Twelve Stats (With Sources) Showing That Web Reviews Boost Sales
1. Traffic to the top 10 review sites grew on average 158% last year (Compete.com)
2. 97% who made a purchase based on an online review found the review to be accurate (Comscore/The Kelsey Group, Oct. 2007)
3. 92% have more confidence in info found online than they do in anything from a salesclerk or other source (Wall Street Journal, Jan 2009)
4. 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust unknown users, 27% trust experts, 14% trust advertising, 8% trust celebrities (Econsultancy, July 2009, Erik Qualman, Socialnomics)
5. 75% of people don’t believe that companies tell the truth in advertisements (Yankelovich)
6. 70% consult reviews or ratings before purchasing (BusinessWeek, Oct. 2008)
7. 7 in 10 who read reviews share them with friends, family & colleagues thus amplifying their impact (Deloitte & Touche, Sept. 2007)
8. 51% of consumers use the Internet even before making a purchase in shops (Verdict Research, May 2009)
9. 45% say they are influenced a fair amount or a great deal by reviews on social sites from people they follow (46% say reviews in newspaper or magazine influence them.) (Harris Poll, April 2010)
10. 34% have turned to social media to air their feelings about a company, 26%
