Consumers are savvy, increasingly so. They don’t take your word for it and according to the 2010 Online Influence Trend Tracker report from Cone Inc., they’re also skeptical about recommendations they receive from their most important influencers (family and friends). Rather than take mom’s word for it, they’re going online to confirm recommendations, product claims and the like.
Online Influence Data
Once consumers went social, they frequently starting seeking out recommendations from their inner circles (family, friends, trusted online connections…). We as marketers, attempted to leverage these inner circles to participate and facilitate the processes of recommendations that contributed to sales. Being the adaptive humans that consumers are, with increasing comfort levels navigating the social driven web — consumers are taking additional steps to verify, confirm and research their purchasing decisions.
“Before deciding whether to purchase recommended products or services, more than four-out-of-five consumers (81%) will go online to verify those recommendations, specifically through researching product/service information (61%), reading user reviews (55%) or searching ratings websites (43%).”
“personal recommendations alone are no longer enough to guarantee a purchase, as three-quarters of consumers (77%) agree they are more likely to purchase products or services when they can find additional recommendations about them online.”
“Low cost: 72% of Americans would go online to do additional research about recommended movies or restaurants; Moderate cost: 85% would go online to do additional research about recommended computer equipment; and, High cost: 82% would go online to do additional research about a recommended car.”
“More than two-thirds of consumers (68%) agree negative product or service information found online can be a mitigating factor in deciding whether to purchase. Conversely, positive information reinforces purchase recommendations for a full 80 percent of Americans.”
(Be sure to read the full report, complete with infographics.)
Marketing Intelligence
If you think your business/organization doesn’t need to be engaging, or at minimum monitoring the tools used by consumers to verify – you are sadly mistaken. Seriously. We’re amazed at the number of businesses who are still in denial about the need to at least listen. Even if you’re skeptical or an old dog who won’t learn new tricks, listening can be incredibly easy and insightful.
Chatter about your company, product or service is or will be happening online,
deny this fact at your own peril.
Don’t make claims about your service or products that your biggest mouth’d purchasers won’t be able to confirm. Do not, even for a moment, think you can game the system. What goes around comes around 1000 times harder. The wrath of consumers and bloggers can literally crush you like a bug.
Always remember, the world is watching you, quite literally.
Inbound marketing is an excellent way for your company to contribute to what’s being said and heard. Case studies, real-life testimonials, and proactive engagement can help you tremendously. Respond to customer complaints online. Take the time to thank your purchasers and provide an exceptional experience online. Facilitate the spread of their experience by offering opportunities to share. The possibilities are endless here, but necessary.
Provide an experience worth talking about. Get in the game.
Whatever you do, don’t sit on the sidelines. Consumers are proactive, you need to be too. Your competition likely is.
Hat tip to Marketing Pilgrim.
Discover what’s being said about you and the opportunities presented. We do that.
About @WebSuccessDiva
RT @websuccessdiva: Consumers Look Online to Verify Recommendations http://ow.ly/18kYLo
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Maria,
Great info here and we are looking at youth the power of peer recommendation in huge. I was just reading about facebook questions ( and getting very excited). The possibilities with it are endless, how marketers could connect with their customers and how consumers could poll their community for information. Marketers need to take note this will get bigger and bigger.
Sarah
Facebook questions will be interesting — and definitely a tool that will contribute to the arena of places to verify. We’ve had past clients experience tremendous success in facilitating the spread of information about their products/services by participating in the conversations that happen on Q&A sites.
RT @websuccessdiva: Study: Consumers look online, now more than ever, to verify recommendations and product claims. http://ow.ly/2ihWN
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Maria was looking through something the other day and it stated…
33% buy from advertising banners
70% from a recommendation from someone they know and
90% from someone they know…..
Interesting stats I thought!
Sarah
I’ve seen similar stats, in several credible studies… I’ve also seen contradictions
I think the main points of this and other information is to understand that:
1) Yes, studies are only samples, what we need to look for is consistency in trending (micro and macro) as well as a clear understanding of OUR unique audience (as in for each specific business). Studies and reports give us an understanding and direction, not decisiveness in our decision making.
2) We don’t really KNOW what % of value, each individual buyer/consumer places on the variables that contribute to their purchase. What we DO KNOW is that recommendations and online verifications both contribute. To what degree… we would need to examine it further.
3) The only way to do what’s best in your marketing is to take studies/reports into consideration (along with various other things) and focus everything you can, within reason, to understand your audience. Who they really are, what they do online, who they communicate with, who influences them, where do they research, how do they research… etc.
4) Get in the game, as i noted in the post. The ONLY way to know is to get in there
Yep get in there for sure…:-)