Why ratings are more important than ever

Porter Novelli's 2011 ConsumerStyles report finds that 60% of Millenials and 56% of Gen Xers are more likely to rate items they like than those they don't like; similar findings from the older demographics. More than 40% of Seniors are more likely to rate liked-items than not liked.

"Customers expect, and are already participating in a two way dialogue," said Daina Middleton, Performics CEO. "It's imperative for marketers to listen to customers and adopt strategies that engage them in every channel of their media mix - across all platforms, devices and screens."

Data from a recent ROI Research/Performics reports underlines the importance of this kind of social media conversation. Their research finds that 74% of entertainment consumers share their experiences on social media, more than half of socnet users 'follow' travel brands to learn about deals/offers and just over 40% indulge in car talk before making a new car purchase. More than one-third of survey respondents say they talk about purchases on social media specifically to talk express their satisfaction.

How can you take advantage? One cost-effective measure is to include social media feeds - Twitter, Facebook, Google +, etc. - into your website. The new vSites option from vFlyer is one way to revamp a website to include social media. The platform allows businesses to create websites with social media integrations, to add rich media quickly and to manage sites at a low cost.

Tags: ecommerce ratings, Performics, Porter Novelli, social media, social networks, social sharing, vFlyer