For many businesses, having an online presence isn’t just about what they put on their website or social media, it’s also about what customers have to say about their brand. Earlier, people used to rely more on advertisements and word of mouth to decide whether to buy something or not. But today, people prefer checking reviews before spending their hard-earned money on anything.

Nearly 87% of online shoppers regularly read reviews before making a purchase, as per a recent report by "Ever-Growing Power of Reviews". And almost 99% of customers go through feedback, at least some of the time.

These days having too many options is confusing, and consumers hate it. Meanwhile, when consumers are forced to choose between two almost equal alternatives, they find it exhausting. In a competitive market where it’s difficult for people to choose between different brands, positive reviews can become a deciding factor. For instance, you find a beard trimmer from two brands with similar features and comparable prices. The chances are you will get the one that has more people raving about it online.

Compared to the elderly, young shoppers spend more time researching online before making a purchase. Almost 55% of Gen Z’ers read people’s comments about products, and only 34% of baby boomers do so.

Positive feedback is a potential way of standing out from competitors. These days, some brands even use honest reviews to advertise and sell their product. For instance, if many people love a particular hair oil brand, they might say nice things about the benefits of using it. Marketers can use an actual person’s relatable experience to show the effectiveness of their product to others.

In the online world, reviews make up 10% of criteria for how Google will display its search results. Now, there are potentially 3 types of reviews that you might find online. The most popular one is the Google-based Reviews where people leave star ratings directly on the Google profile of a business. So, when you Google something, let’s say a game, you will find how many people loved or hated it.

This year's Local Consumer Review Survey points out that 71% of people might not consider purchasing from a business with an average rating below three stars. However, consumers don’t expect ‘high’ star ratings as the minimum.

If a business has an average of four stars, people think it’s a trustworthy brand. When an individual sees a lot of decent reviews, they tend to believe that the product or service is reliable and efficient.

The testimonials on a brand’s own website are called first-party reviews. In order to encourage people to leave feedback, sometimes businesses even provide them with special discounts or benefits. Enabling customers to share their opinion helps with the contemporary word-of-mouth marketing. When it comes to actually making a purchase, ratings and reviews sometimes outweigh factors like price, shipping and free returns.

For many local businesses, having good ratings is a blessing. It gives them exposure and attracts new customers without having to spend too much money on advertising.

Then there are third-party review sites for nearly everything. If you want to know about your potential employer, you can probably go to Glassdoor, which primarily focuses on employee reviews and ratings.

Need to know about a new restaurant or service? You can check out Yelp or sites like Zagat. However, you should be aware, because just like these posts, sometimes people leave unreasonable opinions there.

Shoppers might leave negative remarks due to various reasons. Sometimes, they are being genuine about their overall bad experience. In such cases, owners should listen to the suggestions and try implementing them to improve customer satisfaction. The best way to deal with unpleasant comments is to accept their mistake and apologize. Customers love honesty.

When someone posts negative feedback, it’s best to address the specific issue at hand. Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal, a lawn care service provider directory, told CMSWire, “Instead of generic responses, we try to address the specific concerns mentioned in the review. For instance, if a user complained about a late service, we'd acknowledge that specific incident and explain any measures taken to prevent a recurrence.”

Sometimes, the best way to deal with a concerned customer is to speak with them. “In some cases, it's beneficial to move the conversation offline. We might reach out to the reviewer personally, through a phone call or direct message, to understand their concerns better and find a resolution.”

But in some cases, people set unrealistic expectations. When you build something up too much, no matter how decent the service or product is, you might end up being disappointed. Providing perfection might not be a possibility every time and as consumers we should be considerate while rating businesses. If you don’t like something, you can always point it out in a polite way. What is the most unhinged or hilarious review you’ve read online? What are your thoughts about this? Tell us in the comments below.