- 70% of consumers trust reviews posted online in making purchasing decisions / Neilsen study
- First thing consumers see researching your company online in Google is your rating (good or bad)
- Do you know what consumers are saying about your business online?
The online landscape has seen a dramatic shift in the emphasis of reviews on the reputation of any company brand. A recent well published study by Neilsen reinforces the pivotal influence that online reviews have on consumer purchasing decisions. The ratings and feedback posted within online reviews can literally make or break a local business.
As seen in the chart below, the second most important factor that survey respondents cited in their purchase decision is the reviews posted by other consumers. An overwhelming 70% of consumers trust online reviews they read in determining whether to do business with a company or not. This makes these reviews the most powerful form of marketing any local business can do and is in control of. This reputation factor even overshadows the ranking that your company has on Google. Given the choice between doing business with a company at the top of page 1 with poor or no reviews and another competitor ranked below it but with a five star reputation, the consumer will always prefer to
