What can we learn from the latest research into online reviews?

The annual Local Consumer Review survey has just been released and it’s packed with useful insight and shopper habits. It’s well established that online reviews are now an intrinsic part of the eCommerce experience – so what does this year’s survey show us?

Positive reviews are crucial If you haven’t yet focused on your online reputation, the latest Local Consumer Review survey confirms that you really should. The research found that 91% of consumers are more likely to use a local business if they see positive reviews. Likewise, 82% of consumers say negative reviews put them off using a business. The majority of consumers search for local businesses In the last 12 months, 90% of consumers have used the internet to find a local business. A total of 33% of consumers do so each and every day, 60% conduct a search once per week and 70% search online for a local business once per month. Most shoppers read online reviews According to the survey findings, 82% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses they are considering buying from. More and more, consumers always read reviews before they interact with a business. Over half of those aged 18-54 say that they ‘always’ read a local business review. Online reviews aren’t confined to one device When it comes to reading reviews, local consumers don’t limit themselves to one device. They search on desktop, mobile, tablets and apps – suggesting reviews are important at all stages of the purchase process and consumer discovery journey. Positive reviews lead to positive actions This year’s research revealed that 32% of consumers will typically visit a local business website after reading a positive review, meaning a strong online reputation can be a real boost to conversions. A further 16% of consumers will take it a stage further and visit the business after they read a positive online review. Star quality and recent reviews matter Local consumers are well versed in the use of reviews within their decision making process and as a result, they have certain expectations and criteria which your review profile needs to meet. 58% of consumers say they pay the most attention to how recent reviews are (so you need to maintain a constant influx), 57% say star rating is important to them and 39% say a business response to reviews matters. 48% of consumers say they’ll only take into account reviews left within the last two weeks. Average star rating is important Unsurprisingly, star rating matters to local consumers. Those with less than five stars lose around 12% of their potential business. Only 53% of consumers would use a business with less than a four-star rating.