Word of Mouth

The coveted third-party endorsement is often touted as the best form of advertisement – which is why Web 2.0 plays such an important role in today’s marketing scheme. A recent Nuance study touts the value of blogs, forums and online ratings as sources consumers use to evaluate prior to making buying decisions.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should start a blog to promote yourself; the company-sponsored blog isn’t exactly the same unless your customers are willing to add their comments to validate your claims. Which is why many online retailers are introducing product reviews on their sites, it’s an excellent strategy to follow up with the consumer post-purchase, gain endorsement for future consumers and add to your SEO – the more often a product name appears the more searchable you become.

An alternate strategy, if you’re not ready to implement reviews across the board is to solicit feedback from your best customers. Then, with their permission, post their comments on your site – or consider establishing an exclusive consumer reports group, send them the newest products in exchange for their reviews either on your site or applicable forum.