Turning Stars into Sales: The Hidden Value in Your Online Reputation

Online presence has become increasingly important for businesses over the last several years. This includes listings and reviews, which are both key elements for success in today’s digital landscape.

Customers utilize search engines every day to find a business that will fulfill their service or product needs. When it comes to listings, accurate and consistent information is necessary to enhance consumer trust while turning clicks into conversions.

The same can be said for reviews, as a 2025 local consumer survey from Bright Local states that only 4% of consumers “never” read online business reviews. While many companies are focused on positive, five-star ratings, all reviews can prove beneficial to driving conversions. However, potential growth from reviews ultimately depends on reputation management.

The Power of Accurate Listings

Listings are essentially part of a digital phone book found via search engines, directories, maps and voice assistants. Each listing displays what a customer needs in order to make a decision on which business to choose, including basics like phone number, address, location and hours.

When a potential customer is searching for a product or service, they’re likely to choose a business with consistent and accurate listing information. According to synup.com, 70% of consumers will go to a store based on the information they find about a particular business online. The goal should be to look credible and trustworthy through online listings, while also being found easily for potential customers.

Perhaps just as important is the fact that accurate listings can help improve visibility. Through customer suggestions, interactions with the listings and direct updates from the business, a company has the opportunity to climb search engine rankings.

Why Reviews Can Also Improve Your Bottom Line

Reviews are also important when it comes to maintaining a strong online presence. While getting good reviews shows customer satisfaction, they also help promote visibility and trust.

Negative reviews may be viewed as blemishes for a business, but they actually can provide opportunity. According to Bright Local, 89% of consumers are more likely to use a business if it responds to all reviews, both positive and negative. Responding to negative reviews in a professional manner by addressing the concern and offering a resolution can not only help resolve that case with a specific customer, but can also strengthen loyalty and reputation. 

This directly correlates to reputation management, which influences how a business is viewed by the public through monitoring conversations and feedback such as reviews, responding to them, and taking steps to maintain and improve its image. Responding to reviews across all platforms can assist with reputation management.

Platforms That Are Key to Listings

Businesses may appear across hundreds of directories online, which can all prove important in regards to a consumer finding your company. Some of the most essential listing sites to focus on include:

Google Business Profile – This allows local customers to find your business in Google Search and Maps while being able to personalize your listing with photos, offers and posts. According to Google, customers are 2.7 times more likely to find a company with a complete Business Profile reputable. Consumers are also 70% more likely to visit a company with a complete Business Profile, and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from them.

Apple Maps – This is the default navigation tool for iPhone users. While not as popular as Google Maps, Reputation estimates that around 100 million people use Apple Maps in the United States, making it a valuable tool for your business to be found.

Bing Places for Business – This is a similar platform to Google Business Profile. Although impressiondigital.com estimates Bing to have 100 million daily users compared to one billion for Google, Bing Places for Business still gives companies an opportunity to target another large audience.

Yelp – A hub to find service providers, Yelp estimates that it has 2.5 million visitors daily, with 57% of users contacting a business that they found on the platform within one day. Yelp also claims that 82% of users hire or purchase from a business found on the platform within a week.

Platforms That Are Key to Reviews

Reviews can also appear in multiple places. Focusing on managing and responding to all reviews is key, particularly on some of the major platforms like:

Google – The most frequently used platform, with Bright Local noting that 83% of potential consumers come across business reviews on Google.

Yelp – Bright Local’s survey also mentions that 44% of consumers utilized Yelp for business reviews, with greater focus on service providers.

Facebook – Despite being down from recent years, 40% of consumers still utilize reviews on Facebook in 2025, which offers recommendations and allows businesses to directly interact with potential customers.

Industry-specific review sites are also important, such as TripAdvisor for hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions, or Healthgrades for medical and healthcare facilities.

The Importance of “Near Me” Searches

When a consumer is seeking a local product or service, “near me” searches become common, particularly on mobile devices. “Restaurants near me,” “dentists near me” or “plumbers near me” are all typical search engine queries.

According to Blue Tone Media, “near me” searches have increased by 500% in recent years, with 76% of consumers who conduct a “near me” search on mobile visiting a related business within a day, further highlighting the importance of appearing in search results.

For better chances to appear in “near me” searches, businesses should be sure to include keywords in their business description, such as “boutique clothing store” or “24/7 plumber.” They should also ensure their location is accurate on maps, encourage and respond to reviews, and add high-quality photos and service/product details.

A “near me” search typically signals that consumers are ready to take action, often looking for the fastest or best option in their area. Ranking high in search results can help businesses be among the first to appear in “near me” searches, aided through things like updating your listings and responding to reviews. 

How Best Version Media Can Boost Your Online Presence

Best Version Media helps businesses increase their online presence through listings, reviews and reputation management. BVM makes it easy for customers to find and trust your business with accurate listings and managed reviews across directories, maps and search engines — all from one dashboard.

BVM offers social media and display ad campaign bundles, while also helping maintain reputation management. This will help ensure that your company will grow its online presence, have the opportunity to rank higher in search results and ultimately increase its bottom line.

Connect with BVM today to create a marketing strategy that fits your needs.