Before crowd-sourced word of mouth existed, doing research about a product or service was only reserved for big purchases, like a car or a house. With the existence of websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor, consumers are researching about pretty much everything. Consumers are becoming empowered to voice their opinion about products or services they’ve paid for for the entire world to see. Review websites are essentially word of mouth on steroids, and these “steroids” are becoming increasingly popular. 85% of consumers say they read online reviews about local businesses.

How have review sites affected myself personally?

Well, for one, I don’t go to a restaurant unless I’ve read the reviews first. Reading reviews allows consumers to gain an understanding of what to expect – it takes the uncertainty out of things. If I don’t like the reviews, then I can avoid a disappointing night. But I don’t just stop at restaurants – I read reviews for just about everything. My travel agendas are shaped entirely out of TripAdvisor and Hostelworld recommendations. I don’t buy makeup without first consulting my favourite Youtube makeup gurus. The other day, I even caught myself comparing reviews for two moisturizers while standing in the aisle at Shoppers Drug Mart.

How has this affected marketing?

Review sites have changed the future of marketing. Essentially, business owners can get free marketing (good and bad) for their product or service whether they asked for it or not. For this reason, it’s extremely important to take steps to optimize reviews for their business. They can do this by:

• Encouraging customers to write positive reviews about their business
• Following up the reviews by responding with a thank you for both negative and positive reviews. If the review is negative, apologize to the customer and tell them they will investigate the matter.