It’s not nice to fool consumers. In fact, they will hold a grudge after a business doesn’t play fair with them. Businesses continue to hold their customers in low regard when they do things like post inaccurate phone numbers or store hours online. Here’s how you can help businesses with that problem.

A new BrightLocal report reveals that 71% of consumers have encountered inaccurate information on a business’s online profile. For its Local Citations Trust Report,  BrightLocal asked over 1,000 consumers about the problems they’ve experienced in the past year. Here’s what people had to say:

• Called a wrong number because of inaccurate information 36%
• Found wrong/​incomplete information in online directories 30%
• Contacted/​visited a business about an offered product which they actually didn’t have 25%
• Visited a business during published hours but it was closed 24%
• Found differing information for the same business 24%
• Visited the wrong location because it was listed incorrectly online 22%

We don’t have to imagine how frustrating these types of encounters are. We know. Over 93% of survey participants were not happy with what happened.

The consumers encountering these online problems are far more likely to be millennials than baby boomers. Researchers suggest this is because millennials are accustomed to searching online for everything. Regardless of age, when consumers run into business listing errors, they are more likely to hold the business (31%) accountable than the listing site (18%).

While it’s important to understand consumers' initial reactions, it’s critical to realize what happens after the fact. Some consumers try to make a second attempt to connect with a business. For example, if they can’t get the right address online, they might try to call the business. But, 15% of shoppers give up on the original business. They take their business to someone else. Fourteen percent of consumers go online to find another vendor. And 12% give up searching altogether. The bottom line from this study is that 68% of consumers won’t do business with a company that lists incorrect information in online directories.

You can use the Digital Audit tool in AdMall from SalesFuel​.com to verify directory information for your clients. Talk with them about hiring you to monitor and manage their listings so they don’t have to worry about losing potential customers.