Chances are you have or know a business that it is powered and propelled by the reviews of its customers and previous users. The latest data on website reviews makes for some interesting reading. Perhaps by reading, digesting and putting some of these conclusions into action, it may help your business gain a competitive edge which sees your customers and overall return rocket as 2019 progresses?
The report is generated thanks to the Local Consumer Reviews Survey and the full report can be viewed by clicking on the link.
- Perhaps one of the striking things about the report is that now more than 90% of people read reviews. If you are a business and don’t have the facility for your customers to engage with you in this way, then you are seriously limiting your potential.
- An interesting point from the report shows that how current the review is, is very important. Most users place greater emphasis on reviews that have occurred in the last few weeks, while a high percentage (85%) agreed that reviews over 3 months old were considered outdated.
- People who search business reviews like to read around 10 reviews per business to get a true flavour of what is being portrayed. You may have heard or read in the last few months that there is increasing evidence that we should be sceptical about reviews because it is far too easy for fake reviews to be created. It seems that searchers have this fully in mind because the study also found that users want to see at least 40 reviews to feel they can fully trust that the vibe they are getting about the business is accurate.
- When it comes to consumers looking at star ratings of vendor businesses, over 60% of people will only consider a company which has at least an average of four-star reviews. The pressure on businesses to deliver top quality results and satisfaction for its consumers is now greater than ever and it is envisaged that this demand is only going to increase.
- When people make comments on a business you will often see business owners reply back with information or their take on events. When it comes to this, searchers will take it into account, but it is only perceived as a ‘secondary consideration,’ meaning searchers place greater value on some of the other things already mentioned.
- Reviewing is now far more common on mobile devices than any other, with all age groups showing increase in participating in reviews. Whereas before businesses might have thought that it was only younger people who placed and took emphasis on reviews, we are now finding it applies to the whole spectrum and therefore these businesses must cater for all of their audience.
How can I sum all this up?
There are many important conclusions that can be drawn from this report. Firstly, the concept of reviews and emphasis being placed on them is clearly gaining further ground and businesses must take note of this. There is an increase in demand for reviews which need to be recent and of high quality for the consumer to feel they can trust, yet at the same time there is an atmosphere of wariness associated with and perhaps underpinning this trend.
If you don’t engage with a review platform you clearly must start now. If you already have one, then you need to dedicate more time to it and realise how important it is. In the end this will often be down to how you engage with the customer as a business and always remember that it is these customers who will be giving you the reviews!
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