New research on the expectations of consumers searching for brand information finds only half believe information in search results is accurate.
Further, consumers hold brands responsible for the inaccurate information, even when it appears outside of a brand’s official channels.
These research findings were published in a joint study from Yext and Forbes who surveyed over 500 consumers in the United States.
Here are some other key findings from the study:
- 57% of respondents say they bypass search and visit a brand’s site directly (because they believe the information is complete and accurate).
- 50% of those surveyed use third-party sites and apps to find information about brands.
- 48% of say a brand’s website is their most trusted source for information
- 47% report being more likely to trust third-party sites over a brand’s website
- 20% of current and new customers trust social media sites to deliver brand information
- 28% of consumers tend not to buy a brand’s product after encountering inaccurate information
- Other reasons why consumers decide not to buy from a brand include:
- Poor customer service (41%)
- Too many requests for information (31%)
- The brand’s websites wasn’t helpful with finding information (30%)
Marc Ferrentino, Chief Strategy Officer of Yext, speaks to these findings:
”Our research shows that regardless of where they search for information, people expect the answers they find to be consistent and accurate — and they hold brands responsible to ensure this is the case.
… there is a significant opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves from their competition through verification on and off of their own websites.”
For further insights, download the full report here.
