The majority of consumers will still choose to check TripAdvisor over other review sites before booking a holiday, a new report has found.
According to a survey from Uberall, over three out of four (76%) of UK consumers have checked online reviews on TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook or Yelp, but in terms of popularity, TripAdvisor is the clear winner, with 68% of those surveyed saying they use the site as their ‘go-to’ for reviews.
The survey also found that customer reliance on online review for the hospitality sector is continuing to steadily increase.
79% of consumers who have checked online reviews have done so for hotels and 77% for restaurants.
Online customer reviews for hotels and restaurants are more influential than information on the business’ own website, with roughly five times as many people trusting hotel and restaurant customer reviews over the business’ website (77% vs. 15% and 72% vs. 15%, respectively).
Businesses sometimes avoid engaging with reviews altogether for fear of negative responses, but only 15% of consumers would never consider using a business that had negative reviews.
The vast majority of consumers aren’t dissuaded by negative reviews, and even if a business had a number of negative online reviews, four out of ten people would still use the business if it had replied appropriately to the negative reviews, such as by apologising or offering a discount.
“Consumers are relying on reviews more and more when making purchasing decisions, but they’re not just looking for top star ratings or glowing reviews, they’re also evaluating the business based on its online responsiveness. With consumers engaging with companies on a vast array of review platforms, it’s vital for companies to have a unified and proactive voice in these conversations, especially when they’re managing the online presence of a great number of store locations,” said Daniel Mathew, Vice President UK, Uberall.
