If you’re a business owner hoping to improve your brand’s exposure, you’ve probably already invested in online marketing. You have to take note though, that online marketing is like a large tree with many spreading branches, so you’ll have to work with dependable advertising agencies in Greenville, SC such as Spark Local Marketing that know current and effective marketing practices—especially online reputation and customer relationship management—like the back of their hand.

The Impact of Customer Reviews: From Word-of-Mouth to Online Posts

These days, if a person is happy about a purchase, he doesn’t just rave about it to friends—he makes an online feedback. The same goes for dissatisfied customers who take to web forums or review sites to rant and complain. To maintain a good image, both online and offline, businesses typically depend on the marketing experts of Greenville, SC advertising agencies for help.

With 70 percent of global consumers stating they trust online reviews (based on Nielsen’s latest Global Trust in Advertising report), and 61 percent of customers reading online reviews before making a purchase, there’s no doubt that the power of online reviews is not only growing, but becoming much stronger.

Future of Online Reviews

An article by Tomer Tagrin for Entrepreneur.com discusses the relevance of customer reviews for businesses today and in the future:

With reviews already such an important part of the buying process, it’s easy to see how reliance on them will only increase in the future.

For example, over the next few years, we can expect to see the anonymity of reviews fade away and instead become linked to shoppers’ real identities on Facebook, Twitter or other social integration. This will be beneficial for both retailers and consumers. It add a layer of credibility, rather than allowing chronic complainers to hide behind anonymous usernames, and provide an interactive connection through which merchants can engage with valuable customers.

Indeed, with the help of marketing and advertising experts, business owners should start to understand and learn how online reviews can affect their bottom line.

Managing Reviews

If you haven’t done so yet, it’s time for you to devote some resources on online reputation services. Entrust the job of monitoring the Web for “buzz” or talk about your brand, and dealing with negative content against your company to skilled professionals. This way, you can focus on vital day-to-day operations and other aspects of your business, and leave the online monitoring and management tasks to a marketing pro. Of course, you’d still be kept in the loop, but there’s no way for you to get tangled up in it.

(Source: 5 Predictions About the Growing Power of Online Customer Reviews, Entrepreneur, August 28, 2014)