Never has it been more important to understand the power of having, maintaining and developing strong online reviews. Never has a simple Google search been able to tell us more about a person, professional or company, who they are, what they do, and why they matter. We no longer need just to worry about what people see and hear about us face-to-face but we also need to consider our digital reviews.

Your customers want to post reviews about you online. Let customers do it at a site you have some control over. Our reviews services improve sales and protect you from negative postings created by competitors.

Businesses in the age of social media can’t properly manage their reputations with testimonials. Consumers realize testimonials may be manufactured and not credible.

Consumers realize any negative feedback the business might receive from customers will not be displayed on the business website as a testimonial. Consumer motivation to see the bad, as well as good feedback, has driven the proliferation of reviews services.

You need not remove testimonials, but reviews services on third-party websites are much more persuasive to prospective customers.

•More than 80 percent of executive and corporate recruiters research job candidates online, and 43 percent say they have turned down job seekers because of what they found, according to a study released August 2008 by ExecuNet.

•Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more influential than third-party reviews. (“Web users and web community,” Rubicon Consulting, Inc. October 2008)

•86% of consumers read online business reviews before making purchasing decisions; 90% of whom say they trust these reviews. (Kudzu.com survey of 600 users, December 2008)

•Almost two-thirds (62%) of consumers read consumer-written product reviews on the Internet. (Deloitte & Touche, September 2007)

•When asked what sources of information they are “very likely” to consult before making a decision about their entertainment options, 62% named Web sites with user reviews as their top choice, even beating out a knowledgeable friend (59%). (Marketing Sherpa, July 2007)

•Seven in 10 (69%) consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact. (Deloitte & Touche, September 2007)

•74% agree-including 14% who strongly agree-that they choose companies and brands based on what others say online about their customer service experiences, the survey shows. (Society for New Communications Research, May 2008)

•More than eight in ten (82%) of those who read reviews said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews. (Deloitte & Touche, September 2007)