Online Customer Reviews: 5 Common Dealer Misconceptions

Two out of three car prospects now trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. These reviews can help your auto dealer website gain more traffic and leads.

Taking a second look at the misconceptions around online reviews will help you understand why they are critical to the success of your auto dealership. 

1. Only the Star Rating of a Review Matters

Quite a few car dealers assume that customers will simply browse through a few reviews, look at the ratings, make a decision, and then move on. That isn’t entirely true. 

Ratings are only a part of an online review process. Customers tend to trust the content as much as the star rating, since they are influenced by issues they can relate to. 

2. Getting Online Reviews is Quite a Task

Not really. But how do you get customers to leave you reviews?

Many believe that customer reviews are hard to come by. But have you considered putting in place a process to request every happy customer for a review? A dealer solution like Buyerater can make the entire process easy and seamless for both dealers and customers. Watch Video.

In fact, requesting customers upfront is one of the easiest ways to get more reviews. However, Timing is important – make your request when customers are happy and have a few minutes to oblige. 

3. Online Reviews aren’t Trustworthy

Research reveals that out of ten online reviews, 9 are actually real. Most online shoppers can make out fake reviews, and they are unlikely to gain significant traction. 

4. Negative Reviews are – Well, Negative

This isn’t entirely true. Negative reviews provide you with a golden opportunity to turn a bad situation into a good one. When unhappy customers receive prompt solutions, they are likely to talk about it, and most of these customers will keep coming back to your dealership

5. Responding to Reviews isn’t Really Necessary

If you choose to not respond to reviews, you are not likely to receive more reviews. 

Leaving reviews unnoticed will only make customers assume that their opinion don’t really matter. Conversely, responding promptly to reviews proves that you’re eager to hear what customers have to say.  

Online reviews also provide you with an opportunity to clear up any misinformation about your vehicles and services. 

For more information, Contact Buyerater.