Customer reviews | Review statistics

How much do reviews mean to you when selecting a local business? It’s not a tough question and if you are like 87% of consumers you wouldn’t even think about letting a plumber or HVAC technician into your home without seeing what other people have to say first.

With numbers increasing every year, even in spite of the fear of fake reviews, a staggering 92% of prospects now consult testimonials before making any type of decision about the company.

Fake reviews can be spotted quite easily if you know what to look for; a person without a profile, several posts that all have the same tone, a seemingly scripted marketing message, or an excitement level that is far beyond what a normal person would convey for a service are all ways to detected that something is amiss.

Finding constructive feedback on your desktop or mobile device

With the takeover of mobile devices it is hard to believe that still the most celebrated way to browse through reviews is on a personal computer. Perhaps when homeowners are scanning the Internet for goods and services they are not just doing so on their own, couples are teaming up and making a collective decision as to what company what be the best fit for their family and personal needs. You can get a great sense of what a business is all about by viewing the posts of past customers after the dinner table had been cleared.

The percentage of viewers that use desktops as their means for company screenings by way of neighborly advice is almost double that of mobile search, but it won’t remain like this for long. Although consumers prefer mobile browsers to mobile apps, smartphones are inching their way up in how many people are using them to find local businesses each day. Websites should already be mobile ready and have their physical address and driving directions easily assessable.

How many positive reviews does it take to make a sale?

So what is the amount of reviews that do it? What is that magic number that people need to see before saying, “Yep…that’s the one…that’s the company we want”? Well there is a majorly obsessive 13% that need to see 10 or more reviews before even considering opting for a company’s services, but the majority falls within the 1-6 range. Herein lies one of the most important aspects of your company’s reviews, you need to keep them up to date and continue bringing in new ones all of the time –recency is key.

Many people say that a review that is more than 3 months old is completely irrelevant, whether good or bad, as businesses are changing all of the time, taking on new owners and employees, implementing fresh strategies, and expanding their goods and services.

While having a plethora of reviews (mainly positive) will never hurt your business the likelihood of a greater portion of them being seen is slim to none. That is why you need to offer your new and existing customers the best possible experience in the hopes that their testimonials will be at the forefront of any given search. Most viewers trust customer testimonials just as much as if they were hearing it from one of their own family members, so keep this in mind.

How many stars are you seeing?

Even above the ear-pleasing sound of a great company review consumers put the most faith in the 5-star rating system that can be easily seen during search. While only a choice few expect absolute perfection and just as small of a population will not accept a 1-2 star review, the happy medium lies between 3 and 4 stars. If you have a 4-star business, a whopping 94% will undoubtedly be drawn to your company. With that being said, make your business the best it can be, don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial after a job has been complete, and know that reviews will not only satisfy your prospects but the search engines as well.

If you would like to learn how Plumbing & HVAC SEO can help your business to grow with our strategic Internet marketing system, click here to schedule a time to talk with us or call us directly at 866-610-4647.

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