Review sites receive a constant flow of star ratings and reflections from customers whose experience with a local business , whether positive or negative , motivates them to let the world know .
The 2022 ISPA Consumer Snapshot Report XI , which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 respondents in the U . S ., found that online reviews shared the top spot for the most prevalent external factor influencing a spa-goer ’ s decision to visit a spa — tied with convenience of location .
A look into review site demographics by gender is essential for a female-dominated industry . According to Enterprise Apps Today , 61 percent of Yelp reviews are written by women . BrightLocal ’ s 2022 Local Consumer Survey shows that not only do women read online reviews more regularly than men , but they are nearly 20 percent more trusting of Yelp reviews than they are of reviews posted on Google .
BrightLocal ’ s survey also displays an intriguing distinction based on age . Consumers over the age of 44 are apparently more willing to help local businesses , with 39 percent saying they would only leave a review for a positive experience and just four percent saying they would only leave a review for a negative experience . Meanwhile , consumers aged between 18 and 44 years old were both the least likely to leave only a positive review and the most likely to leave only a negative review . This demographic is also more likely than its elders to leave a review after a negative experience than a positive one .
Encouraging Positive Reviews
KEY STATISTIC l 72 percent of people wrote a review for a business when they were asked to ( BrightLocal )
To say nothing of the harsh impacts of negative reviews ( read on for a breakdown of how to manage negativity on review sites ), it is essential for businesses to gather as many positive reviews as possible to outweigh the inevitable negative review .
The best way to encourage customers to write positive reviews is simple — ask them directly and purposefully either at checkout or in a follow-up email . Ideally , both methods involve sending guests to a landing page on your website that provides satisfied customers with options to leave a review on one of the top four review sites mentioned earlier .
Percentage of Yelp ’ s users who belong to the following age brackets : ( yelp-press . com )
24 %
AGE 18-34
34 %
AGE 35-54
40 %
AGE 55 +
Review sites receive a constant flow of star ratings and reflections from customers whose experience with a local business , whether positive or negative , motivates them to let the world know .
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023 n PULSE 37