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The Role of Customer Reviews In Creating Trust For Small Businesses

The Role of Customer Reviews In Creating Trust For Small Businesses

They say the customer is always right, but what does it take to gain the trust of consumers? We’ve taken a close look at review platforms and public opinion to find out the true importance of customer ratings across different industries.

Trusting Reviews and Ratings

Estimated Number Of Online Reviews Customers Read Before Trusting A Business:

Estimated number of reviews
08%
13%
2-324%
4-632%
7-1018%
11-208%
21-303%
31-401%
41-501%
51+2%

How much do people trust reviews:

Trust of Ratings
1*1%
2*1%
3*22%
4*35%
5*10%
Don't use rating system30%

Average Star Ratings by Review Site

SiteAverage Review
Facebook4.43
Google4.3
TripAdvisor4.25
Yelp3.65

Customers and Reviews

What people check before visiting a business

SitePercentage of People
Google64%
Yelp45%
TripAdvisor30%
Facebook23%
Other15%

Where do people leave reviews

SiteDistribution
Google57.50%
Facebook19.00%
TripAdvisor8.40%
Yelp6.60%
All Others8.60%

Ratings & Reviews by Industry

Importance of reviews when choosing a business

BusinessPercent
Bank55.2%
Restaurant55.5%
Insurance Agent61.2%
Auto Dealer65.2%
GP66.3%
Auto Repair67.1%

Likelihood of leaving a review after a positive or negative experience

Type of BusinessPositive ExperienceNegative Experience
Restaurant43%45%
Hotel41%48%
Automotive Service35%39%
Specialist Physician27%30%
Automotive Dealership27%36%
Primary Care Physician27%31%
Local Bank Branch19%25%
Insurance Agent18%23%
Financial Advisor16%28%

Average Star Rating by Industry

IndustryRating
Insurance4.53
Legal4.51
Service4.51
Entertainment4.41
Transportation4.34
Healthcare4.28
Retail4.27
Automotive4.21
Hospitality4.17
Restaurant4.14
Real Estate4.09
Financial Services4.06
Senior Care4.05
Housing3.9
Education3.87

Sources:

  • invespcro.com
  • hubspot.com
  • reviewtrackers.com
  • econsultancy.com
  • convinceandconvert.com
  • hbs.edu
  • statista.com

Other popular small business topics:

  • Business Bank Accounts Comparison
  • Cheap Credit Card Machines
  • Unsecured Business Loans
  • Business Insurance Companies
  • Public Liability Insurance
  • WordPress Hosting
  • Business Phone Systems
  • Point of Sale & EPOS Systems
  • Invoice Factoring Cost
  • Small Business Electricity Prices

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