In this Ecommerce world, everyone wants to be one step ahead. So online reviews can play a part in a consumer’s decision-making. They are the social proof needed alongside advertisements and brands.
But how much influence can online reviews have?
The sections will look at online review statistics, highlighting their importance in today’s digital society. Here are a few top picks for this year:
Editor’s Pics for 2023
1. 87% of people used Google out of more than 10 review platforms to evaluate local businesses. (Bright Local)
2. 46% of shoppers are influenced by online reviews when deciding, followed by a star rating. (Bazaar Voice)
3. 95% of people leave online reviews or would consider leaving one. (Bright Local)
4. 88% of consumers are likely to use a business if they see the owner responding to positive and negative reviews. (Bright Local)
5. 85% of shoppers out of more than 2000 seek out negative reviews only before making purchase decisions. (Power Reviews)
General Online Reviews Statistics
The digital age has amplified the power of word-of-mouth through online reviews. Here are some general insights about online reviews.
1. Out of 10,013 U.S. respondents, 43% find consumer reviews on the Internet very helpful. (Statista)
2. Out of 128k reviews analyzed every day, 2.7 million fake reviews have also been removed. (Trustpilot)
3. According to 1117 US consumers, 54% have found fake online reviews on Amazon. (Bright Local)
4. 87% of people used Google out of more than 10 review platforms to evaluate local businesses. (Bright Local)
5. 34% of consumers say they would be likely to leave a review if requested to do so by email. (Bright Local)
6. One of the top influencing factors influencing the use of a local business by a consumer is the average rating. 58% of consumers believe a high star rating makes them feel positive about a local business. (Bright Local)
7. 38% of consumers prefer a business with a 4-average star rating. (Bright Local)
8. 167.5 million organic online reviews have been written since 2007 on the platform. (TrustPilot)
9. 6.1 million online reviews have been from U.S. on the platform. (TrustPilot)
10. Many strategies are being used by most local businesses. 35% of 378 enterprise business leaders reviewed in 2020 are offering incentives to leave reviews to consumers. (Podium)
So, online reviews make a business or brand more visible.
What is The Importance of Online Reviews?
46% of consumers from over 1000 US consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from family and friends. (Bright Local)
Google reviews are trusted the most online. 44% of consumers trust it for Food and drink searches, while 42% for accommodation. (Bright Local)
What Percentage of People Read Online Reviews?
Reviews are extremely important. Out of 6538 U.S. consumers, 99.9% of them read online reviews before shopping online at least sometimes. (Power Reviews)
What percentage of customers read online reviews before visiting a business?
82% of 30,000 shoppers read online reviews of products before going to the store. (Bazaar Voice)
What is The Effectiveness of Online Reviews: How Much Do They Matter?
46% of shoppers are influenced by online reviews when deciding, followed by a star rating. (Bazaar Voice)
In industries, 84% of consumers consider reviews as important or critical in services and trades, healthcare, and automotive. (Bright Local)
What Percentage of People Leave Reviews?
95% of people leave online reviews or would consider leaving one. (Bright Local)
37% of consumers leave online reviews for local businesses following a positive experience. (Bright Local)
How Much Do People Care About Responses to Their Reviews?
Customers expect businesses to respond. 88% of consumers are likely to use a business if they see the owner responding to positive and negative reviews. (Bright Local)
Impact of Negative Reviews vs. Positive Reviews
1. Per Shopper’s Index, people want to see businesses using their online reviews – 25% believe positive reviews, whereas 38% opt for negative reviews. (Bazaar Voice)
2. Out of 10,000 people in Bazaarvoice, 60% stated that negative online reviews are also important in purchase decisions. (Bazaar Voice)
3. The top reason for people choosing local businesses is positive reviews. 60% of consumers prefer to use a business with positive online reviews. (Bright Local)
4. However brands and businesses must not be afraid of criticism. 85% of shoppers out of more than 2000 seek out negative reviews only before making purchase decisions. (Power Reviews)
How Important Are Company Reviews for Jobseekers?
Reviews are just as important to job seekers as are to shoppers and businesses. 86% of job seekers research company reviews to decide on where to apply for a job per a survey of over 2000 adults in the U.S. (Glassdoor)
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Reviews Statistics
How reliable are online reviews?
Reviews on the internet can be helpful in selecting a company or buying a product. You should know that reviews of products and/or services reflect the honest opinion of those using them. Unfortunately, some reviews can be deceiving and manipulating, hurting both consumers and companies. (Federal Trade Commission)
Do people read online customer reviews before buying?
95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product. (Globe News Wire)
What is the impact of online review sites?
Review sites are important business development tools in markets attracting new customers and helping companies gain an advantage over their competition. This includes increasing brand awareness, building trust, and providing feedback. Consumers are more than twice as likely to turn to Google to discover and choose a local business than any other site. (Podium)
Final Thoughts
We understand the credibility and importance of online reviews in this virtual world through this article. They play a part for shoppers, businesses and so much more. Even negative reviews can contribute to revenue! It depends on the way these reviews are handled online.
Although there may be some biasedness, checking multiple platforms for a product’s reviews may go a long way toward navigating the authenticity and making a final purchase. Leaving reviews and addressing them publicly aims to harness their power contributing to building or breaking a brand.