If you have ever been to a new place and your stomach started to crumble. You know now it’s time to eat, so if you are like most people, you will check if there are nearby restaurants where you can have some food.
When you don’t know any of the restaurants, you find yourself inclined to enter the one with the most crowd and dismiss the ones that don’t have many customers. You don’t think, and you just find yourself checking the menu of that crowded restaurant.
If you are like me and can’t seem to find any restaurant within your sight, the first thing I do is open my Google Maps application and check nearby restaurants. Then, I look for the ones with 4 or 5 stars and the highest number of reviews. I read a few, and if I like what I read, I give it a try. 9 times out of 10, the food is delicious, and I don’t regret that decision.
Why is that?
It’s social proof, and it’s a psychological and social phenomenon where you copy the actions of others.
And so when customers don’t find that social proof, they automatically dismiss you, just like you ignored that empty restaurant with one person sitting inside.