Today, there are a number of steps that people take before making a purchase from your company. Prospective customers begin by researching your reputation to develop an idea of how you conduct business. They look at previous experiences of others as information to help confirm their decision to do business with you.
A local consumer review survey conducted by BrightLocal found that 86% of consumers take the time to read the reviews of local businesses. The average consumer will read up to 10 reviews before making the decision to trust a company. When reading reviews, 40% of consumers only consider reviews written from two weeks ago. The study shows 91% of consumers are more likely to use a business because of positive reviews, while 82% are less likely to choose a business with negative reviews. Additionally, 57% of consumers will only do business with companies that rate four review stars or higher.
Your online reviews impact customers’ decisions to do business with you or one of your competitors. It’s safe to say that today, online reviews serve as the new digital form of word-of-mouth. One thing that hasn’t changed is the value of trust. According to the BrightLocal survey, 91% of people ages 18 to 34 place the same amount of trust toward online reviews as they would personal recommendations.
It can be challenging keeping up with your online reviews. ReviewMaxer makes managing your online reviews easy and improves your online reputation. Want to learn more about it? Sign up for a complimentary demo today.
