Always ask consumers to leave online reviews: study

In the US, 82% of adults say they read online reviews before visiting a local business, while 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, according to a study by Optimum Feedback titled Online Reviews in Numbers: 2017 Edition.

Additionally. 67% of shoppers consider one to three bad online reviews enough to make them not want to buy a product or engage in a service. Customers are also likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews.

The study also shows 7 out of 10 respondents will leave a review if they are asked to and it suggests companies should look into automating this.

Released in June 2017, the study examines the impact and nuances of online consumer reviews.

Bryan O’Neil, managing partner, Optimum Feedback said: “Being in the online reputation management industry, we have long noticed that reliable, good and easy to process information about consumer reviews is very rare. There are some studies out there but most appear to concentrate around a few specific elements of consumer reviews, rather than communicating the full picture.”

The study can be found at https://optimumfeedback.com/blog/online-reviews-numbers-2017-edition.