When you want to purchase a GPS tracking system or other fleet management tools, how do you decide where to spend your money? If you’re like most Americans, you study online reviews from other consumers. With digital recommendations holding such value, it’s clear that they are equally important in persuading customers to buy from you.
BrightLocal is an SEO company that conducts an annual Local Consumer Review Survey. Over the four years of their research, there has been a direct inverse correlation between the rising numbers of review users and the declining numbers of non-users.
The increasing use of online reviews…
According to the survey, 88 percent of people today read online reviews before making a purchase, compared to 71 percent four years prior. The 12 percent who don’t use online reviews represents a drop of more than half from 29 percent.
Do you still question the influence of online reviews? Positive reviews generate a higher level of trust in a business for 72 percent of consumers. An even greater number of 88 percent consider online reviews to be as reliable as personal recommendations.
The extent to which people use online reviews is also growing. A majority of 85 percent read up to 10 reviews before making up their minds, but the number of consumers who check 20 or more jumped from two percent to seven percent in only one year.
Leveraging online reviews to grow your business…
With only one in 10 consumers not using online reviews, the downward trend indicates that number will shrink even further. Your company should be actively managing its online image and encouraging loyal customers to post positive reviews on an ongoing basis. The more recent reviews are, the more weight they hold.
Before sending your employees off to artificially pad your notices, think twice. Consumers have become savvier at spotting fake reviews. Dishonesty can end up hurting your business even more than good reviews can help.
Want to offer the type of service that inspires your customers to spread the word? Our state-of-the-art GPS tracking program helps your team operate more efficiently while saving you money! Visit GPS Trackit’s website for more information about our fleet management solutions.
