Today, we’re going to paint a picture of the habits, preferences, and behaviors of the average US consumer reading online local business reviews. This portrait will help you understand who you are hoping to engage with the review content you are developing around the web for the local businesses you market. This resource also contains a checklist to help you strategize to meet the needs and expectations of modern review readers.
This is the first installment of a three-part series based upon the data collected by our major survey of over 1,200 respondents, Beyond the Stars: How American Consumers Use Reviews to Choose Local Businesses. All numbers have been rounded up for ease of reporting and reading.
Understanding your review readers
Share this simple infographic with your team or clients to get everyone on the same page about this key facet of your reputation management strategy:
By the numbers: what we’ve learned about modern American review readers
High-stakes trust
On average, 85% of today’s consumers place at least some degree of trust in reviews and, in fact, 60% trust what fellow customers say about your business over what your business says about itself. A dominant 67% of customers list Google as their most trusted review platform, but
52% are consulting Instagram for local business recommendations, while 42% are consulting TikTok, 40% are consulting Reddit, and 39% are consulting YouTube.
A high degree of trust in review content is bolstered by the fact that 55% believe that review platforms are winning the battle against review spam, but it’s important to note that only 31% of customers trust online local business reviews as much as personal recommendations from their family and friends. Precious trust must be carefully safeguarded, and your business should know that 60% of consumers lose trust in brands that appear to be using AI to respond to the reviews they receive.
Deeply ingrained into customer journeys
On average, 99% of consumers consult reviews at least some of the time before choosing a business like yours for a transaction, and 90% will read 3 or more reviews before forming an opinion of your brand. 59% are spending more time reading reviews than they did 5 years ago, and 45% read reviews right before making a transaction. 43% of customers require a 4-star overall average rating to feel confident about choosing your business.
A variety of influences
On average, 67% of customers sort your reviews to see the most recent ones first, and 68% are most influenced by review content that is no older than a month. Consumers don’t just look at the text of reviews – they evaluate the profiles of the people writing this content. 53% feel more trust in review profiles that have real bio pics instead of generic avatars, and 49% are positively influenced if the reviewer is using their real name instead of an alias. 40% feel increased trust if the reviewer has earned a badge or title from the platform, and 37% state that reviews which contain proof in the form of photos or videos of an experience at your business are more trustworthy.
Giving review readers what they want: a strategic checklist
Now that you’ve met today’s review reader, it’s time to strategize around meeting their needs so that the local businesses you market are earning the most engagement possible from this influential form of content. Put in the necessary work to be able to check every item off this distilled list and you’ll be making the most of core reputation assets by meeting the expectations of consumers.
- Our customer service standards are maintaining a 4+ star average on our review profiles
- We have a strong review corpus on Google with plenty of reviews
- We have an ongoing stream of fresh reviews less than 1 month old
- We are more focused on nurturing highly-trusted customer sentiment than on less-trusted brand messaging
- We have developed a presence on multiple social platforms and existing customers are speaking well of us there
- We have implemented a word-of-mouth referral program to encourage both offline and online referrals
- We are earning reviews from accredited reviewers like Google’s Local Guides
- We are earning reviews with photos and videos
- We are earning reviews from reviewers with real names and bio pics
- We are earning reviews that support last-minute purchasing decisions as well as longer-range plans to transact with our business
- We are doing what we can to help review platforms retain public trust by reporting review spam
- We are not using AI to respond to reviews
Summing up
Review content has an outstanding degree of influence on the consumer public, but it exists in a scenario in which trust and transactions can be won or lost in a matter of seconds. Impressions are formed quickly by today’s consumers, necessitating brand dedication to getting all of the fine details right that combine to create an asset that swiftly signals trustworthiness.
Our portrait of local business review readers, summary of characteristics, and accompanying checklist have been distilled down from a large body of data for efficient comprehension, but don’t underestimate the work that goes into the level of professional reputation management that delivers what review readers are looking for.
Review acquisition, sentiment analysis, and expert owner responses require both time and skill. GatherUp can help you scale these vital processes across multiple locations of your business, but ultimate success will depend on your commitment to creating exceptional customer experiences so that review readers are strongly influenced to choose your brand at just the right moment in their journeys.
To learn how GatherUp’s reputation management platform can support your insurance business, request a consultation with one of our reputation experts today.
