A long time aggregator of information provided by third parties, the perfectly named local search engine; Local.com, has launched their own proprietary local consumer ratings and reviews system whcih allows users to create an account and enter ratings and reviews for any business listing that appears on the site.
Now, in a Yelp or Yahoo Local style fashion, Local.com users can enter comments, rate a business using a five-star rating system and view all of the reviews they have previously submitted. Local.com says that the ratings and reviews entered on the site will appear immediately on business listing profile pages, but are subject to a user validation process.
“According to Jupiter Research, 77 percent of online shoppers use ratings and reviews when making a purchase,” said Kim LaFleur, Local.com vice president, product management. “We are pleased to launch our own ratings and reviews engine to allow consumers visiting Local.com to both add and access important information on local businesses throughout the U.S. , enabling them to make more informed purchasing decisions. In addition, this allows our business customers to more proactively manage their own reputations and understand their customers’ opinions (both good and bad) of their own products and services.”
Comments
3 responses so far ↓
Russell Baer on Jun 18, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Search put the world at everyone’s fingertips. But soon it got a bit Too Big for them to digest. It’s my perception that the average computer user is _only beginning_ to get more savvy about searching. I encourage my clients to start using 3 and 4 word terms to really narrow what they’re looking for. And I’m telling them to THINK LOCAL! - and use location specific terms.
Local is a natural evolution in search - but my perception is both business owners and customers are slow on the uptake for this trend.
Those who’s biz isn’t necessarily Brick and Mortar: Freelancers, Agents, Services and Consultants in particular — should take advantage of sites like Local, Yelp, Merchant Circle, et al. They really help drive incremental business, even if you don’t have a store-front.
Michael D on Jun 19, 2008 at 12:29 am
I’d agree with Russell. Early adopters are enjoying the lions share of new business coming from online to mortar conversions.
seo pixy on Jun 19, 2008 at 3:59 am
Reviews and ratings are a great way to attract visitors and Local.com did a smart think to add them!
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