
What pain points should agencies try to solve for SMBs? Read on to learn about pain points agencies should try to solve for SMBs in the context of online reputation management, why Facebook and Google are the go-to review platforms, and 11 strategies to get more online reviews. Social media and remote meetings took the top spots.įor agencies, all signs point to online reputation management and sourcing quality reviews for SMBs is becoming an exciting growth market. In the Vendasta State of the Local Business Survey 2021, online reputation management, along with website hosting and design, came up as the third most popular choice of digital tools adopted by SMBs since the pandemic. “We’re noticing more of our partners selling reputation management solutions than ever before,” says Paige, who specializes in reputation management and customer voice services. Vendasta Product Marketing Manager Paige Sutherland says she is receiving increasing feedback from agencies whose SMB clients are awakening to the importance of online reviews.

The data underscores not only are more people buying products online, but they need to be happy with a local business’s online reputation and see fresh Facebook and Google reviews before making a purchase. Online reputation is emerging as a big opportunity In fact, one-third of consumers want to see reviews that are between a week and a month (PowerReviews, 2021).

79 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as they do personal recommendations from friends and family (BrightLocal, 2020).More than half of online shoppers (55 percent) read at least four product reviews prior to making a purchase.Overlay that with the following data compiled by Oberlo and a separate study by PowerReviews: This is especially true given Salesforce found nearly 60 percent of consumers will do more online shopping after the pandemic than they did before. Never before have Facebook and Google reviews played such an important role in how customers buy things.Įven before the pandemic hit, local businesses that didn’t have an online presence were struggling to get customers through the door.īut COVID-19 has accelerated the need for small and medium businesses (SMB) to invest in their digital strategy, a key component of which is online reputation management and reviews.
