EAGAN, Minn., Dec. 7, 2016 – Consumers overwhelmingly trust online reviews when it comes to helping them decide which local businesses or services to use. According to a new survey from FindLaw and Super Lawyers, 87 percent of Americans say they trust online reviews to help them choose which local businesses or services will receive their hard-earned dollars. 

Online reviews are an increasingly common way for people to both learn from other customers and leave comments about their own experiences. Reviews can be found for everything from restaurants and stores to finding a professional, such as a lawyer or doctor. 

Trust of online reviews is especially high among Millennials and Gen X’ers – those between the ages of 18 and 51 – 91 percent of whom say they trust online reviews. That compares with 83 percent of baby boomers.

Women are slightly more likely than men to say they trust online reviews – 89 percent to 85 percent.

The survey also found that most consumers have used online reviews in choosing providers of professional services, such as lawyers.

“Online reviews are becoming an essential tool for consumers looking to hire a lawyer,” said Laura Long, senior director , Super Lawyers. “A significant majority of consumers surveyed said that if they see a lawyer has reviews that influences their decision on whether to hire that lawyer. And as consumers, particularly younger consumers, get increasingly comfortable and familiar with online reviews, that reliance on other consumers’ opinions is likely to increase even further.”

Super Lawyers has issued a playbook that provides additional research on why consumers find reviews so valuable, and guidance on how law firms can leverage them to establish trust with potential clients. Building Real Trust in a Virtual World: An Attorney’s Guide can be downloaded at: http://www.superlawyers.com/trust

The FindLaw and Super Lawyers survey was conducted using a survey of a demographically balanced sample of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percent.

Note to editors: a copy of the full survey results is available upon request

For more information on FindLaw, visit www.lawyermarketing.com.

For more information on Super Lawyers, visit SuperLawyers.com.

Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of news and information for professional markets. Our customers rely on us to deliver the intelligence, technology and expertise they need to find trusted answers. The business has operated in more than 100 countries for more than 100 years. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. For more information, visit www.thomsonreuters.com.

CONTACT

Alex Cook
Thomson Reuters
Tel: +1 651 687 6319
Email: alex.cook@thomsonreuters.com