According to a new study, 68% of consumers left a review for a local business when asked; 74% of survey respondents said they were asked to leave a review. This suggests businesses that simply ask for reviews are more likely to get them than those that don’t.

Overall, 97% of consumers said they had looked at online reviews for local businesses in 2017. It's clear that this content is extremely important for consumers making local purchases decisions.

Asking for reviews may not always be a good idea, however. Yelp tells business owners and their vendors not to solicit reviews. Companies such as Google, Facebook and others have somewhat less strict policies.