> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.nearmedia.co/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # SMB Digital Gains, End of Reviews, If Yahoo Had Bought Facebook - URL: https://www.nearmedia.co/smb-digital-gains-review-food-if-yahoo-had-bought-facebook/ - Published: 2021-06-14T19:40:05.000Z - Updated: 2021-06-14T19:49:24.000Z - Author: Greg Sterling - Tags: News ### Digital Boosted SMBs, Can They Keep It Up? Many small businesses pivoted during COVID to offer more digital capabilities: better websites, chatbots, online appointments, ordering and food delivery. Half of global consumers [polled](https://www.freshworks.com/global-survey-report/?ref=nearmedia.co) by Freshworks say that the pivot to digital improved customer experiences with SMBs. The survey also found 41% of global consumers tried to shop with local businesses, and 94% plan to continue doing so post-COVID. Some of those consumers (18%) spent more money than normal to support "struggling workers and \[local\] businesses." Nearly 90% of respondents also planned to return to in-person shopping, but 47% will continue primarily digitally interacting with companies following COVID. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-14-at-10.14.32-AM.png) Source: Freshworks, n=10,500 global adults ages 18-75 from Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and US **Our take:** - Lots of surveys documented the desire to "shop local." But there's still a [gap between intention and actions](https://www.nearmedia.co/commerce-future-in-store-goes-online-wfh-wtf/). That's where digital comes in. - The report reinforces the notion that consumers will return to stores and in-person SMB interactions. They also want the convenience of digital. - Coming out of COVID, consumer expectations are higher than before – especially for digital experiences. Will SMBs sustain the momentum? ### As Fake Reviews Surge, Will Consumers Turn Away? An article in the [Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/fake-reviews-and-inflated-ratings-are-still-a-problem-for-amazon-11623587313?ref=nearmedia.co) is the latest documenting the problem of review fraud on Amazon. This comes after another piece in the WashingtonPost about [fake online reviews](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/06/04/fake-medical-reviews-google-zocdoc-trustpilot/?ref=nearmedia.co) in the medical field. A new study argues fake reviews drive [billions in e-commerce sales](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/364154/fake-online-reviews-becoming-a-152-billion-proble.html?ref=nearmedia.co). And a 2018 [study](https://martech.org/study-finds-61-percent-of-electronics-reviews-on-amazon-are-fake/?ref=nearmedia.co) said that 61% of Amazon electronics reviews were fake. Consumers are becoming more wary. BrightLocal found (2019) that 67% of US consumers regularly "question the authenticity of reviews." A 2021 Uberall survey found that 66.4% believe fake reviews are a growing problem. What does this skepticism mean for the future of consumer (and expert) reviews? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-14-at-11.44.19-AM.png) Source: WSJ **Our take:** - Fake reviews paid for by the seller is the top source of review fraud. - Google and Amazon are both trying to increase review volume as one tactic to fight fraud, in addition to inconsistent policing efforts. - Will people turn to expert reviews (e.g., Wirecutter) or more WOM-like recommendations (i.e., social media) to deal with fraud? Partly yes. ### If Yahoo Had Bought Facebook for $1B Yahoo [wanted to buy Facebook](https://twitter.com/danrose999/status/1403799514641731592?ref=nearmedia.co) in 2006 for $1 billion. The company was at the time roughly two years old, Mark Zuckerberg was 22 and the company had 5 million users. Zuckerberg would have personally netted $300 million. The board and other executives reportedly pushed for the deal; Zuckerberg resisted. Would you have turned down that money after two years? Probably not. But Zuckerberg did and we know how the story turned out. Facebook made $86 billion in 2020 and Mark Zuckerberg's net worth is roughly $105 billion. The company has almost 3 billion active users. An interesting thought experiment asks, "What if Facebook had sold to Yahoo; what might have happened?" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-14-at-12.11.22-PM.png) **Our take:** - Yahoo ultimately bought Tumblr for $1.1 billion. In 2019, Verizon (Yahoo's former parent) sold it for only $3 million. - Yahoo probably would have messed up Facebook and it wouldn't have become the global juggernaut it is today. - But would MySpace, Instagram or another have turned into the source of disruption and disinformation that Facebook is today? I don't think so. ## Recent Analysis - **Near Memo, Episode 19:** [Has Apple killed email?, Google’s crazy local business names, in-person events return: wonderful & weird](https://www.nearmedia.co/the-near-memo-episode-19/). - **How Local Delivery Stops App Giants From Eating Restaurants’ Lunch** [by Miriam Ellis](https://www.nearmedia.co/local-delivery-for-local-restaurants/). ## Short Takes - **Amazon** sets expectations; SMBs struggle to meet them ([WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-got-us-hooked-on-one-day-deliverynow-small-businesses-are-paying-for-it-11623470404?ref=nearmedia.co)). - "Delivery" [appears](https://twitter.com/SarahBlocksidge/status/1403374238703271936?ref=nearmedia.co) with "website" and "directions" in **local pack**. - Fewer workers [means](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/06/11/hotel-workers-reduced-cleaning/?ref=nearmedia.co) **hotel industry is changing** basic operations. - UK **Deliveroo** drivers receive [training](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57428966?ref=nearmedia.co) to help spot crimes, abuse. - Delhi, India businessman [leads](https://restofworld.org/2021/amazon-india-praveen-khandelwal/?ref=nearmedia.co) **network of 80M SMBs** vs. Amazon. - Young **TikTok** creators [struggling](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/08/style/creator-burnout-social-media.html?ref=nearmedia.co) with mental health issues. - How **LSAs** impact search [clicks](https://www.ilawyermarketing.com/how-do-the-new-lsa-ads-impact-local-search/?ref=nearmedia.co) (h/t Darren Shaw) - **Local landing pages** optimization [tactics](https://www.wiideman.com/location-pages-for-seo?ref=nearmedia.co) for Google. - **Apple** boosted [its own apps](https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/11/22528701/apple-rank-own-app-over-competitor-files-dropbox-wwdc-2017?ref=nearmedia.co) above rivals in the App Store. - Half of consumers [say](https://www.marketingcharts.com/brand-related/brand-loyalty-117350?ref=nearmedia.co) **ads important** to help make buying decisions. - More **time spent with ad-free streaming** [than ad-supported content](https://digiday.com/future-of-tv/subscription-based-streamers-outstrip-ad-supported-services-share-of-watch-time/?ref=nearmedia.co). Listen to our [latest podcast](https://www.nearmedia.co/memo/). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/03/80/0380d96d-ef7e-450e-96b3-2963e18aaab5/content/images/2021/02/near_memo_banner.png)](https://nearmedia.co/memo?ref=nearmedia.co) How can we make this better? Email [us](mailto:gsterling@nearmedia.co) with suggestions and recommendations.