When it comes to the operating assumption about local search, do you assume that Google lookups on smartphones dominate traffic? If you do, you wouldn’t be the only one. There is a new consumer survey (n=500 U.S. adults) from Ignite Visibility that presents a number findings that appear to upend the conventional wisdom about local search.
The survey has found some seemingly contrarian things, such as:
- 59% of those surveyed still prefer to search for local information on a desktop (“type into a computer”).
- White Pages was the app or website [most trusted] when reviewing [(looking for)] local businesses, followed closely by Yahoo Local, Angie’s List, and Yelp.
- 61% [prefer] to call a business over any other form of communication, and 22% [prefer] email.
- 81% [of respondents] do not leave online reviews.
- 74% don’t bother to check a local business’s Facebook page before visiting.
What is your favorite way to search for local businesses?
Several of these are surprising, especially the almost 60% of people who prefer local search on the desktop and WhitePages.com as the most trusted source for local business information.
According to the survey, the respondents relied on Google most of the time (70% of the time) compared to other search engines for local business lookups. Reviews seemed to be quite influential in purchase decision-making. One negative review would be enough to “stop them from calling a local business.” When it comes to most other surveys, some critical ratings confer credibility on the broader set of reviews for the business in question.About 55% of respondents spend an hour or less considering local business online before thanking action of some kind. Past the reviews, respondents relied most heavily on the “business description, followed by quality photos (11.8%) and quality videos (6.9%).”
When you reach out to a local business, what contact method do you prefer the most?
