According to the results of American Express OPEN and SEMPO survey, 82% of online shoppers identify word-of-mouth as an important factor in choosing an online retailer - just as much as using search results.

In the internet world, word-of-mouth business comes from social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Youtube, etc. ). Internet users are willing to follow recommendations from friends, family and coworkers when choosing an online retailer. Even with social media, the survey showed that internet users are using search engines (82%), advertising (37%), the yellow pages (23%), and newspaper and magazine ads (23%) as most influential in their decision to shop at a particular online retailer.