Customer Reviews Impacting Small Businesses

Online customer reviews and social network sites have a larger impact on the reputation of a small business than its own website , according to a new report from Marchex.

Marchex analyzed the search results from approximately 150 small businesses and found that more than 80% of search results did not point to the websites of these small businesses.

“Marchex has seen how consumer reviews are impacting the bottom line of our small business customers, and we wanted to highlight how big the impact really is,” said Ryan Fritzky, Director of Small Business Product Development at Marchex.

“While we offer a product to help small businesses manage their reputations online by understanding where their business is mentioned across the web and in consumer reviews, we thought it was important to communicate to small businesses about where to allocate their time, attention and precious resources online.”

Marchex conducted the analysis among small businesses across the Northeast U.S. The analysis came from businesses that rely on customer reviews such as restaurants, travel, legal, beauty, plumbing and automotive. The analysis showcases the growing importance of user generated content across social and local websites in driving revenue for small businesses.

“Small businesses are facing significant resource constraints in today’s economy so Marchex is focused on providing them the tools they need to improve their online reputation and improve their bottom line,” added Fritzky.