Latest Stats on Why Local Online Reviews Are So Important

[avante]

Key ‘Takeaways’ from the 2017 Survey are:

• 97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2017, with 12% looking for a local business online every day
• 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
• Positive reviews make 73% of consumers trust a local business more
• 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business
• Responding to reviews is more important than ever, with 30% naming this as key when judging local businesses
• 68% of consumers left a local business review when asked – with 74% having been asked for their feedback
• 79% of consumers have read a fake review in the last year, but a worrying 84% can’t always spot them
• Yelp & Facebook are local consumers’ most trusted review sites, followed by Google & BBB.org
• 32% of consumers read local reviews on mobile apps this year (a growth of 14% from 2016)
• Consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business – up from 6 last year

Source:
https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/

 

[Krynn72]

97% seems a suspiciously high number.

 

[phaZed]

Forget about the SEO stuff, I found this part the most interesting:

Death of the PC? It's a YoY increase in desktop usage... Where is the tablet revolution I have heard about for 6 years?

 

[Porthos]

97% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2017

Many just want to know how much it will be. They don't care about reviews if they can save money.

 

[sapphirescales]

Many just want to know how much it will be. They don't care about reviews if they can save money.

Different markets here. I ask every one of my new clients why they picked me, and at LEAST 90% of them say they chose me because of the good reviews. The next common reason is that I was conveniently located, and the next most common reason is that I actually answered my phone! LOL. My competitors NEVER answer their freaking phones! I know, I've called them. Don't know how they get any business. I guess they prefer to reply to voicemails. I'm the opposite. I absolutely HATE calling people back and would much rather just answer the phone in the first place.

 

[Mr. Ingram's Computer Repair & Shoppe]

I ask my customer on pick-up if they didn't already tell me, why they came to my shoppe. The top answers I always hear are:

1. I saw all your good reviews on Facebook
2. ____ told me about you. (word of mouth)
3. There is nobody else close by. ( (I ran the two other repair places out of town and the one just outside of town, the closest I have to me is just over 15 minutes away))

 

[Porthos]

Reviews get the call but the price gets them to bring it in around here. 15 years of word of mouth helps out as well.
Many are telling me that the computer is not that important in everyday life (phones).

 

[Archon Prime]

My leads are mostly via google maps/reviews and word of mouth.

 

[calldrdave]

Don't forget the article about review funnel services: https://www.technibble.com/3rd-party-reviews-funnel-feedback-services/

 

[AndrewFergus]

Having 34 four & five star reviews has made a big increase in new customers.
Every ticket that is closed gets an email two weeks later asking for a review using Marketr in Repairshopr