I n today’s online world, consumers rely on search results, social media and peer reviews to perform research and gather feedback on businesses they are considering visiting or products they’re thinking of purchasing. While it can be easy for a business to turn a blind eye on the reviews the company receives, simply ignoring those review sites can be damaging to a business’s bottom line. While this probably comes as no surprise, more than 90% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. As they seek out peer reviews on brands or companies that they’re considering doing business with, they’re looking for specific things. Consumers actually look for negative reviews to discover authentic feedback from real customers. In addition to negative reviews, they want to see how a business handled that situation and responded to a negative experience. 10 www.ogr.org | Summer 2020 The funeral profession is not immune from reviews and how they impact the firm’s online reputation. Managing your reputation has always been important and will become even more crucial in the coming years. Now is the time to become better equipped to handle the good and the bad of online reviews. Still not convinced or not sure where to start? Here are ten reasons online reviews are important and how they can impact your funeral home’s business. 1. Increase Calls One of the biggest reasons why online reviews are important is that ultimately positive reviews increase calls by giving families the objective information they need to make the decision to contact your funeral home – whether for pre-need or an at-need situation. People are always much more likely to use a company that has already been recommended by others.
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