In summary:
- 92% of consumers read online reviews.
- 80% trust reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
- 51% say reviews are the single most important reason why they choose a local business.
- Only 13% would consider a business with poor reviews.
- Nearly 7 in 10 say that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant.
So what does this all mean?
First, you need to understand just want a potential customer sees about your business when they go online…and most of them do!
And it’s no wonder, considering that if you have a bad online reputation, nearly 80% of readers will rule out your business as a choice for them.
If your business has bad reviews somewhere you will have a lead flow 350% less than businesses with great reviews from that source.
You need to find out if someone has posted inaccurate or derogatory information that could tarnish your reputation and kill off your lead flow.