“Hearing what other people have to say about a product gives shoppers the satisfaction of knowing what they purchased is peer-reviewed and worth their money,” said Mike Gatti, Executive Director, RAMA, in a press release. “Whether it is based on a conversation with a friend or a customer review on a Web site, people put a lot of weight in other shoppers’ opinions.”

Second to word of mouth when it comes to evaluating a new laptop, GPS system, HD television, or other gadget, 34 percent of those surveyed said they put a lot of stock in articles written about the product to help them decide. Advertising inserts, in-store promotions, and coupons were also opinion-shapers. Fewer than 5 percent of respondents said they were persuaded by bloggers.

When it comes to apparel, shoppers said in-store promotions were nearly as important as word of mouth. Given the economy, it’s also not surprising that 31 percent of respondents cited coupons as more influential than advertising inserts (28 percent), direct mail (24 percent), or e-mail ads (22 percent).

While testimonials such as user reviews are no doubt helpful, a recent investigation by our sister publication Consumer Reports ShopSmart revealed that not all such reviews are objective or independent; some might have been written by employees posing as satisfied customers, while bloggers may gotten freebies or financial compensation in exchange for a positive review. To view a video on the pitfalls, click here.

Our advice about user reviews: Read them, but be skeptical. Be wary of those in which the reviewer makes no mention of personal experience with a product and those that contain only pros, not cons. Also, don’t base your decision on only the first two or three reviews you see. Some Web sites automatically bump up positive reviews to the top of the list.