Most small business owners today understand the power of online reviews. But if you are still unsure why gathering good reviews online is important to your business, let these numbers speak for themselves.

1. 92% of online consumers turn to reviews when considering using a local business.
2. 63% of consumers turn to Google for reviews.
3. 94% of consumers say that a negative review has convinced them to avoid a local business.
4. 54% of consumers will visit a business’ website after reading positive online reviews.
5. 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.
6. 87% of consumers will only use businesses with three stars or more.
7. 68% of consumers form their opinion about a business after reading between just one and six online reviews.
8. 73% of consumers think reviews that are older than three months are no longer relevant.
9. 59% of consumers turn to more than one review site before making a decision.
10. 28% of consumers believe only review left within the last month are relevant.
11. 10% of consumers read more than 10 reviews before making a decision.
12. 31% more is spent on businesses who have excellent online reviews.
13. 45% of consumers turn to Yelp for business reviews.
14. 53% of consumers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within one week.
15. 63% of consumers never hear from a business they’ve left a review for.
16. 45% of consumers say they are more likely to visit a business that takes the time to respond to a negative review.
17. 70% of consumers are using ratings filters when searching for businesses.
18. 35% of consumers filter to only see businesses with 4 stars or more.
19. 92% of potential patients read online reviews about healthcare providers before scheduling appointments.
20. 72% of patients in search of a new doctor will look to online reviews first.
21. 75% of consumers looking for attorneys used online reviews in their search.
22. 70% of potential clients are willing to travel to less convenient locations for a lawyer that has better online reviews than closer attorneys.
23. 95% of unhappy customers will use a business again if that business took steps to rectify the situation that left the consumer unhappy.
24. 67% of online purchasing decisions are influenced by online reviews.
25. 5 to 9% increase in revenue for businesses for every one star increase on Yelp.

Most online consumers are turning to reviews before making decisions, so it is crucial that your business is taking advantage. Not only are they crucial to attracting new customers, they are now one of the fastest growing local ranking factors. To learn more about how to harness the power of online reviews for your business, contact ReviewTool.com today.