I was browsing through a small record shop in Minneapolis last weekend, recalling how much I use to love shopping for music in a brick and mortar store. These days, for the sake of convenience, I’m either buying music online or, ahem, downloading it gratis.

At the record store, I noticed an album that a friend had told me to pick up. I looked at the cover art and felt the packaging. I think I even shook it. But something seemed strange. It didn’t feel right. I’m just supposed to buy this without hearing a 30-second sample or reading a user review, I thought?

As a cub newspaper reporter fresh out of college, I would collect my paltry paycheck and go to the record store in my neighborhood and—get this—ask the practical stranger behind the counter what he recommended. Nine times out of 10 I would buy what he or she recommended. I found scores of treasures that way.

So, I asked the employee of the Minneapolis record shop what he thought of the album. “Don’t know, really,” he said. “Heard it was pretty good.” I appreciated the honest answer, but if anything he had talked me out of the sale.

This is what I did next (and I’m a little embarrassed by it): stepped outside and logged on the Internet on my phone. I Googled the band, read a few user reviews and even tried unsuccessfully to listen to one of their songs on YouTube. Satisfied by the reviews, I bought the CD. It was a good purchase.

Where am I going with this? User reviews are good for sales. A recent survey by RatePoint, a provider of customer feedback and online reputation management services, found that of the 30 percent of small business retailers who had integrated product reviews into their Web site, 43 percent said reviews had resulted in more sales. And 28 percent said reviews had resulted in more traffic.

A RatePoint study in July also found that reviews were six times more likely to impact a business positively than negatively. And, according to research from Deloitte & Touche, more than 82 percent of those who read reviews said their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews.

(So you know, RatePoint is a firm that provides companies with the ability to have user reviews on their Web sites.)

In my case, the user reviews influenced my decision to buy the CD. Sure, had the reviews been lousy I would have (probably) put the album back in the bin. But, given the tepid response from the clerk, had I not been given the opportunity to explore online reviews I would have put the CD back, too.

Of course, in this instance the reviews reflected a product the store stocked and not the employees or ambience. Not to mention, I was in this record shop by chance. But if I plan on going to a business for the first time—say a butcher or even dry cleaner—I usually check user reviews in advance. And they usually influence my decision. If there aren’t any reviews I will probably go someplace that has them on their site.

Anyone else feel this way?

And by the way, the band was the Avett Brothers. If you like the warm, quiet sound of 70s-era folk rock—think Neil Young with a deeper voice—you’ll like these guys. Here’s a sample and a link to a user reviews.