SmallBusinessNewz

RatePoint shared some interesting findings about reviews today. Of those who integrated reviews into their business web sites, 43 percent of the respondents to a survey indicated an increase in sales and 28 percent said they experienced an increase in traffic. Only 30 percent of respondents had actually integrated the reviews.

"Research clearly shows that peer reviews increase consumer trust when shopping online," said Neal Creighton, CEO of RatePoint. "Small businesses who have implemented reviews on their site are uniquely positioned to stand apart this holiday season as shoppers look to transact with sites and brands they can trust."

"Reviews help small business owners learn more about how customers use their products, find latent issues with their site or shopping process they hadn’t yet discovered and most importantly, find satisfied customers whose positive feedback will build trust with potential customers," he added. "Missing out on all of the information and opportunities that reviews provide is something that small businesses simply can’t afford to do."

Some small business owners think reviews can be damaging to a brand, but according to RatePoint, data has shown that reviews are much more likely to impact a business in a positive way. Accroding to a July survey, reviews were six times more likely to make a positive impact.

Research from Deloitte & Touche found that over 82 percent of those who read reviews said their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews. Ratepoint notes that feedback also continues to spread virally; 69 percent of consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues.

Obviously Ratepoint has a vested interest in sharing such information, given that they offer customer feedback tools, but the data is interesting nonetheless. Do you include reviews on your site? Have you noticed an impact? Positive or negative?