The way people discover, evaluate and trust businesses has changed. This is only exemplified by the fact that 87% of consumers say a business needs to have a 3 to 5-star rating before they’ll consider using them.

Research also shows that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. And each year the number of people that use review sites increases. However, the site where the review is located holds importance too.

Google Maps and Better Business Bureau are the most trusted review sites preferred by nearly 50%. Yelp reigns in at a distant 3rd place at only 14.8% with Trip Advisor not far behind in 4th place. Facebook sits in 5th place at 12% and Yellow Pages trails far behind in 6th place followed by Other or None at 7th and 8th respectively.

So what does this all mean? It means that reviews should be an integral part of your marketing. And while not every person you ask will leave a review, for the ones that do you need to respond to each one…. Regardless if it’s positive or negative.

Which leads me to my last bit of information. Typically, review sites will not remove bad reviews even if they’re left by mistake or if they contain outlandish statements. The best advice I can give is to first: Don’t panic. Bad reviews happen to every business. They suck, but you can use them as a way to show how your business responds to adversity. Keep your response clear, unargumentative, and informative. Then take a deep breath and move on.

In conclusion, if you’re already asking for reviews — great! Keep doing it! If not, then there’s no time better than now to begin. And to learn more about how to leverage reviews check out the description below for more information.

I’m Sarah from Third Angle, with your Marketing Minute.