About Survey Findings
The following findings are the 3rd part in a series of surveys into consumer attitudes & consumption of local business reviews and ratings.
The survey polled 2,012 online consumers in the US (1,138) and UK (874). The poll was conducted between 30th September & 10th October 2010.
The findings for Parts 1 and 2 of the survey can be viewed here –
Online reviews, ratings and opinions left by consumers are playing an ever increasing role in helping other, anonymous consumers asses the quality & trustworthiness of businesses, products and services. In part 1 of the survey we revealed that 70% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and in Part 2 we learned that Reliability is the no 1 trait that potential customers look for when selecting a local business.
In part 3 of the survey we examine the methods and motivations that local consumers have for personally recommending a business how local businesses owners can motivate their customers to actively promote their business to the friends and colleagues.
Survey Questions
Question 1:
Which of these local business types have you/would you recommend to someone you know if you had a good or bad experience?
Chart: Men vs Women
Key Findings:
- Restaurants (56%), Doctors/Dentists (49%) and Garages/Car Dealerships (38%) are the local business types that customers are likely to recommend to people they know*.
- All types of local businesses can gain from personal recommendation.
*Note – our hypothesis was that Hotels would be the most recommended business type given the vast quantity of Hotel reviews & ratings found online. The results proved otherwise and we concluded that friends/colleagues are likely to have more frequent chats about their daily lives and interactions – which bring them into daily contact with restaurants, dentists, garages, shops and tradesmen – and have less regular conversations about vacations and hotels/B&Bs they’ve stayed in.
Question 2:
In the last 12 months have you recommended a local business to people you know by any of the following methods?
Chart: Men vs Women
Key Findings:
- Word of Mouth remains the most popular method for recommending a business – 79% of consumers have done so in the last 12 months
- Facebook is the 2nd most popular – 27% of consumers have recommended a local business on Facebook
- 11% have written a review on an online directory, but only 6% of users have recommended via twitter
In the last 12 months have you recommended a local business to people you know by any of the following methods?
Chart: Age
Key Findings:
Younger consumers are more likely to recommend a local business via Facebook, online directories and Twitter
- 32% of 16-34 year old consumers have recommended a local business on Facebook
- 22% of 16-34 year old consumers have recommended a local business on Online Directories
Question 3:
Which of these factors would make you more likely to recommend a local business to people you know?
Chart: Men vs Women
Key Findings:
Old fashioned values remain the key traits that lead customers to recommending local businesses –
- Reliability & Professionalism are the traits that lead most consumers to recommend a local business -60%
- Having a Friendly & Welcoming Service is the 2nd most important trait – 49%
- Offering good value at the price is also an important trait to get customers recommending a business – 46%
But…
Simply asking your customers to recommend you without good reason is a not good motivating factor –
- Just 13% of consumers would recommend a business because they were asked to
Which of these factors would make you more likely to recommend a local business to people you know?
Chart: Age
Key Findings:
Older customers are more likely to recommend a local business than young consumers
>>Customers aged 55+ are particularly impressed with Professionalism & Reliability
Question 4:
Would you be more likely to recommend a local business to people you know if they had a good value offer or discount?
Chart: Gender
Key Findings:
Having a good special offer is a great motivator in getting customers to recommend a local business.
- 52% of customers would more likely to recommend a business if it had a good special offer and a further 37% might be more likely to do so.
Would you be more likely to recommend a local business to people you know if they had a good value offer or discount?
Chart: Age
Key Findings:
Older customers are more deal conscious than younger consumers
- 61% of 55+ customers would be more likely to recommend a business that has a good offer
Question 5:
Would you be more likely to promote a local business to people you know if you could benefit personally from doing so?
Chart: Gender
Key Findings:
- 40% of customers would be more likely to recommend a local business if they benefited directly
- Up to 75% of customers would or might be more likely to recommend a local business if they benefited directly
Would you be more likely to promote a local business to people you know if you could benefit personally from doing so?
Chart: Age
Key Findings:
- Customers aged 35-55 are the most open to recommending a local business if they benefited directly
Summary of Survey Findings:
- Restaurants, Doctors/Dentists and Garages/Car Dealerships are the local business types that customers are likely to recommend to people they know
- Word of Mouth is by far the most popular way to recommend a business but Facebook is growing fast
- 32% of 16-34 year old consumers have recommended a local business on Facebook
- Reliability, Professionalism & Friendliness are the most important traits that lead to a customer recommending a business
- 52% of customers would more likely to recommend a business if it had a good special offer.
- Older customers are more likely to recommend a local business than young consumers
- 40% of customers would be more likely to recommend a local business if they benefited directly
- Simply asking your customers to recommend you without good reason does not encourage customers to spread the word
The findings for Parts 1 and 2 of the survey can be viewed here –
