In a recent “Socially Speaking” article in RSPA connect magazine, pcAmerica CEO David Gosman talks about reviews and why they matter to your business. In the column, he writes that more than “75 percent of people use online reviews to help pick a local business to patronize.” More than half of these people trust what they read online and more than 70 percent of people have as much faith in online reviews as they do personal recommendations.

Online reviews serve a few purposes. First, positive reviews usually mean more business. People who have never been to your store or restaurant before are more likely to visit if they see others had a good experience.

The other reason is visibility. If your business is frequently mentioned on the internet—be it social media sites or other internet sites, Google will rank you higher in the searches. Lots of people talking about you online basically means your business is something they want to know about—so Google makes it easy by boosting you closer to the top of the page.

There are some websites that are better to focus on then others. Yelp is a great site for restaurants and retail stores. Google Places and Yahoo Local are growing sources of reviews that have influence on search rankings. TripAdvisor is also an important source of information, especially when planning a vacation or hotel stay.

Every business should encourage their customers to write a positive review online. Don’t be afraid to ask them at the checkout, or offer an incentive to get them to go online. A discount, loyalty points or another perk can go a long way!