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5WPR News · Published May 31, 2019

Ronn Torossian
Founder & Chairman, 5W

Why To Embrace Online Reviews

customer leaving a positive online review on a computer screen
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The e-commerce landscape is a world of constant change and evolution. One of the most significant changes in recent years has been the proliferation of online reviews. Indeed, reviews have spread all across the internet, and tend to pop-up regardless of whether or not you’re actively encouraging them. In this post, we’ll look at how to put reviews to work in favor of your business. Seeking out reviews has become a standard part of the buying process for all types of customers, so much so that every online retailer should be thinking about them. Peer reviews can be a powerful selling point for your business; some 70% of customers claim to consult reviews or ratings before making a final purchase. A further 79% say they trust product reviews as much as they do personal recommendations. A major obstacle for you as an e-commerce store owner is to build trust between your budding brand and your target customers. A bad reputation serves no one, while good quality products and a sense of reliability and helpfulness will all add up to a positive experience for your existing and potential customers. Accordingly, savvy business owners will capitalize on this by being sure to record genuine, positive reviews that demonstrate your brand as being one that customers trust, by being a firm that cares about their customers, and a business that is prepared to go the extra mile to ensure exceptional customer service. People also like reviews because they provide third-party insight into the quality and experience your product provides. For example, reviews will tell you the reality of a beauty product, how it made a customer’s skin feel, and whether or not it worked over time. Reviews such as these help potential customers imagine themselves using your product in their own lives and will help cut down on common questions that might otherwise come to you via customer support inquiries. Smaller and newer e-commerce brands face an especially larger challenge in building trust compared to larger, more well-known brands. This is an especially steep hill these days, with customers more cautious and more skeptical than ever before. "The increasing prevalence of phishing scams, malware, and just plain shoddy customer service makes consumers more wary with their clicks than ever before – which means that trust indicators on your website are more important than ever before,” says Mark Hayes at e-commerce platform Shopify. As Hayes suggests, trust indicators in your store are important and making reviews clearly available on your site will go a long way toward persuading people to add products to their basket. As such, it is vital that your marketing strategy takes into account the entire purchase journey - from an initial introduction via Facebook ads - to a follow-up email campaign that requests solid and usable feedback from satisfied customers. After all, a positive review posted online might mean the difference between 10 and 100 sales.
Ronn Torossian

Written by

Ronn Torossian

Ronn Torossian is Founder and Chairman of 5W , the AI Communications Firm. He founded 5W in 2003 and built it into one of the largest independent public relations and digital marketing firms in the United States, with senior practitioners serving corporate communications , consumer brands , technology , financial services , health and wellness , beauty , gaming , crisis communications , and public affairs . Under his leadership, 5W defined AI Communications, building brand authority across ChatGPT , Claude , Perplexity , Gemini , and Google AI Overviews, alongside earned media, digital, GEO, and influencer channels. Industry Recognition 5W has been recognized as a top U.S. PR agency by O’Dwyer’s , Agency of the Year in the American Business Awards , Grand Stevie Most Honored PR Agency, a Ragan Top Place to Work in Communications 2026, Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year, and a PRovoke Top 50 Global PR Agency. Torossian has been recognized with the Stevie American Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year, American Business Awards PR Executive of the Year twice, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year semi-finalist nomination, Business Insider Top Crisis Communications Professionals, and Crain’s New York Most Notable in Marketing & PR. Research Franchise 5W’s research franchise has become an industry reference for measuring brand visibility inside AI-generated answers, including the AI Visibility Index Series , The GEO Reckoning , The Missing Rung Report, and the 5W AI Power User Study , which identified a 99-point AI favorability gap. Crisis Communications Torossian is one of the world’s foremost crisis communications experts. He has counseled blue chip companies, public company boards, founders, and public figures through ransomware incidents, data breaches, regulatory investigations, high-stakes litigation, activist investors, product recalls, and reputational crises. He has taught crisis communications at Harvard University . Media & Commentary Torossian appears on CNN and CNBC . He is a contributing columnist for Forbes and the New York Observer , his writing on AI communications and brand reputation is published on his personal site, and his commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal , Entrepreneur , Adweek , PRWeek , and O’Dwyer’s . Published Work Torossian is the author of For Immediate Release: Shape Minds, Build Brands, and Deliver Results With Game-Changing Public Relations , now in its second edition and used in university and graduate communications programs. He continues that commentary on his own publishing platform , where he writes about reputation, crisis, and AI-mediated discovery. Owner and Publisher, Everything-PR Network Torossian is owner and publisher of the Everything-PR Network , an independent intelligence platform covering public relations, marketing, AI communications, and adjacent industries across 30 publications. Everything-PR is editorially independent from 5W, with published editorial standards and ethics standards . The network is one of the most-cited sources inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini for PR and marketing queries. He is also an active investor and advisor, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) , and serves on nonprofit boards.

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