How to make a review as beneficial as possible for local businesses

Patronizing a business and thanking its staff on your way out can help business owners and their employees feel good about the work they’re doing.

According to BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2022, 78 percent of consumers use the internet more than once a week to learn about local businesses. What’s more, the survey found that a whopping 99 percent of consumers have used the internet to find information about a local business in the last year.

The BrightLocal survey also found that positive reviews can be especially beneficial to local businesses.

Consumers indicated that written reviews describing a positive experience and reviews with a high star rating were the most significant review factors to make them feel positively about a local business.

Go to the right place. A review is only helpful if it’s seen. The BrightLocal survey found that, in 2021, Google (81 percent), Yelp (53 percent) and Facebook (48 percent) were the three most utilized sites or apps to evaluate local businesses.

Recognize that recency matters. BrightLocal notes that the number of consumers willing to trust reviews left as long as year ago is on the rise. However, consumers who have already reviewed a company in the distant past should know that only 7 percent of consumers feel that recency of review does not affect their decision.

Leave a review even if the business already has plenty. The BrightLocal survey found that 39 percent of consumers indicated a business having more reviews than another business they’re considering is one of a handful of deciding factors when they must choose which firm to patronize.

Consumers can tailor their online reviews so they’re as beneficial as possible for the local businesses that help their communities thrive.