Getting the ideal star rating for your business could dramatically increase foot traffic, lead generation, and sales. But what is the ideal star rating you should aim for? Are you worried customers would be put off by a less-than-perfect 5-star rating? What can you do to get more positive reviews to boost your review profile?
This article explores the impact your average star rating can have on your business success. You will learn why your business reputation depends on getting positive online reviews from customers who highly rate your products or service. At the end of the article, you’ll find out how to achieve the perfect star rating.
Do Your Customers Consumers Care About Star Ratings?
Customers care about star ratings. When searching for local businesses in Google Maps, the number of stars is one of the first things they notice. The quality of customer reviews can affect whether a potential customer clicks on your website. Therefore, star ratings directly impact sales.
Studies show that customers look for ratings and reviews when purchasing decisions.
For example, nearly 90 percent of consumers consider online reviews as important as a personal recommendation from a friend. Of these people, 92 percent will only use a local business with a 4-star rating or more. And most consumers will read four to ten detailed reviews before making a purchase decision.
A study by the University of South Florida found that consumers are likelier to click through to local businesses with the highest star ratings. However, review quality was the deciding factor in buying decisions.
Therefore, your average rating can have a huge impact on whether or not someone chooses to buy from you. Likewise, a good star rating, review volume, and detailed reviews can help build trust and credibility with potential customers and influence their purchase decisions.
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What is the Best Star Rating for Your Business to Dominate Local SEO Searches?
It would be easy to assume that only businesses with perfect 5-star reviews would have the advantage. However, research suggests the opposite. While many bad reviews can damage your online reputation. A few poor reviews among a ton of high-quality reviews can help you achieve the perfect start rating.
What is the ideal number of stars your potential customers expect you to have?
Do You Need a Perfect 5-Star Rating?
Any business cares about its reputation. However, customer expectations are so that they don’t expect perfect ratings. In fact, research shows that they are more likely to buy a product or service if the average rating is less than five but more than four.
For example, research at Northwestern University found that perfect 5.0 consumer ratings created a “too-good-to-be-true” factor. This is because customers expect some issues. Interestingly, many consumers actively seek out negative reviews to help make an informed decision.
According to studies, average user ratings of between 4.2 and 4.5 are better than a perfect five. Therefore, good reviews are better than excellent reviews.
Some studies show that four percent of consumers only buy from businesses with perfect reviews. However, that means that 96 percent are willing to do business with companies with a lower-than-perfect score.
Related reading: Are 5-star reviews necessary?
How Many Stars Do Your Customers Want?
What is the minimum start rating you should aim for? Most consumers don’t trust businesses with a 3-star rating or lower. In a 5-star rating system, three stars are average, and—let’s face it—being average is nothing to boast about. So it seems that four stars are the minimum rating you should aim for.
Why Are 4.5 Stars Better Than 5 Stars?
Undoubtedly, 4.5 stars are the ideal rating for a business. Many consumers use rating filters when searching for products or services. And the most common filter consumers use is four stars. This figure is even more than consumers who don’t bother with filters.
Because an average 4.5-star rating is a perfect score, it means that imperfect reviews can have a positive impact on your Google Business Profile. This helps to establish authenticity and trust and provides valuable insights for consumers.
Related reading: The difference between a 4-star review and a 5-star review.
How Can Your Business Improve its Star Rating?
You must work hard to get more reviews on Google to ensure your business achieves the ideal average user rating between 4.2 and 4.5. A steady stream of reviews will help offset the impact of fake reviews and negative ones. Some data suggest that even a rise in seller ratings of 0.1 can result in a noticeable improvement in sales.
Additionally, getting more reviews on a regular basis can help your business in the following ways:
- Deliver fresh content to your website
- User-generated content improves your online presence
- Google algorithms pick up on positive sentiment in review content
- Authentic feedback builds trust in your brand and boosts buyer confidence
Related reading: How to improve your average star rating.
Here are some easy ways to improve your average star rating.
Ask for more reviews
Asking for reviews is one of the most effective ways to improve your star rating. Here are a few ways to generate review requests:
- Send emails or messages to customers
- Include links in marketing emails
- Use business cards to invite customers to leave feedback
- Include a link on your website or social media pages that encourages customers to write a reviews
Reply to every review to encourage more reviews
Positive review responses are crucial in showing customers that you value their feedback. It also shows you care about customer experience because you take time to interact and address any issues. Finally, this shows that your business actively engages with customers and takes their opinions into account.
Additionally, responding to reviews can help build trust with potential customers who may be considering using your services.
Related reading: How to respond to every type of review.
Make leaving reviews easy for customers
Making it easy for customers to leave reviews is essential to increase your star rating. Here are some tips on how to make the process easier:
- Create a simple review form that customers can fill out quickly and easily.
- Provide clear instructions on how to leave a review.
- Use links or QR codes to direct customers to the review page.
Use a review management tool to improve star ratings
Starloop is a review management tool that helps businesses improve their star ratings. It automates the process of collecting reviews and allows you to respond quickly to customer feedback. Additionally, it provides insights into customer sentiment and helps you identify areas for improvement.
Starloop also offers a range of other features, such as automated review requests, an easy-to-use dashboard, and reputation monitoring. This makes monitoring your Google Business Profile average rating easier and helps ensure you always have the ideal star rating. Starloop has a 14-day free trial period, excellent pricing options, and no lengthy contracts. So why not try it today to discover the positive impact of getting more business reviews?
