Online Reputation Management Statistics [From 1 to 5-Star Rating]

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Hey there!

How was that restaurant you went to last time?

Were you satisfied? Did you leave an online review?

Did you know that according to online review statistics only 1 out of 10 customers who had a positive experience are likely to leave a good review?

Let me tell you why online reputation is so important.

But first, let’s have a look at some essential online reputation management statistics and break them down.

Fascinating Facts

Online Reputation Management Statistics - image 1

  • 87% of executives rate managing reputation risk as more important than other strategic risks.
  • 86% of people would pay more for services from a company with higher ratings and reviews.
  • 85% of customers use the internet to do research before making a purchase.
  • 83% of buyers no longer trust advertising, but most trust recommendations from users online.
  • 84% of all marketers agree that building consumer trust will become marketing’s primary objective in the near future.
  • 84% of people value online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
  • 59% of people look at 2-3 review sites before they make a decision about a business.

1. 90% of people worldwide only look at the first page of search engine results to form their impression.

(Source: Protofuse)

  • The top 3 organic results in Google drive 61% of clicks.
  • Google controls 74% of all search engine traffic.
  • The most trusted source of information for 65% of people are online searches.
  • 93% of searchers never go past the first page.

Google is a game-changer. It will generate 25% more clicks to your business if you go from a 3-star to a 5-star rating. The first impression is always important and in modern society, everyone checks out a company online before deciding whether to go with their services. In fact, 15% of consumers will not trust businesses that don’t have an online review.

Having a good internet reputation is the first step towards gaining the trust of your customers. That’s why it’s worth taking the time and effort to do your online reputation management. So, it’s paramount to find a business plan software that can help you.

2. Wikipedia is on the first page of Google search results for 99% of searches.

(Source: All Business)

  • Wikipedia ranks on the first page for commercial queries more often than informational queries.
  • 53% of adult users consult Wikipedia.
  • Wikipedia generates an average of 18 billion views per month.

Wikipedia is the source of knowledge. More than half of consumers trust online reviews from Wikipedia. Building a good wiki page for your business is something to look forward to. Doing so will guarantee high visibility and increase positive information about your brand. If you are not sure how to do this, hire an expert. And if you were thinking of writing a business plan, this is all you need to know.

3. Every 1-star increase on Yelp leads to a 5 to 9% increase in revenue.

(Source: Status Labs)

  • 74% of people consult Yelp when looking for a home service provider.
  • Yelp (45%) ranks right after Google when looking for business reviews.
  • 178 million unique visitors consult with Yelp every month.
  • 98% of Yelp users purchased from a business they found on the site.

These online review statistics show that Yelp is a powerful tool when it comes to building an online reputation and customer trust. 68% of the millions of Yelp users gave 4 and 5-star reviews. For comparison, only 16% of people gave a 1-star rating on the site.

Furthermore, businesses with free Yelp accounts see an average of $8,000 in annual revenue from the site. Do you really need further evidence of the benefits of a business rating website like Yelp?

Question time: What percentage of people read online reviews?

91% of people read online reviews regularly or occasionally. 84% value them as much as personal recommendations.

5 most reviewed business categories in Yelp:
  • Shopping
  • Restaurants
  • Home and Local Services
  • Beauty and Fitness
  • Arts, Entertainment, and Events
Fun Fact:

In 2017 a man called Oobah Butler launched a TripAdvisor page for his supposed new restaurant. In reality, the restaurant called “The Shed at Dulwich” was a shed in the garden of Mr. Butler. After building an online presence and making photos of dishes, served at “The Shed”, Oobah went on and submitted his TripAdvisor forms.

Long story short, only six months later he managed to get his place to be London’s top-rated restaurant. That’s how you create a brand!

4. Customers are willing to spend 31% more on a business with excellent reviews.

(Source: Qualtrics)

  • 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more.
  • 92% of users will use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating.
  • 90% of people read online reviews for companies before visiting them.
  • 88% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Looking good online is a craft that can seriously increase your revenue. People check out a company online and only then decide whether to choose their services or look somewhere else. It’s incredible how many people trust a business more after reading a positive online review. In order to make your business more visible to others you can use press release services.

5. 86% of people will hesitate to purchase from a business with negative online reviews.

(Source: Invescp)

  • 60% of consumers say negative reviews turned them away from using a business.
  • 4 out of 5 people changed their minds about a business after reading negative online reviews.
  • Only 13% would consider using a business that has a 1 or 2-star rating.

The impact of bad reputation management is evident. In case you get a bad review, you should try to do what it takes to correct the problem. Address the issue with empathy and authority – your efforts will not remain unnoticed. Nowadays, though, there is one phenomenon that complicates things, and that is fake reviews.

Question time: How do I fix my online reputation?

There’s a couple of essential steps. First of all, identify the cause of your negative internet reputation. Create positive content for yourself, push down negative reviews and try to earn good reviews.

6. 69% of job seekers would turn down an offer from a company with reputation problems.

(Source: Staffing Industry)

  • 60% of job seekers would not apply to a company with a 1-star rating.
  • 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important.
  • 50% of people looking for work said they would decline an offer from a company with a bad reputation, even if offered a pay increase.
  • Bad online reputation costs a company at least 10% more per hire.

Negative online reputation can not only turn off potential customers but workers as well. Both negative and positive reviews can sway a job candidate towards your company; however, less than 50% of companies monitor their reviews.

In the end, investing time in checking your internet reputation may very well be the key to getting the best talent.

7. 70% of consumers will leave a review for a business when asked.

(Source: Search Engine Land)

  • 63.3% of consumers have never heard back from a business after leaving a review.
  • Consumers are 21% more likely to leave a review after a negative experience than a positive one.
  • Consumers who said they were likely to leave a review after a good experience increased from 26% in 2017 to 28% in 2018.

People appear to be enjoying your restaurant, but you rarely receive good reviews. An easy way to change that is to simply ask your customers to leave a review. Take the time and answer any existing reviews – people like it when their voices are heard.

An online review for lesser-known companies can increase their popularity. And it’s completely free!

8. 90% of consumers read 10 reviews or less before they feel that they can trust a business.

(Source: Bright Local)

  • Only 10% of consumers spend time researching and reading 10 reviews or more.
  • 59% of people look at 2-3 review sites before they make a decision about a business.
  • 73% of customers think that reviews older than 3 months aren’t relevant.

It’s the era of information! People search for different opinions before making their decision. Fresh reviews are just as important, as the statistic suggests. Having a high number of reviews will also help, as potential customers will read an average of 5-10 opinions about your business.

9. 57% of employers are less likely to interview a candidate they can’t find online.

(Source: Career Builder)

  • 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates.
  • 54% decide not to hire a candidate based on their social media profiles.
  • Only 2% of people own their entire first page of Google.
  • 24% of employed adults say their employer has rules or guidelines about how they are allowed to present themselves online.

Online reputation management is equally important for a person, as it is for a company. Today, one of the first things recruiters do when deciding on hiring a candidate is to look at his online presence.

As internet reputation stats reveal, more than 50% of employers decide not to hire a candidate because of something on their social media profiles they find inappropriate or concerning. More than 50% of employers will probably not hire you if you don’t have any online presence.

Question time: How much does reputation management cost?

It takes around 50-200 hours of work, or about $5,000-$20,000.

10. 64% of people trust online search engines the most when conducting research on a business.

(Source: Igniyte)

  • Only 37% of consumers go directly to a review site to read online reviews.
  • Google accounts for 87.37% of the search engine market share in the United States.
  • Google accounts for 73.73% of the global desktop search traffic, as of April 2018.

What do you do when you want to find something online? You start a Google search, of course. That’s what the majority of people do, even if they use a different search engine like Yahoo or Bing. This means having a great website and Facebook profile for your business isn’t enough. You have to optimize those for search engines so you have maximum visibility.

11. 49% of customers are encouraged to purchase when they receive a response on social media.

(Source: Sprout Social)

  • 80-85% of people who post on social media expect a company to respond within 24 hours. Most expect a response within 1 hour.
  • Over 33% of consumers will recommend a business with an ineffective but quick response.
  • 57% of people will shun a business after a bad experience on social media.
  • 7 out of 10 consumers find slang from brands irritating.

Social media is a free and fast way to communicate with people and establish your brand. Social media reputation management statistics show that things customers find cool on your social media profile include: using video clips, responding to questions, and talking about timely events.

On the opposite side, people are irritated if you use slang, make fun of competitors, and talk about politics. Unsurprisingly, Facebook leads the reputation management category, with 83% preferring it. YouTube is second (48%), followed by Twitter (40%), Instagram (35%), and LinkedIn (33%).

12. Most online reputation management solutions range from taking about 50 to 200 hours over several months, or about $5,000 to $20,000.

(Source: Recover Reputation)

  • Only 15% of executives proactively do something about their company’s online reputation.
  • 25% of a company’s market value is attributed to its online reputation.
  • 41% of companies with a negative reputation online reported a significant loss of revenues.
  • 58% of company executives understand how important online reputation management is.

Online review statistics reveal the importance of looking good online. It’s a task you could do by yourself, or hire a specialist. Given that only 15% of companies proactively do something about their online reputation, you can easily get ahead by investing time and/or resources.

Even if you currently have a negative online look, it’s not too late to turn the tide. Reputation management will need some time to start working, so load yourself with some patience.

Question time: Why is online reputation important?

It’s very important for businesses to maintain a positive online reputation in our day and age. Looking good online can make the difference between success and failure. Customers are using business rating websites like Yelp to get an impression regarding your services. Negative reviews can leave you striving for customers, while positive ones can cause your cash registers to overflow.

After taking a look at this online reputation management and online review statistics, you are ready to go. Create your online presence and make yourself the talking point of the internet!

ABOUT AUTHOR

I've been a tech-addict all my life. I still remember the sound of a successful dial-up connection. I started my writing career at a very young age for a gamers' magazine. I'm fascinated by each new technology, as a kid with a long-anticipated Christmas gift. My hunger for knowledge and child-like fascination with everything with wires or codes helps me cover a wide array of articles here, on Review42.com. Whenever I'm not staring at a display I enjoy exploring new places.

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