When we founded SharedReviews, we already knew that opinions matter, but it always is nice to see it confirmed, especially by companies such as Deloitte & Touche:

In the study, completed last month by Deloitte’s Consumer Products Group, almost two-thirds (62%) of the respondents to an online poll said they now read online product reviews written by other consumers. More than eight in 10 (82%) of those who read reviews said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews. People have used the reviews both to confirm initial buying decisions and to change them, the study found.

While the percentages were slightly higher for younger shoppers, all age groups are reading and acting on online reviews, according to Deloitte. In addition, 69% of the respondents said they have shared online reviews with friends, family or colleagues, the report said.

Opinions and experiences matter - especially when there is a connection with the reviewer. That’s why we placed an emphasis on the user profile. Once the Contributor Beta of our site is completed, profiles will play an important role in finding reviews for the products you are looking for. A business man in his fourties will not be interested in reading a cell phone review by a 15 year old teenager - instead he would want to see which cellphones other business people like.

[via Computer World]