Online shoppers are heavily swayed by reviews from others, according to a new study from eMarketer.
PowerReviews and the e-tailing group found that nearly nine out of 10 US online buyers surveyed in February 2008 read customer reviews at least “some of the time” before making a purchase.
“This survey highlights the reception that reviews are receiving throughout the merchant world and how retailers are leveraging online review technology,” said Jay Shaffer, vice president of marketing at PowerReviews.
This isn’t anything new for online retailers such as Amazon, but such data could be a potential eye-opener for smaller merchants or even for affiliate marketers. Realizing that user reviews in the form of “user generated content” could lead to increased conversions might make more sites encourage the sharing of reviews and opinions.