Consumer Reviews Carry More Search Weight than Your Web Site
Your mother was wrong. You should care about what other people think. New research reveals that online consumer reviews and customer input on social media sites have a greater impact on the reputation of your small business than your own website.
The researchers analyzed online search results for approximately 150 small businesses and found that more than 80 percent of search results did not point to the websites of these small businesses.
The analysis came from businesses that rely on customer reviews such as restaurants, travel, legal, beauty, plumbing and automotive. The analysis showcases the growing importance of user generated content across social and local websites in driving revenue for small businesses.
“Small businesses are facing significant resource constraints in today’s economy so Marchex is focused on providing them the tools they need to improve their online reputation and improve their bottom line,” said Ryan Fritzky, Director of Small Business Product Development at Marchex, which sells a reputation management product.