Customers 'rely on reviews when shopping online'

11:06 16th December 2009

Businesses in Lancashire could benefit from adding customer reviews to their websites and online marketing, new research has suggested.

The study by social commerce firm Bazaarvoice found that Brits accessed over 24 million online customer reviews on so-called Cyber Monday, which took place on November 30th and was predicted by many to be the busiest online retail day of the year.

Compared to last year, the figure represented growth of 128 per cent and it is thought internet shoppers posed and answered around five million questions on products in the run-up to the day.

Andy Leaver, vice-president of international at Bazaarvoice, said: "It is exciting to see how many shoppers are referencing the opinions of other customers when finding the perfect gift.

"Customer-generated content is becoming more and more ubiquitous throughout the UK, and these figures highlight the growing trust shoppers now place in the opinion of peers."

The release of the research has come after an expert urged companies to engage consumers through conversations via social media.

Jason Falls, consultant and blogger at socialmediaexplorer.com, said that while promoting items through Facebook and Twitter may not offer an immediate return, firms will benefit in the long-term by using the platforms.

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