Online Reviews for Small B2B's
/How Important are Online Reviews for B2B? Most of us use Yelp or Trip Advisor for reviews before we commit. Do people use these when selecting B2B firms to hire?
Harvard Business Review published an article a few months ago called “Stop Treating B2B Customers Like Digital Novices,” and it struck a chord. Most of our clients are in fact small and medium business-to-business (B2B) firms so our ears perk up when we come across such a provocative headline.
In summary, the author admonishes B2B owners for ripping off the strategies of B2C companies when it comes to handling customer service issues. But there were a couple of facts included that we wanted to share:
94% of B2B buyers conduct online research before deciding on a purchase
97% of professional buyers believe that user-generated content, such as peer reviews and group discussion, is more credible than content provided by the company itself.
Most of our clients agree that “word of mouth” is their number one business development tool. However, we are slowly helping more of them add credibility to their digital footprint. This is done by creating content to share via social media channels that had been otherwise non-existent or very neglected.
Many times, B2B decision-makers are researching online before reaching out for a quote or consultation. That means online reviews and content matters more than what is usually assumed by B2B owners that are busy running their businesses.
HubSpot has a pretty good blog on best sites for online reviews, and makes special mention of a few we particularly agree with for small B2B firms:
Better Business Bureau
Glassdoor - especially for firms that hire employees
Facebook
Your Own Website - in the form of testimonials
Need to get a handle on what’s happening online with your brand? Don’t know where to start? Feel free to contact us to chat about how we could help!
