Everyone knows that reviews matter, that they are important for bringing in new custom and maintaining a good reputation, however what many people fail to realise is that when it comes to reviews, recency matters, with 85% of consumers now disregarding local reviews that are over three months old.
When looking for a local company to use, 90% of internet users now read reviews before buying a product or signing up to a service, highlighting a growing reliance on reviews and a greater web-sophistication among users. Not only this, but it has also been discovered that when looking at the reviews of a company users now have higher expectations than previously.
A recent survey conducted by company BrightLocal found the following:
(Based on the answers from 1000 adults)
- 86% of survey respondents now read reviews
- 85% of consumers now disregarding local reviews that are over three months old
- Users read an average 10 reviews per business but like companies to have over 40 reviews to trust the accuracy of the star rating
- 89%% of survey respondents said they look at review responses from companies
- Almost 60% of survey respondents will only consider using companies with ratings of 4-stars or higher
- 40% of survey respondents only look at reviews that are less than two weeks old
Majority of review Consumption Taking Place on Mobile Devices
The majority of review consumption is now taking place on mobile devices, with the most popular age group focusing on the reviews of companies being 18-34. It has however been discovered that people aged over 55 do use desktops slightly more than other age groups to find reviews.
Are Your Reviews Recent?
It is now clear that consumer expectations of reviews are on the rise, with consumers now wanting to see more great reviews, especially from within recent weeks. Internet users are now relying heavily upon reviews, and not only this but reviews are also now a local ranking factor for businesses, making the obtaining of great reviews important for companies implementing SEO.
In terms of volume, Google is now the most dominant review platform, therefore you need to ensure that your Google My Business page is up-to-date, allowing for your customers to easily leave reviews. You should also consider providing your customers with other review avenues so that they can choose the most suitable method for them, i.e. you should also ensure that your customers can leave you reviews on Facebook.
Here to Help
If you have any questions, or would like assistance in managing your reviews, do not hesitate to get in touch! Here at RS Digital Marketing we are here to ensure that our clients can succeed online, and are available to assist with all types of digital marketing.
