How 'Helpful' votes let you know your reviews are being read

'Helpful' votes have been compared to Facebook 'likes', but we think they are a more powerful indicator than that. Let's examine the psychology behind them in a little more depth...

Why would someone reading a review bother to vote it 'Helpful'? Statistically (we have these stats from TripAdvisor) less than one person in ten who reads a review goes to the length of voting. So the review needs to be really helpful (at least)!

For instance: we see a difference between our estate agent clients and our hotel clients. Estate agent reviews get proportionately more helpful votes (they have many fewer customers). Why? We are guessing, but we think it's because choosing and estate agent is such a big financial decision - and therefore the advice and reassurance gained from reading reviews is critical to the potential seller who is reading them. There's £hundreds of thousands at stake, not just hundreds, and verified reviews are massively reassuring.

That's not to say our hotel clients don't get them (one has just surpassed the 5000 'helpful' mark), but just one agent has had over 400 helpful votes in the last 6 six months alone. 

Helpful in deciding to contact the business?

Helpful in deciding to book that hotel?

Helpful in deciding to instruct that estate agent?

We'll let you decide.