behind Customer Reviews

Online reviews are important for businesses given the fact that they make a huge impact on sales! Have you ever wondered what drives people to write reviews online?

There are various factors for driving customers to leave online reviews for businesses. While some customers need a push to share their experience online by offering benefits such as incentives, rewards or loyalty points, there are various other reasons why people write reviews.

1. To be helpful to others: Some people want other customers to learn about their experience to know what exactly they are going for. If they have had a pleasant experience, they would like others to benefit from them and if there had been through a unsatisfactory experience, other customers can gain from the review and be more cautious while buying the product or service.

2. To be heard for an unpleasant experience: Brands are now concerned about their online reputation more than ever and people are aware that any kind of online public feedback will never go unnoticed by the Brand since it is visible to so many more of their potential customers and is surely going to get a response and resolution. Posting on brand-neutral online forums and review sites has become more effective than a direct complaint to the Brand.

3. To express gratitude: A happy customer would not hesitate to write a positive review for a Brand that has provided them with not only an excellent product but also exceptional service to support it. Happy and satisfied customers find this as a way of expressing gratitude to a Brand that has done right by them.

4. To suggest improvements in products/service: Reviews are not only a way to communicate with the audiences but also with the brand in question. People want to share their grievance, hoping that it will be taken into consideration, in turn improving the product quality as well as the service. Customers often do so when they trust a brand and are willing to stay loyal to them.

5. To convey Brand loyalty: Brand loyalty is evolving among youth and is built on personal experiences. Writing reviews is also seen a way of portraying Brand loyalty. If a customer is extremely happy with a brand and reads about an unfair review or a customer review with an unpleasant experience, he would go ahead and post a review with his own pleasant experience to express loyalty towards a brand.

 Conclusion:

From the above research, we can safely conclude that people like to be heard. They not only prefer reading reviews online but also writing reviews to help other consumers make informed buying decisions. As the internet continues to give more people the opportunity to make their opinions heard, companies are becoming more aware about their online reputation. It’s giving them the ability to understand their consumer market better and make changes wherever required. This also allows for the invention of new products and services, in turn enhancing customer experience.