Next time you’re planning a big purchase, join the ranks and consult consumer product reviews…apparently one of the most trusted sources for consumers.
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77% of online shoppers use the ratings and reviews of other consumers when purchasing a product. (Jupiter Research, 09/06)
70% of consumers say they go online to research everyday grocery items. (Prospectiv, 2008)
According to Bizrate.com, 59% of consumers consider customer ratings and reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews.
83% of online shoppers say consumer product reviews had at least partial influence on their purchasing decisions. (Opinion Research Corporation, 07/08)
83.8% of consumers say they trust other consumer reviews over a critic or expert. (MarketingSherpa)
91% of millionaires say they typically will consult reviews before purchasing luxury items. (Unity Marketing/Google study, reported in AdAge 10/08)
Almost half of U.S. consumers online read reviews and ratings at least once a month. (The Growth of Social Technology Adoption, Forrester, 2008)
According to a survey (the 2008 Remodeling Sentiment Report) conducted by Remodelormove.com this fall, nearly 84% of homeowners in the U.S. say the bad economy and a looming recession is affecting their remodel plans. As a result, the amount of equity in their home is largely influencing their plans to remodel.Â
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From using economy plumbing supplies to installing their own showers, homeowners are taking home remodel projects into their own hands:
34% have chosen not to hire a general contractor for remodels.
10% are opting to use economy materials.
65% say they will do all home remodel work and projects themselves.
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So, according to the report, what rooms are homeowners most excited to renovate?
Nowadays, it is really common to sign up with multiple dating sites to try and find a companion–something that older generations never would have thought of doing. If you are one of those people who have tried online dating sites, you are not alone in the ranks. Here are some stats concerning online dating sites.
about 30% of the American single population has tried an online dating site at least once.
For those actively on dating sites, women receive about 5 new messages a day each, while men receive about 1 to 2 emails.
The monthly cost for online dating sites has dramatically dropped over the last 2 years.
The online dating industry made about $900 million in 2007.
On average, those paying for online dating services pay about $239 a year.
There is truly someone for everyone with dating sites that range from specific religious dating sites to animal lovers to herpes dating.
If you haven’t tried an online dating site, maybe now is the best time. Good luck!
It is always interesting to me to find out where things began. You know; who was the first one to think of that idea, and so forth. I decided to lay hold on the wedding industry this time–especially since my little sister is getting married soon. And after having to do some research into Salt Lake wedding photography, I am beginning to notice just how large and profitable the wedding industry really is. So, here’s some interesting information that I found out. Enjoy!
I just read an insane article and thought I’d share. A 7 year old boy in Australia sneaked into a zoo after hours and went on a killing spree. He started hurtling live animals into the cage of an alligator. And the carnage didn’t stop there; he picked up a large rock and started bashing in the heads of several reptiles. He killed a total of 13 animals…and it is all caught on tape. And the whole time it is reported that this spawn of Satan had a blank look on his face. He showed absolutely no emotion. In my opinion, that is scarier than if he was showing expressions of rage.
Since the boy is 7, there is nothing they can do with him. But the zoo is attempting to sue the parents because someone has to be responsible for what happened. I am sure that this is not the first time he has exhibited this sort of destructive behavior. Why haven’t the parents dealt with this. Obviously this child has huge mental issues…and it hasn’t been taken care of. Ugh. What is happening to humanity?
Have you ever had one of those days where you spend hours just surfing the web just to find interesting and unique sites that you can tell people you stumbled upon? I can’t possibly be the only one who does this. But I thought I’d compile a list of the few that I found recently…:
Albino Blacksheep: People upload games, videos, everything you can think of to waste all your time. Don’t get me wrong; they are quite amusing…just addictive. Who doesn’t like watching stupid video after stupid video. I know it is a crowd favorite.
Engrish: This is one of my favorite sites. They showcase spelling, grammatical, and meaning errors in signs, packaging, and everything else you can imagine.
Gas Buddy: This site is amazing. You can type in your zip code and find the cheapest gas stations in your area.
Singles With Herpes: There are several online dating sites I found specifically catered to those with herpes. They also have free support groups.
Has anyone else come across some interesting sites? Please share!
It’s no secret that the transportation industry keeps the American economy rolling, even during slow or harsh times. But do you know just how big the truck driving industry is?
The trucking industry as a whole (including carriers and the private sector) employ more than 9 million individuals.
 Total revenue for truck driving in the U.S. is approximately $255.5 billion - for hire or common carriers generate nearly $98 billion and private fleets bring in roughly $121 billion.
It’s estimated that more than 3.3 million individuals in the U.S. hold professional truck driving jobs.
There are more than 15.5 million truck on America’s roads, including 1.9 million tractor trailers.
The average company truck driver earns 30.0 cents for every mile driven - independent contracts can make slightly more.
Sorry, I just had to use that word as the title once I saw it on this china replacement website. And since I absolutely love random facts, here are a few “factoids” that were showcased on the website. Enjoy!
 Franciscan Desert Rose is the pottery pattern most collected in the history of the United States. The Fanciscan Ivy pattern was also seen on “I Love Lucy” as their everyday china dishes.
President Woodrow Wilson ordered the first set of America-made china dishes for the white house in 1918 from Lenox.
The famous Noritake company used the imprint”Rose China” during World War II because they worried that the lack of resources (and therefore, lack of quality) would smudge the Noritake name.
One of the oldest surviving American china dish companies is Syracuse. They have been around since 1883.
We’ve all been told of some of the cultural differences around the world; and some of us have even experienced them. When it comes to business and marketing, you would think that companies would do a better job researching and understanding these differences before proceeding.  But luckily for our funny bones, they don’t always do that. Here are some international blunders:
There was an American oil rig supervisor working in Indonesia. He happened to yell something to the Indonesian worker and soon found out that it is frowned upon to berate an Indonesian man in public. An angry mob began chasing the owner with axes.
Kellogg began selling a brand of cereal called “Bran Buds†in Sweden. They soon had to change the name because it was roughly translated as “burnt farmerâ€.
When Fresca began marketing in Mexico, they became aware that “fresca†was slang for “lesbianâ€.
When an American man met with a Saudi businessman, they didn’t start out on a good note. The American refused a cup of coffee that was offered. In Saudi Arabian, this is considered very rude and negotiations didn’t go much further.
 A certain type of cologne was being marketed in several Islamic countries. The ad was a picture of a man and his dog in a beautiful landscape. This venture failed because in Islam, dogs are considered unclean and didn’t speak well for that brand of cologne.
If businesses ever want to reach the international markets, they will need to do a little research. Finding out cultural norms with everything from acceptable forms of online payment processing to how they should shake hands is crucial to building those relationships.
