BrightLocal have recently released the results from their new consumer review survey looking at local search. Not surprisingly, the usage of local search has increased over the past couple of years, as well as the types of businesses that people are searching for. The results also highlighted the importance of online reviews.
Looking at the numbers, it is now more important than ever to have a presence on the internet with a well designed and ranked website if you are looking to attract new patients. Have a look at the following article which highlights some of the key findings from Brightlocal's research.
What are people using local search for?
Restaurants and cafés are in the lead, with nearly 70 percent of respondents stating that they have used the Internet to find a restaurant or café in the last 12 months. Nearly 30% searched for a Dentist, a large increase from 2012. A well ranked website will attract new patients because more and more people as using the internet to find local businesses.
Online Reviews:
According to the results, consumers are now taking online customer reviews into consideration when searching for local businesses, with 85 percent of consumers saying they do read online reviews for local businesses and more than 60 percent reading reviews for restaurants and cafés.
What is good news for local businesses is the fact that not many people are just reading the first review for a local business. More than 60 percent read between two and six online reviews before they form an opinion on the business.
This means that it is extremely important to start building your online reputation by getting your patients to leave Google reviews and other reviews through site's like Dentistfinder.net. If you would like some information on how we can help you do this, please call us on 01202677277.