Reviews are a key factor in consumers making decisions. So why is less than a third of businesses using case studies and reviews as part of their inbound marketing strategies? Businesses are wary about collecting and publishing reviews due to fake reviews and the tedious nature of collecting content.
Case studies and reviews highlight the ability of businesses to provide quality products and build a relationship with customers. Visual Objects reports that most businesses that use inbound marketing don’t use case studies or reviews to promote products and marketing services in Miami. Customers value feedback when they make a purchase. Businesses should emphasize customer feedback.
Businesses have the opportunity to stand out by publishing customer feedback and encouraging it.
Visual Objects surveyed 501 companies that use inbound advertising and found that 32% promote client reviews and 25% use case studies to showcase successful products and services.
Online reviews are valuable for both business-to-business (B2B), and business-to-consumer (B2C), customers.
- 84% of people trust online reviews more than personal recommendation to make a B2C purchase.
Visual Objects discovered that less than one-third (32%) of businesses use case studies or reviews for inbound marketing.
Inbound marketers can use case studies and reviews to help them nurture leads through the sales funnel. Customers may look at reviews before they make a purchase decision. Positive reviews can help drive customers to conversion.
This report discusses the challenges businesses face when publishing and collecting reviews. It also discusses how businesses can use reviews to increase website traffic and convert leads into clients.
Our findings
- Inbound marketing is only one-third effective. Only 32 percent of companies use reviews to promote their brands. This is a missed opportunity for businesses to reach customers who use reviews in their purchasing decisions.
- Only 25% of businesses (23%) use case studies to show their past work on social networks or company websites. To create and curate case studies, you need Miami website design agency experience.
Most businesses don’t collect reviews or case studies.
Inbound marketing is a method of marketing that uses case studies and reviews. Most companies don’t post reviews on the websites they use. This could be a mistake for some businesses.
- Review collection and curating require too many resources
- Fake reviews have made it less effective to review products.
Only 32% use reviews in their inbound marketing strategies.
Although consumers appreciate reviews, businesses are hesitant about investing in collecting them if the return on investment is low.
For businesses to collect reviews and case studies, they are time-consuming
It takes expertise and time to collect and publish reviews. Not all businesses have this kind of experience.
Fabian Geyrhalter is the founder and principal at FINIEN in Los Angeles. He has witnessed CEOs struggle to reach out to clients for good reviews.
Geyrhalter stated, “It’s an individual exercise.” You have to reach out. Ask for favors. This is why many people don’t get around to asking for favors.
After a customer has paid for a product or service, businesses may hesitate to ask them to leave a review about their company.
For example, a company’s customer service department might be more focused on supporting current clients than encouraging former clients to review it.
Case studies, like reviews, can be time-consuming to gather. Visual Objects discovered that only 23% of businesses have case studies in their inbound strategy.
It can take longer to compile and publish case studies because businesses must incorporate branding and web design to make them appealing to potential customers.
David Kranker is the CEO of David Kranker Creative. This digital marketing agency in Las Vegas Grand Rapids, Mich. began publishing case studies earlier this year.
Kranker stated that he had put off [case studies] for a long time. You must create a visual template to showcase your data and convince the client to use their marketing metrics to publish a case study.
Kranker delayed publishing the case study due to the amount of detail required for high-quality case reports. However, he found that publishing case studies were worth the time and creative effort.
Fake Reviews Can Devalue Real Reviews For Companies
Some businesses don’t believe in the power and value of reviews. Some businesses have abandoned reviews entirely due to fraudulent online reviews and sponsored endorsements.
Calloway Cook, founder, and CEO of dietary supplement company Illuminate Labors, spoke out about how easy it is to fake reviews online.
Cook stated that reviews are helpful in theory but consumers can’t tell which products have five-star reviews and which ones are just gamed reviews.
Cook claims that “Gamed” reviews are generated by companies that purchase large amounts of positive reviews from third-party sites like Amazon.
One case from the business publication The Hustle shows that Amazon sellers will often offer customers free returns or discounts in return for five-star reviews.
After being accused of posting false reviews on the website of Sephora, a high-profile case, skin company Sunday Riley settled with the Federal Trade Commission in Oct 2019.
This trend could lead to consumers losing faith in online reviews, according to some businesses.
Consumers still trust customer reviews and look for them when purchasing, despite the rise in fake reviews. A 2016 Pew Research Center study found that 65% of Americans trust online reviews.
Businesses should display testimonials and client reviews on their websites to combat fake reviews. Customers can also review them on Google and other reputable third-party ratings and reviews platforms.
To increase visibility online, businesses collect reviews
Review can serve as a useful content asset, similar to written and video content. Businesses can benefit from online reviews and case studies.
- Convert leads to customers
- SEO can help increase organic traffic
Companies that don’t publish case studies or reviews should consider doing so to improve their online visibility.
Reviews and Case Studies Help Customers Convert Leads
Customers can learn from reviews and case studies how others have experienced a company, which will help them decide to buy a product or service. Businesses should spend time curating reviews and case studies so that they integrate seamlessly with their brand and website.
To integrate case studies into his marketing website, Kranker, of DavidKrankerCreative, designed a case study template that led to a marked increase in conversions — going from converting 1 in 30 leads to 1 in 12 leads since he started publishing case studies.
Kranker also saves time by using the case study template when creating and publishing case studies.
To ensure that every review includes essential information, businesses can design their templates.
- Rankings and ratings
- Comment on your experience working for the company
- Images of the work
- Summary of the project
Businesses will be able to know what information they should ask their clients and simplify the review and collection of case studies.
Kranker’s case studies are cited by clients as a factor in purchasing decisions.
Kranker stated that “Leaders will openly comment upon my case studies and tell me how amazing they are during sales.” They are a key contributor to conversion and I am very glad I took the time to put them together.
Kranker clients mention reviews as a factor when making a purchase decision.
It is worth spending the time to collect positive reviews and case studies about a company. These reviews and case studies show potential customers that the business is trustworthy and capable of creating a product or building a relationship.
Review Content helps businesses boost SEO
B2C companies can also benefit from reviews to increase traffic via SEO. Businesses can use reviews to publish useful content on their sites that contains keywords that are then indexed by Google.
Igor Kholkin is the president and chief strategist of Avidon Market Group in Los Angeles. He recently published a case report and client reviews on his website to help his SEO company.
Kholkin’s reviews rely primarily on text. These reviews include a brief overview of the client, as well as essential information about the project. They also contain a summary of Avedon’s marketing campaign.
Because of the page’s layout, Kholkin’s case study pages are easy to read and understand. Search engines can easily index case studies because of their structure and headers.
Kholkin stated that although the initial purpose of the updates was SEO, the direct impact on conversions was almost immediate. “Our conversion rate tripled within a week of the updates.”
Kholkin used case studies to identify keywords that drove increased traffic to his website. However, the case studies directly increased his leads.
B2B as well as B2C companies need to promote case studies and reviews on their websites to increase their online visibility.
B2C companies use reviews to showcase products
B2C companies use customer reviews to prove that their products are legitimate and high-quality.
J.B. Shepard is a professional photographer for pets and the founder of Puptrait Studio in Baltimore. He started using more client reviews and case studies as his business moved from a PPC to SEO.
Shepard stated, “Last autumn, I received great advice to include more client reviews in our landing pages to increase our conversion rates,”
The Puptrait Studio also incorporates more client reviews on landing pages. A dedicated reviews page allows potential customers to view examples of past portrait sessions and hear directly from former clients.
Potential customers can easily browse past work and review clients online with The Puptrait Studio. Reviews are listed in a grid format, with examples of past work.
The website appeals to potential customers by using alternate images and text in reviews. For interested parties, there is a call-to-action button at the bottom.
B2C companies can highlight client feedback and show images of their work and products to demonstrate that they are reliable and helpful.
B2B companies use reviews to highlight ROI
B2B companies emphasize the client’s return on investment (ROI), in case studies and reviews.
B2B companies have the same options as B2C in that they can add images to case studies and reviews, but it is important to make sure that their content answers business decision-makers needs.
Geyrhalter’s agency FINIEN organizes case studies and reviews in a scrolling interface that is easy for to use buyers.
FINIEN case studies are organized with alternating text and visual content. This makes them more interesting to the reader.
The following template is used in every case study:
- Strategy for company brand
- Name and tagline for the company
- Identity of the company
This structure provides a clear overview of the services that FINIEN offers and how they can benefit a company.
B2B companies can guide leads to purchase decisions by creating a clear structure, using images and text-based material.
Branding is all about case studies and reviews
Despite the high level of trust consumers have in reviews, less than one-third of businesses include client reviews and case studies in their inbound marketing strategies.
Reviews can be tedious to gather and format on websites so many people avoid them. Fake reviews can also be found on third-party websites, which can cause businesses to lose trust in genuine feedback.
However, case studies and reviews are still very valuable to any business’s website. This content has SEO benefits and can help businesses nurture leads until they convert.
B2B companies and B2C businesses can both format their reviews in the same way. B2B businesses should be focused on their clients’ ROI, while B2C firms should concentrate on the quality and value of their products.
Business decision-makers and experts agree that case studies and reviews drive traffic and sales. This important promotion strategy should be used by more businesses.
