What’s a review ever done for you?

Twenty years ago you may have found yourself in the pub listening to your friends question your holiday choice. And despite what the glossy holiday brochure told you, a raised eyebrow from a friend was far more influential than a ‘4 Suns’ certificate. Today, when we shop online we’re naturally drawn to those items that have a review. As consumers we’ll always trust the recommendations of our peers over what a company tells us. This is especially true of more expensive items, including cars.

As any successful dealer will tell you, the key to success is trust. Thanks to the sophistication of digital technology, consumers are savvier than ever, and if they don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. It’s as simple as that. Reviews are a hugely effective way to build trust by adding a layer of transparency that would otherwise be impossible.

The critics of the review culture will tell you that it’s made their life harder by putting the smallest of errors under the microscope. I think that’s short sighted. You can’t tell people to trust you, you have to prove to them that you are trustworthy. I personally can’t think of a better way to do that than to have your customers do it for you. 61% of car buyers claim that car reviews are an important factor in the purchase process. Even if you receive a bad review, which you will, as even the best retailers get it wrong sometimes, the way you engage and respond can be far more influential than receiving 5 stars.

To help you utilise this powerful marketing tool, we’ve enhanced our reviews service by partnering with some of the leading review platforms including: Judge Service, reviews.co.uk, Car Dealer Reviews, Marketing Direct and Feefo. This means you can now import the reviews you’ve been accumulating into Auto Trader, helping you build that all important trust and, most importantly, convert it into a sale.

Chris Penny is franchise brand director with Auto Trader