Most companies rely solely on their own websites to shape public perception, but more attention should be paid to the top 10 results that come up when either their names or some variation or abbreviation is entered into a search engine.

The latest poll by Lumentus, a digital marketing and communications firm, shows that 70 percent of American decision-makers and managers rely on search engine results in making business decisions. Fewer than five percent rely on an organization’s website alone.

Lumentus poll results
Results when respondents were asked what their preferred method is for searching online for information about a company, its products, or services.

“Google is now your front door, not your own website,” Laurence Moskowitz, chief executive of Lumentus, told O’Dwyer’s.

Nearly 50 percent of respondents prefer to initiate a search on a company, product or service on Google; fewer than five percent prefer to go directly to a corporate website first.

Other sobering results include:

  • More than 80 percent avoid a company or individual on the basis of negative search results.
  • Nearly 75 percent have actually rejected doing business with companies as a result of negative search results.
  • 75 percent will dig deeper if they find negative information about a company they are researching.

Online news articles still carry great credibility, with more than 83 percent of those surveyed trusting this content compared to 77 percent trusting corporate website content.

Lumentus polled nearly 800 U.S. business decision-makers earning more than $100,000 using Survey Monkey in early May.