[QualityContract]

Many firms, especially retailers, encourage customers to recommend products they have bought or used and even have visitors to their Web site rate the quality of the recommendations. Research has shown that these online product recommendations increase customer loyalty and provide a competitive advantage for sites that offer them. One survey reveals that, of the shoppers who bought from sites with recommendations, 40 percent said the recommendation was the main reason they made the purchase. That group of product recommendation users was also 21 percent more satisfied with its purchases than other buyers and 18 percent more likely than other buyers to buy from that site the next time it needed similar products.

This got me to thinking: What is the best type of customer recommendation?

 

[QualityContract]

I would also like to add Google Places as an option. I did not realize that Google Places does reviews.

 

[cjsewell]

That's a great survey. It's true that recommendation is a great factor for people to make purchases of a product or service. People will buy not only because you marketing skills are good but because they have seen others tried your products/services and actually liked it and leaves a review that tells people about their experience.

Doing any type of customer reviews will work. A mix of a written, voice and video will be better too. Although I think a video will have its advantage towards the two. I mean people trusts people these days. This implies that people believes more when they see a person in it rather than just plain text. It does not only give a sense of credibility but a connection as well.