The Impact of Reviews on the Restaurant Market (Infographic)

During the last few years, reviews have become crucial to the success of a restaurant, as every restaurant owner is aware of the fact that good reviews can boost popularity and profitability, whereas terrible reviews even have the potential of closing businesses down. That’s why it is crucial for restauranteurs to understand the impact of review websites such as Yelp, Toptable or TripAdvisors and the role they play the success or downfall of a business.

In a recent research report published by the experts at  Website Builder, approximately 61 percent of customers have read online reviews about restaurants. While such a significant number people tend to read online reviews prior to visiting a particular restaurant to dine or hosting an event, it is also worth pointing out that around 34 percent of diners currently choose restaurants based solely on information offered on peer review websites. This means that most diners disregard the restaurant’s website or social media pages, preferring  to rely  on data present on review sites,  further increasing their importance and influence on the market. Another interesting fact is that approximately 53 percent of the coveted 18 to 34-year-old demographic reported that online reviews play an important role into their dining decisions.

Fortunately, reviews can work to a restaurant’s advantage as an eatery that manages to improve its rating even by one star on the scale of one to five, has a higher potential of being completely booked during the peak dining times.

What are some ways a restaurant can improve its rating?

One major deciding factor for women in particular is cleanliness,  as 81 percent say they will not visit a restaurant if others reported cleanliness issues in their reviews.

The infographic below details more about the importance of online review sites.