Only a quarter of companies operating in the area have a website, while nearly 70% of Poles look for reviews about these companies online before making a purchase, according to the latest research by TRUSTMATE.io.
27% of Internet users read reviews about companies in the area “always”, and 41% “often”. The most active in reading reviews are residents of the Lubuskie, Pomorskie, Warmińsko-Mazurskie and Zachodniopomorskie voivodeships, as well as people with primary/lower secondary education. In addition, just like people with the lowest income, as many as 37.10% of them read reviews “always”.
In today's dynamic world, where the boundaries between reality and the Internet are blurring, Polish local business is still stuck more in the offline era than the online one. Only 25% of local businesses in Poland have their own website, according to TrustMate.io research. This means that most businesses, especially smaller, local ones, are more present in the real world than in the digital space.
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However, this trend is gradually changing. The dynamic development of both the Internet, in 2024 in Poland as many as 87.6% of people aged 16-74 used the Internet regularly (at least once a week), according to data from the Central Statistical Office, e-commerce and the fact that nearly 70% of domestic Internet users check opinions about local companies on the Internet before making a purchase decision, forces entrepreneurs operating locally to change. This data clearly indicates that the presence of local businesses on the Internet is becoming crucial for success in today's competitive business landscape.
According to the latest TrustMate.io study, the vast majority (68.28%) of Poles often or always check reviews of local companies and institutions before making a choice. When asked: How often do you read reviews and/or opinions before choosing a local business, Internet users gave the following answers: I often do it (41.038%), I always do it (27.241%), I do it, but only sometimes (19.34%), I do it, but rarely (8.61%).
TrustMate
People with the lowest income (below PLN 1,000) are most likely to “always” read reviews (37.10%), while people with incomes of PLN 3,000-4,999 do so the least often (26.90%). The largest percentage of people who read reviews “often” is in the group earning PLN 5,000-6,999 (45%). People with incomes of PLN 1,000-2,999 most often (27.80%) answer that they read reviews “only sometimes”. The largest percentage of people who “never” read reviews is in the group earning the least (below PLN 1,000 – 8.60%) and in the group with incomes of PLN 1,000-2,999 (6.10%). It can be noticed that people with incomes from PLN 3,000 to PLN 8,999 read reviews most often, both “always” and “often”.
– Local businesses that want to reach customers, build their brand and generate higher profits must understand that the Internet is not just an addition, but an integral part of their development strategy. – says Jerzy Krawczyk, CEO of TRUSMATE.io. – Investing in a professional website and taking care of positive and current customer opinions are the foundations on which lasting success is built in today's times, i.e. the phigital era, in which the digital world connects and intertwines with the real world. Local businesses that want to exist in the minds of consumers must be visible online and take care of opinions about themselves. This is their to be or not to be. – emphasizes Jerzy Krawczyk in TRUSMATE.io.
based on a press release
