And the winner is…
The latest statistics from the Global Web Index reveals that half of all individuals under the age of 34 post online reviews.
Personally, I’m happy to hear that. It’s good to have an opinion and even better to voice that opinion. These opinions seem to be product or service related, which is not the same as say, speaking up about Global Warming, but hey – we all need to start somewhere.
Those that have it, spend it
That said, posting product reviews online is important, especially when you consider that the demographic with the most disposable income is the one aged 16-34 years old – and why wouldn’t someone in that age demographic voice their opinion about things that matter to them, which in this case is consumer goodies?
Much ado about nothing
Age-based trends are particularly interesting here, remarks Global Web Index because, “while the youngest internet users are the keenest to share their experiences (some 58% of people ages 25-34 are product reviewers), figures then decrease in line with age to just 1 in 3 among people ages 55-64.” Which, I would add should not come as much of a surprise because the buying power of the 55-64 demographic is not that significant compared to the prime movers and shakers that are spending money in the 16-34 age group.
GWI points out further that if you compare this to the numbers consulting consumer reviews during the purchase journey, and the differences are striking. Specifically, “the number of people ages 25-34 reviewing products is 24 points ahead of the numbers using them for brand research, with this age group more likely to turn to social networks (35%) and search engines (49%) when researching. In contrast, this trend is reversed for the oldest age group, who are slightly more likely to consult reviews (35%) rather than write them (33%).”
Important feedback
Interesting numbers to be sure, but if I’m a brand and I’m getting feedback on whatever product or service I provide, I would sure as heck hope that someone in the office is spending the time to write a response, learn from said feedback and nurture an ongoing customer relationship.
