Two-thirds of car buyers (66%) read owner reviews prior to making their purchase decision before visiting a dealership.

The research of 1,000 UK consumers by social commerce provider Reevoo also finds that consumers are more likely to buy from a site that offers customer reviews, with 60% reporting being ‘much more’ or ‘more’ likely to make a purchase if the retailer’s web presence includes customer reviews.

While the research points to the importance of offering customer reviews online, it’s equally key to ensure that these are honest and transparent about the product or service they describe.

According to Reevoo’s research, major concerns for consumers when it comes to online reviews include:

• 36% concerned that reviewers have been paid to write positive reviews
• 34% concerned about ‘consumer’ reviews that aren’t written by consumers
• 33% concerned that only good reviews are shown

Richard Anson, founder of Reevoo, said: “There’s a real opportunity for car dealers to leverage and benefit from the wealth of customer opinion available to them online, as a means of driving sales by helping potential customers make better choices.

“The data across all our partners and sector finds that the addition of customer reviews results in an average 18% increase in sales or converted leads, with consumers also spending around two and a half times longer on site.”