Customers trust/don't trust reviews

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If you don't like the results, pick a different survey. So, how do you think people feel about consumer-generated product reviews on web commerce sites?

  • CPG Consumers Trust Online Reviews (eMarketer)
    A Deloitte & Touche consumer survey found that virtually all shoppers trust online product reviews.

  • Influencers Wary of Fakes (AdWeek)
    In a Burson-Marsteller survey of 1,000 influential consumers, about 30 percent said that fake reviews or positive comments left by corporations are a big problem.
I wonder how many "e-fluentials" (consumers who influence their social networks' habits and purchase decisions) are also early adopters? Is this another sign of early adopters getting over their initial enthusiasm and turning cynical?

Or is this an early indication of an emerging distrust of online reviews among the broader population? After all, the influencers in Burson's study are "more likely to share opinions and experiences with others." Suspicion of shilling in the reviews is one of the opinions they may share.

Whether customers trust them or not, it's still important to read your own reviews. Someone is writing them, and you might just learn something.

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2 Comments

On this same topic, Nielsen released a couple of days ago the results of their “Online Global Consumer Study” surveying Internet users on their attitudes toward many types of communication channels, including consumer-generated content. This worldwide study shows that while there are more marketing channels aimed at consumers than ever before, yet more than three-quarters of Internet users surveyed find that consumer opinions and recommendations are the most effective form of advertising with more than 60% trusting consumer opinions posted online.

All recent studies demonstrate that word-of-mouth has more of an impact than any other traditional forms of communication. Having a word-of-mouth and social marketing strategy is therefore becoming essential and marketers will have to quickly learn how to effectively target consumer influencers. They should focus as much attention on what consumers are saying about their brands online as they do on any other form of communication.

I have actually recently published a blog post on this very topic. For further insight on WOM Marketing, please visit:
http://www.saastream.com/my_weblog/2007/10/word-of-mouth-o.html

We'll hear a lot more about WOM in a few weeks, too. With the social media theme, this should be a good one.

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About Nathan Gilliatt

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  • Voracious learner and explorer. Analyst tracking technologies and markets in intelligence, analytics and social media. Advisor to buyers, sellers and investors. Writing my next book.
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