Do online reviews influence customers? Yes
How big is this influence? Huge.
But don’t take our word for it.
BrightLocal, the international SEO agency, found that 91% of consumers regularly or occasionally read online reviews to find out if a local business is good or bad. And more? Another 90% of surveyed sample in a Marketing Land survey said that positive online reviews influence their buying decisions.
So you see, reviews are important for your small business these days. Business reviews on websites like VConnect and Google My Business help you get more customers and make more sales, In this article, we list 19 more stats about reviews you can leverage to grow your small Nigerian business.
1. Consumers research products online every day
Fact: 80% of consumers research products online every week. Source
What this means for a small business: As a small business, reviews help you stand out among other businesses. If you don’t have reviews, odds are people will choose other businesses over yours.
2. Consumers now actively read online business reviews
Fact: 91% of consumers are reading reviews on a more frequent basis. Source
What this means for a small business: More people are searching for and reading online business reviews. The more people look for reviews, the better for you as a small business owner, especially when your business has a positive online reputation via reviews.
3. Consumers trust online reviews
Fact: 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Source
What this means for a small business: Word-of-mouth is still the most popular way of recommending a local business. But reviews are coming close in impact. Having a good online reputation will get you as much new customers as personal recommendation.
4. Consumers will leave a review if you asked them
Fact: 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for your business, if you ask them to. Source
What this means for a small business: When you ask your customers to leave reviews on your page, they often do. Local reviews websites like VConnect provide brand aids to help you remind your customers to leave reviews. Request a FREE brand aid.
5. Consumers read few reviews before forming an opinion about a business
Fact: 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about your business. Source
What this means to a small business: You don’t need as much as a 100 reviews before people form an opinion about your business. As little as 10 good reviews could get users to trust your business and buy from you.
6. Star ratings have impacts too
Fact: A one-star rating increase can result in a 5-9% increase in revenue. Also, 58% of consumers claim that the star rating of a business is important. Source
What this means for a small business: On review platforms like VConnect, users can leave ratings in one click. So if your customers are reluctant to put in the rigour required to write reviews, simply ask them to rate your business.
7. Positive reviews would increase traffic to your website
Fact: 54% of people will visit your website after reading positive reviews. Source
What this means for a small business: Often, when people leave reviews, they also share it on their social networks. Review sites often bundle this social media functionality with their website. Ask more customers to leave reviews; more people will see your business.
8. Reviews make consumers trust a local business more
Fact: 74% of consumers claim that positive reviews make them trust a local business more. Source
What this means for a small business: If your business doesn’t have reviews, people won’t trust you. It’s likely those people will buy from your competitor with reviews.
9. Customers assume reviews are fake if there are no negative reviews
Fact: 30% of consumers assume online reviews are fake if there are no negative reviews. Source
What this means for a small business: Having both negative and positive reviews is not a bad thing, people tend to trust mixed reviews than those with only positive reviews.
10. Consumers trust reviews than product descriptions
Fact: Consumer reviews are 12 times more trusted than the product description. Source
What this means to a small business: People don’t believe what you say your product does, they believe what other people say it does.
11. Reviews help sell more higher-priced items
Fact: Online reviews impact more sales for higher priced items. Source
What this means for a small business: When people want to buy higher-priced items, they are more careful. Because more money is leaving their hands, they want to make sure they are getting the best deal. Reviews help customers overcome this concern. Reviews could be your most effective strategy is you are selling an upmarket item.
12. Reviews impact on businesses’ search ranking
Fact: Reviews can have an impact of up to 10% on a business’s search rankings. Source
What this means for a small business: Search engines like to serve up results that they consider most relevant. One of the ways search engines determine your ranking is the volume of relevant content about your business. On VConnect, the local business search engine, a combination of the number of reviews and profile completion determine your ranking.
13. Customers would call a business after reading positive reviews
Fact: 9% of customers would call a business after reading positive reviews. Source
What this means for a small business: The possibility of getting calls is high when you have reviews compared to businesses without reviews.
14. Lots of negative reviews can discourage customers
Fact: Negative reviews about your company or product can risk you losing 67% of potential customers. Source
What this means to a small business: Although, a few negative reviews can give your business authenticity, (refer 7) too many of them will give people pause about doing business with you.
15. Reviews written within a month is considered relevant
Fact: 44% of consumers say a review must be written within a month to be considered relevant. Source
What this means for a small business: Consumers find fresh reviews relevant. Keep persuading your customers to leave reviews on your page.
16. Consumers would purchase a product after one week of reading reviews.
Fact: 89% of users will make a purchase within one week of reading reviews. Source
What this means for a small business: Reviews are the major factors when buying a product online. People would be drawn to your business from reviews they find online and make a purchase within a week.
17. Reviews help increase sales
Fact: Reviews produce an average of 18% uplift in sale. Source
What this means for a small business: Considering the fact that online reviews draw consumers to business, this will increase the sale of your products or services.
18. Responding to reviews help
Fact: 26% of consumers say it is important that a local business respond to its reviews. Source
What this means for a small business: Engaging with your consumers helps bring them closer. It’ll build trust and increase loyal customers.
19. Reviews give you visibility
Fact: 90% of customers don’t go beyond Google’s first page. Source
What this means for a small business: People get lazy to check the next page on the Google search results page. More reviews will help your business move to the first page. So ask for more reviews.
VConnect is Nigeria’s largest business discovery, and review site. Connect with more than 2 million ready-to-buy customers and build your online reputation for free through ratings and reviews. Register on VConnect to start.
Each review is a form of advertising for your business. Your name and product are exposed to readers, increasing their awareness of who you are and what you do. VConnect provides brand aids that help local businesses inspire their customers to review them. Click here to get them for FREE.