How Online Reviews Drive In-Store Traffic: Tips for Success

Whether you run a small business or a global enterprise, you need to have customers constantly coming through your doors to promote business continuity and growth. For retail businesses with brick-and-mortar stores, customer reviews are one of the most effective ways to increase traffic and drive offline sales. 

With 36% of customers browsing two review sites and 41% checking three or more sites when deciding which local businesses to visit, the power of online reviews is undeniable. 

Create a reliable customer review system that helps you collect high-quality, high-volume feedback, and you’ll likely have a consistent flow of traffic to your store. This could result in increased sales and more reviews (if you play your cards right), helping you attract even more new customers. 

How Do Positive Online Reviews Impact In-Store Foot Traffic?

Positive reviews are one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Over 75% of customers trust online reviews—if they’re positive, they’re more than likely to improve potential customers’ perception of your brand and increase traffic to your physical locations. 

They also improve search rankings and visibility and provide valuable information that can help customers better experience your products or services. Here’s a deeper look at the value of positive reviews.

Build Trust Through Social Proof and Credibility

Positive online reviews serve as modern word-of-mouth referrals, reassuring customers about the quality and value of your services or products. They build customer trust and store credibility, making your target audience more likely to pick your business over competitors. 

In fact, a recent survey by Brightlocal revealed that 50% of customers give online reviews the same weight as they do recommendations from their family and friends.

Improve Search Rankings and Visibility Online

We know what you’re thinking—what’s the correlation between reviews and rankings? Well, while reviews aren’t top search engine optimization (SEO) factors, they do have an impact on rankings. 

Google’s algorithm analyzes reviews for relevant keywords when ranking websites, which means that customer feedback can help determine your position in search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Many customers rely on search engines and review platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook to find local businesses. So a high volume of positive reviews on these fronts can increase their likelihood of discovering your business online and visiting in person.

Guide Customer Choices with Detailed Reviews

Many customers read reviews when deciding where to shop, dine, or seek services. If they’re detailed enough and positive, these reviews can provide information on your product quality, customer service, and overall experience, helping potential customers feel confident in their choice to visit your store.

Strengthen Your Reputation to Drive Foot Traffic

Consistently high ratings and glowing reviews indicate a strong, positive reputation. After all, customers wouldn’t take the time to leave positive feedback if they didn’t believe you offer high-quality services. 

This type of reputation signals to potential customers that they can expect a great experience in your store, thereby driving foot traffic. 

The Risks of Neglecting Review Management

Some businesses take a passive approach to review management, not really encouraging customers to provide feedback or addressing their concerns when they do. While this may have been inconsequential in the past, it can have detrimental impacts on modern businesses.

Customers have more options than ever, they care more about getting the best experiences, and they want to determine how great of an experience to expect even before they visit your store. If you don’t actively manage online reviews, you may see a continual decline or a lack of growth in your in-store traffic. Here’s why:

• Existing customers may fail to leave reviews, impacting your visibility on search engines and review platforms. 
• Negative feedback may overshadow positive reviews, hurting your credibility and potential customers’ trust. 
• You could get a poor reputation for failing to reply to negative reviews or address customer concerns. 

How to Utilize Reviews to Drive In-Store Foot Traffic

Now that you know the value of reviews in retail, how do you use them to drive traffic to your physical store? Here are some tips to guide you.

1. Ensure effective listings management 

A great starting point is to create and optimize online business listings on popular platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Make sure there’s an accurate description of your business, including what you offer, when you operate, where you’re located, and how customers can contact you. 

By creating and maintaining an up-to-date, accurate business profile, you make it easier for existing customers to leave their reviews and for potential ones to find you and get pertinent details about your store. 

2. Showcase Positive Reviews

Don’t sit on positive customer feedback. Highlight your top positive reviews on marketing materials, social media posts, and in-store displays. This can broaden your visibility and build trust across a larger potential market, encouraging more new customers to visit your store. 

3. Engage with Customer Feedback

Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, to show customers you value their input and are dedicated to improving their in-store experiences. Thank them for their positive feedback, and try to get to the root cause of each negative review so you can address customer concerns. This can build trust and improve your reputation, encouraging more in-store visits. 

4. Encourage Reviews

Increase your feedback volume by asking customers for reviews after their in-store visits. Add a QR code to receipts that leads to your feedback platform, or send text messages or emails thanking them for choosing you and include links to review platforms to allow them to provide feedback seamlessly. 

However, be careful not to sway their reviews in any way. Encourage honest feedback, both negative and positive, and highlight how it will help you enhance in-store experiences to showcase your commitment to improving service quality.  

Also, avoid offering incentives like discounts in exchange for positive reviews, as this can result in penalties and reputational damage. A recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling that aims to crack down on fake reviews has also prohibited offering incentives or other compensation in exchange for reviews.

5. Promote Reviews in Local Advertising

Include positive reviews in local ads and other promotional materials to increase your visibility among audiences likely to visit your store. This can also enhance your credibility, encouraging more potential customers to visit. 

6. Leverage Geo-Targeted Campaigns

Running geo-targeted campaigns that highlight your positive reviews and overall reputation can enhance your store’s appeal to nearby customers, potentially increasing in-store traffic. 

For optimal results, leverage tools that offer geo-targeting features (like Google Ads and Facebook Ads), incorporate quotes from positive reviews in your ads, and use local keywords, such as “Top-rated store in [insert town].”

7. Monitor and Analyze Review Insights

One of the surest ways to increase in-store traffic, sales, and customer loyalty is to continually improve your services. Regularly monitoring and analyzing review insights will help you do just that. 

Reviews can help you gauge customer satisfaction and highlight recurring issues that need addressing, allowing you to make well-informed decisions regarding in-store experience optimization. 

Strengthen your Reputation and Review Management with Pearl-Plaza

Online reviews can help drive in-store traffic by improving your business’ visibility, building customer trust, and strengthening your reputation. Of course, this is contingent on how you handle the reviews. 

For optimal results, respond to all customer feedback (positive and negative), showcase positive reviews in your marketing efforts, and improve the customer experience based on shoppers’ feedback. 

With Pearl-Plaza’s review management software, you can seamlessly leverage customer reviews to increase in-store traffic. Our solution monitors reviews across 100+ sources and provides real-time notifications, giving you a visual of your review volumes and allowing you to respond to customer feedback quickly. 

Schedule a demo with Pearl-Plaza today to see how our review management software can help improve your online reputation and drive in-store traffic.