40+ Online Review Statistics [2023]

Marketers understand the importance of a positive online reputation. Therefore, online reviews allow customers to share their side of the story and provide others with proof – a social one. However, when it comes to asking clients and consumers about positive customer reviews, things are easier said than done.

We have compiled this list of online review statistics to help understand why companies need to put their reputation first, what influences their reputation has on sales, and how they can encourage customers to give them good reviews.

Importance of Online Reviews

In simple terms, online reviews are vital in creating the first impression of your business. They can encourage customers to buy from your business instead of your rival’s as well as have a good impact on your SEO.

1. What is the importance of replying to customer reviews?

Nearly 54% of customers are looking forward to a review response within a week.

(Sources: Harvard Business Review, ReviewTrackers, Rize Reviews)

A survey by ReviewTrackers revealed that almost 54% of customers are looking forward to seeing a reply on a review in no less than 7 days. Whereas, Tripadvisors’ online reviews, unveiled that companies/hotels who make frequent replies to their customers’ comments get more or less 12 percent the bigger number of reviews and see an increase in ratings (usually 0.12-star online rating).

Additionally, a different study by ReviewTrackers points out that exactly 45 percent of consumers said they are more likely to go to/buy from a company that replies to negative commentaries.

Customers are more interested in knowing whether someone is valuing their opinion/feedback. This is one way of knowing the company is interested in improving its services and cares about its customers.

2. How many reviews are read by consumers before trusting the business?

The common number of reviews read per consumer before they start trusting a business, ranges between nine and ten.

(Sources: Oberlo, BrightLocal)

A review conducted in 2020, revealed that customers read an average of ten online reviews before they decide to consider a business reliable. Furthermore, no less than twenty percent dedicate more than just ten review reads. Whereas, eight percent read much more than just twenty reviews before trusting a certain business.

Eventually, a business that does not have any reviews may not be able to pull in customers. Interestingly, a company that has a huge number of reviews also weakens the trust of customers.

3. How many consumers do not trust reviews?

As much as six percent of Americans distrust online reviews.

(Sources: Statista, Trustpilot, Bizrate Insights)

According to a Statista report (2018), a mere 6 percent of people do not trust reviews. On the other hand, a Trustpilot survey on worldwide consumers revealed that over 60% of people won’t support brands that censor customers’ reviews.

Moreover, less than 5% of people trust products or brands that have over 500 buying reviews, since they believe there is a link between the high number of reviews and fake reviews.

4. How many users check for reviews before buying?

Over 91% of customers worldwide read online reviews before purchasing a product.

(Sources: Oberlo, Qualtrics., BrightLocal, Bizrate Insights)

Oberlo reveals that 82 percent of customers check reviews for local businesses before buying. Nonetheless, there is a considerable difference between the levels of trustworthiness. For instance, 89 percent of people between the ages of 35 and 54 said they trust reviews as much as a friends’ recommendation. However, nearly 27% of customers need to see between 11 and 50 reviews to deem a brand trustworthy, while a further 19% want to see up to 100 reviews before they consider buying a product.

5. What is the number of consumers who use online media for products or services in their local area?

Over 85% of consumers who perform a search on local businesses check out/call the store that very day.

(Sources: HubSpot, SocialMediaToday)

A recent HubSpot survey revealed that around 46 percent of Google searches are focused on local info. Whereas, no less than 50 percent of ‘stores near me’ searches end up with an actual store visit. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since more than 71 percent of customers worldwide state their initial search for local business info begins exactly with a ‘search.’

The above-mentioned figures clearly state that almost all customers rely on online reviews to figure out which is the best place to shop locally.

6. What percent of Americans do not leave reviews on products and services?

Less than 40% of American consumers never leave a review on any kind of service and product.

(Sources: Search Engine Journal, PEW Research Center)

Even though customer reviews have a big impact on purchase decisions, most Americans are not in the habit of leaving product reviews. 38 percent never leave any reviews at all. Surprisingly, 48 percent of Americans do not review or rate the restaurants they dine in, despite posting pictures on social media.

This highlights how important it is for brands to request customers to leave reviews on their products and services.

7. How important are online shopping reviews for buyers?

The percentage of customers who don’t mind how many reviews there are is 12.9 percent.

(Source: Cloudwards)

Following Bizrate’s review on online shopping stats (2022), exactly 12.9% of respondents said the number of reviews isn’t essential to them. While 38% stated, they would only rely on something with 50+ evaluations.

Furthermore, the statistics indicate that nearly 9% of online buyers purchase something without first reading any reviews. However, more than half of buyers stated they would read four product evaluations at the minimum before making a definite purchase.

8. Which are the most reviewed platforms customers use?

Google My Business, with over 158 million (US monthly traffic), is a top choice among consumers when it comes to reading reviews on any kind of business.

(Sources: Vendasta, Convince & Convert)

Customers choose different platforms for reviewing different types of products and services. Overall though, Google is one of the most favorite and fastest-growing online review platforms for all types of products and services. However, it is not the only review site out there. It is followed by

• Facebook, with nearly 86 million US monthly traffic,
• Yelp, with 40.47 million,
• followed by the BBB (Better Business Bureau), with more than 6 million,
• and Yellowpages, with over 10 million US monthly traffic.

Online Review Trust Statistics

People trust reviews, it is as simple as that. When customers add reviews, they imply the business is trustworthy. This converts active searchers into relevant leads and boosts local search rankings.

9. How many trust reviews are older than a month?

No more than 73 percent of customers take into consideration customer reviews that are not older than a month.

(Sources: SearchEngine Journal, BrightLocal)

Nevertheless, the same survey by BrightLocal, suggests that half of the customers (50 percent) will pay attention to reviews made only in the past 2 weeks. On the other hand, over 85% of customers believe that reviews older than three months are completely irrelevant.

10. How many young consumers trust reviews?

An astonishing 91% of young consumers put their trust in online reviews.

(Sources: Statista, BrightLocal, SearchEngine Journal )

As much as 91% of young customers (from 18 to 34-year-old ones) are big believers of online reviews. Whereas, 39% of these customers trust online reviews without a fail. 24% trust reviews only when they think they are truly original, and 20% are more likely to consider feedback a trusted review if it is supported by numerous other similar reviews.

Interestingly, a mere 8% of respondents say they look at the type of business before they decide whether their reviews are trustworthy or not.

As you can see, most customers rely on various factors to determine the reliability of a review.

11. How many consumers are more likely to trust a company after reading positive online reviews?

As much as 72 percent of people trust a business’ authenticity more after reading positive online reviews.

(Sources: Learn Hub, G2 Learn Hub (Customer Review Statistics), Review42, Invespcro)

Following Invespcro’s data, 72 percent of customers will purchase from a certain business after seeing a positive online review. Furthermore, Review42, revealed that nearly 70 percent of customers feel confident enough to purchase once being able to go through some positive online reviews on certain businesses.

12. What percent of buyers believe sponsored reviews completely?

6.1 percent of respondents have absolute trust in sponsored reviews.

(Source: Cloudwards)

Bizrate’s survey on sponsored reviews revealed that as much as 6.1 percent of buyers trust sponsored reviews entirely. Consequently, this medium is frequently used to grow awareness for brand new clients.

Further survey results also showed that approximately 33 percent of respondents did not trust these reviews.

13. What percent of customers don’t trust advertising?

Over 95% of people worldwide distrust advertisements.

(Sources: Inc., Review42)

It is well known that the majority of people find it hard to completely trust any kind of ads they encounter.

And, it is also an inevitable fact that 83 percent of customers do not trust advertisements at all, they trust online customer reviews instead. Either way, 70 percent of customers choose to trust online reviews more, rather than paid advertisements when they’re in need of accurate information on any business.

Simply said, people do not trust brands that are paying someone else to do their publicity; they trust the people who have tried their products.

14. How reliable are online reviews?

No more than 79% of US people find online reviews equally reliable as a recommendation from a close friend/family.

(Sources: BrightLocal, Reputation X, Statista)

As we mentioned before, consumers evaluate various factors to determine how reliable online reviews are.

Sometimes, a single bad review can be enough to ruin the good impression of a business. A Statista survey (2020) revealed that exactly 79 percent of people trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.

How Many Users Write a Review

Not many companies give their online reputation the attention it deserves. That’s why they miss out on encouraging customers to write reviews for them. An online business review is direct feedback from a customer and has the potential to create credibility for the brand, which leads to numerous benefits.

15. What percentage of customers write reviews?

As much as 60 percent of online customers write at least one buying review on Amazon.

(Sources: Review Monitoring, WebsiteBuilder)

Additionally, 27 percent of customers also post their reviews when buying from Walmart and only 16 percent will post a review on Best Buy.

Moreover, around one-third of American customers feel the urge to write a review after a positive experience. On the contrary, exactly 32 percent of them leave a review just so they alert others of their unpleasant experience.

16. How many consumers have written a review for a local business?

Over 70% of customers write/leave a review for a local business when asked to (2020).

(Sources: BrightLocal, Learn Hub, Search Engine Land)

Whereas, looking back into 2019, the number of people writing reviews for their local businesses was at 67%. Compared to 2018, when the number of people asked to leave a review for a certain business was at 68%.

Turns out that companies who do not request reviews miss out on a big opportunity to get customer feedback.

17. How are customers most commonly asked for reviews?

Emails, via phone call, through social media, on receipts, and text messages – are the usual ways to ask for a review.

(Sources: ReviewTrackers, MobileSquared, G2 Learn Hub)

The most common ways for businesses to ask for reviews are

• in person,
• through email – a survey by Spiegel revealed that an astonishing number (up to 80 percent) of reviews are the result of follow-up reviews.
• over a phone call,
• through social media,
• using receipts,
• and through text messages – research by MobileSquared confirms that an incredible 90 percent of SMS are read in approximately three minutes. Furthermore, a study showed that over 55 percent of the total number of online reviews come from mobile phones/devices.

The order of these channels can change depending on different types of surveys but the channels themselves remain constant.

How Many Users Read Online Review

We know from the above-mentioned online review statistics that a vast majority of people read online reviews.

For marketers, this can be an opportunity to establish credibility. In addition, marketers who have had bad reviews can respond and take corrective measures accordingly, which can also place them in the good light of the customers watching.

18. Where do consumers read reviews?

Google with 59 percent, is the majority’s choice and go-to platform for reading reviews (2021).

(Source: Bizrate Insights)

By far, Google is the most popular channel for people to check for reviews with almost 59% of consumers using it; and it is followed by Amazon with 57 percent. Other respective review channels by popularity are:

• Reddit,
• YouTube,
• The BBB (Better Business Bureau),
• Consumer Reports, and others.

19. How much does reading reviews on a mobile device increase the likelihood of purchase than desktop users?

There’s a 127% chance of purchase when the brands’ reviews are easier read via mobile devices.

(Sources: Martech Zone, Google/Nielson)

If your brand’s reviews can be read on a mobile device, it increases the likelihood of purchase by 127%, compared to the reviews that are read on a desktop PC. That’s because over 91% of people use mobile devices to research and buy a product.

20. Do online reviews influence purchasing behavior?

As much as 49 percent of people are under the influence of online reviews and influencers.

(Sources: Digital Marketing Institute, Ion)

49 percent of shoppers depend on online ratings and reviews of influencers. 40 percent of people buy something after seeing it first on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube.

Therefore, as a marketer, it is a good idea to form a partnership with an influencer who offers authentic product reviews of the brand and who can connect well with your target audience.

Demographics on Online Review Stats

According to demographic data, young users are more likely to write reviews than the older generation since they are more tech-savvy. On the other hand, there isn’t much difference between the number of men and women who write online reviews.

21. How many Millennials read online reviews?

As high as 93 percent of Millennials take into account other peoples’ online reviews before buying something.

(Sources: Forbes, GetWeave)

Recent studies published by GetWeave, point out that online user reviews and ratings act as guides for Millennials in different business sectors (not just for grocery and clothing purchases). That said, half of Millennials opt for and rely on users’ ratings and reviews when deciding on an optometrist, or a dentist.

A 2019 Forbes publication revealed that about 97 percent of Millennials read reviews before choosing a certain business. Moreover, 89 percent of them truly believe these reviews.

Brands should encourage their customers to write reviews for their site knowing that other prospects will have their eyes open for them.

22. How many male shoppers write a review?

Over 50% of male shoppers are more likely to leave a short review.

(Source: Review Monitoring)

Male and female shoppers are equally likely to leave a quick online rating. Still, males with 52 percent are more inclined on doing so rather than females (48 percent).

When it comes to writing detailed reviews, 63 percent of males are more likely to do so. Also, as much as 45 percent of men will leave a review on the brand’s official website.

23. How many female shoppers write a review?

No more than 48 percent of female shoppers write a review.

(Source: Review Monitoring)

Following a somewhat recent survey by Review Monitoring, we grasped the fact that exactly 38 percent of women will write an in-depth consumer business review. However, 55 percent of females would rather post a review on the brand’s website.

24. How many Millennials write a review?

Fifty-three percent of Millennials write several reviews a month.

(Sources: Review Monitoring, Power Reviews)

The majority of Millennials write reviews. And with that in mind, twenty-two percent of young Millennial consumers leave online reviews to help others make informed buying decisions. While thirty percent of older Millennials customers share their positive experiences. Simultaneously, another thirty percent of Millennials (25 and 34 of age), post negative reviews to warn other buyers.

Positive vs. Negative Reviews

Although both positive and negative reviews are required to make a brand seem authentic, too many negative reviews can have a devastating effect on your online reputation. A majority of trusted reviews, however, can have a hugely beneficial effect on your brand.

25. What percent of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review?

92 percent of B2B buyers feel more secure to go for a purchase after reading a trusted review.

(Sources: G2 Crowd, Qualtrics, Rannko, Relayto, G2 Learn Hub (51 Customer Review Statistics))

An incredibly high 92.4 percent (to be precise) of B2B buyers are more likely to buy from a brand after reading a trusted review. On the other hand, a survey by Heinz Marketing (2017) stated that over 70 percent of B2B buyers regard negative reviews as a better perspective of the product itself. Additionally, no more than 40 percent of them agree that negative reviews play a role in the establishment of a product. In the end, 67 percent of B2B buyers hope to see a mixture of negative and positive reviews on products/businesses.

Businesses can take advantage of the customer’s need for reassurance by showing them more reviews at the point of purchase.

26. What percent of consumers spend on business with excellent reviews?

Consumers spend over 30% more on businesses with excellent reviews.

(Sources: Invesp CRO, RevLocal, findstack, Qualtrics)

Positive online reviews are the key for companies to increase trust in their brand. The most recent online retail ratings indicate that shoppers are more willing to spend precisely, 31% more on a business that has excellent reviews. Additionally, this improves repeat buying behavior, traffic, and SEO as well.

Furthermore, a RevLocal survey revealed that over 90% of buyers are willing to take advantage of a local business—given the fact the business has a four-star rating, at the very least.

27. How many users expect a response to negative reviews?

More than half of users expect to see feedback on negative reviews.

(Sources: SocialMediaToday, ReviewTrackers)

Exactly 53% of customers expect a response to negative reviews in 7 days, at the very least. Moreover, 45% of customers said they are more likely to visit a company that replies to their negative consumer business reviews.

No company in the world does not have negative reviews at one time or another. However, the key is that you respond to them on time and take corrective measures to resolve the issue; so they have the chance to retain that customer as well as others.

28. How many users search for negative reviews?

82 percent of users search for negative reviews.

(Sources: Search Engine Journal, PowerofReviews, BrightLocal, Review42)

A mind-blowing 82 percent of customers go out of their way to find negative reviews. Surprisingly, when customers focus on negative reviews they spend x5 more on a particular site; this leads to as much as 85% higher conversion rate. And interestingly enough, 95% of customers are skeptical about brands/businesses that have 0 negative reviews.

29. How many consumers change their minds after reading the negative reviews?

Exactly 80 percent of consumers flip their minds after reading negative reviews.

(Source: ReviewTrackers, Moz, Qualtrics, Madison+Main)

A study by Cone Inc. discovered that an incredibly high 80 percent of consumers change their minds about a certain product as soon as they read a negative review about the same. Additionally, four out of five consumers say they have changed their mind about buying from a business after they read negative online reviews.

Businesses can face a loss of up to 22 percent (of customers) with just a single negative article. Or, they can lose up to 59.2 percent if there are three negative articles. Whilst, with 4+ negative articles, businesses are looking at losing 70 percent of customers, roughly said.

30. How many consumers avoid business by seeing negative reviews?

More than 92% of consumers avoid businesses that receive negative reviews.

(Sources: ReviewTrackers, Search Engine Land)

To be rather precise, 94.3 percent of people turn their heads at businesses once they see negative feedback. Furthermore, 87 percent of ‘possible’ future customers won’t take into consideration low-rated businesses.

However, a surprising fact is a piece of information that one-star ratings are more or less the most reliable ratings out there. That said, ReviewTackers states that in 2018, nearly 4% of customers trusted one-star ratings the most, which is an increase of almost 3% from the year 2017.

Impact of Online Reviews

Online ratings and reviews can have a huge amount of impact when it comes to your leads, conversion rates, repeat customers, traffic, and SEO.

31. What is the impact of online reviews on sales?

Online reviews increase sales by 18 percent on average.

(Sources: G2 Learn Hub, Dixa)

Research by Fun and Fuel points out that as much as an eighteen percent increase in sales comes from online reviews. In addition to that, the same research states that over ninety percent of customers dare not purchase with a brand that has no reviews at all. On the other hand, it is much easier for seventy-one percent of people to purchase anything that has multiple reviews.

As noted, brands which have a certain number of reviews, most of them positive, are more likely to have an increase in ROI.

32. What is the impact of online reviews on conversion rate?

Reviews on landing pages and websites could increase conversion rates by 270%.

(Sources: CXL, LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog)

Recent research on how online reviews impact conversion rates showed that websites and pages that publish reviews receive higher conversion rates (by 270%). In other words, products with 5 reviews are likely to have a 270% conversion rate, rather than one with 0 reviews. In contrast to this, goods with 4.7 and 5-star ratings look dubious in the eyes of potential buyers, compared to goods that range from 4.2 to 4.7 stars.

Nonetheless, the Spiegel report published that when high-price products have reviews, they stand the chance of 380% in conversion rate. In the case of cheaper products, positive reviews can lead to an increase of 190% in conversion rates.

Interestingly enough, consumers spend four times more on a site and convert better when they see some negative reviews.

Local Business Reviews Stats

For local businesses, having a great reputation among the local people is now more important than ever before. Thus, marketers need to focus more on resolving customers’ issues and ensuring an excellent customer experience to gain an edge against the competition.

33. How many users search for local businesses?

No more than 46 percent of Google’s searches are dedicated to looking up local businesses.

(Sources: ChatMeter Local Brand Management, ReviewTracker, Web FX)

However, ChatMeter research points out that 74 percent of in-store buyers are looking for information on the local businesses nearby. Moreover, at least 70 percent of them will pay an actual visit to the store they were looking up if the store has what they need.

Further data revealed that 56 percent of US people conduct mobile searches when looking up local businesses. In addition to that, it comes as no surprising fact that people searching for businesses use mapping-enabled apps more than 42 percent of the time.

Even a single online business review can help your business increase its trustworthiness and improve its position in the SERPs.

34. How many Google reviews does an average local business have?

On average, a local business has thirty-nine reviews, at the very least.

(Sources: Search Engine Land, BrightLocal)

And yet, according to a 2018 survey on local consumers it was revealed that the average customer expects to see at least forty reviews before claiming their trust. In contrast to this, as much as seventy-four percent of local businesses have merely one review on Google.

Nonetheless, if you want your local business to appear in the top three Google Local positions, it needs to achieve an average of forty-seven reviews.

35. How many travelers read reviews before booking?

95 percent of people traveling, check reviews before booking.

(Source: Hotel News Resource)

A study conducted by the New York University indicated that an estimated 95 percent of people who travel read customer reviews before booking. Out of which, 59 percent say they prefer reading whole text reviews. Whereas, 80 percent were satisfied with reading summarized reviews. In addition to this, business travelers stated they read an average of five reviews. On the other hand, leisure travelers said they read an average of six to seven reviews.

36. How many shoppers trust text-based reviews over images and video?

Over 60% of worldwide shoppers agree they feel more determined to purchase a product that includes images and videos in its reviews.

(Sources: Path to Purchase IQ, eMarketer, GlobeNewsWire)

A survey on product reviews, conducted by Bazaarvoice states 62 percent of shoppers (worldwide) are more into products with photos and videos in their reviews. Additionally, 24 percent say this is one way to notice some peculiar or less obvious things about the product. However, 21 percent of shoppers need more convincing, hence, they need to see what the product can do before purchase.

Therefore, consumer business reviews that offer multiple formats of content, including graphic content, are a good tactic to create more trust in customers.

Customer Online Review Stats

Google’s presence is more than obvious. That can easily be spotted, as well as the fact that social media reviews play a vital role in our purchase decision-making. Either way, Facebook is not to be neglected anytime soon.

37. How many consumers visit Google to check business reviews?

Nearly 64% of consumers visit Google to check business reviews.

(Source: ReviewTrackers)

Data provided by ReviewTrackers indicate that Google gets the most visits when it comes to checking business reviews. Further data revealed that six out of ten customers ‘consult’ with Google’s reviews before making a final buying decision. And, this was confirmed by a 2017 search report; 21 percent of people stated Google to be their go-to site for searching and review of businesses.

That said, it is a well-known fact that Google has grown rapidly and taken the honorable spot as ‘a search guide site’ — review, rating, and search for products and businesses.

Website Consumer Stats

38. What is the impact of website consumer reviews?

The impact of website consumer reviews on Google’s search algorithm is nearly ten percent.

(Source: Localiq)

Google has the capacity to localize your review search, which means it will only display responses from businesses in the geographic location where you conducted your search. That said, user reviews are critical for Google’s search algorithm — which accounts for about 10 percent.

Bottom line: the more positive reviews you have, the higher your company will appear in SERPs.

Fake Online Review Stats

Fake online reviews are a major concern for businesses and their customers alike. They are also particularly dangerous since they have the power to weaken the trust among consumers. Marketers should never indulge in such deceptive marketing tactics, nor should they allow others to post false reviews under their name.

39. How many consumers have read fake reviews in a year?

As much as 82 percent of consumers have read fake years, in merely a year.

(Sources: Invespcro, BrightLocal)

Following a report by Invespcro, 82 percent of shoppers say they have read a fake review in the last 12 months.

The percentage is even higher among people aged between 18 and 34, with 92 percent saying they encountered fake customer reviews in the past year. Whereas, customers belonging to the age group from 35 to 54, occupy as much as 74 percent. And, the elders (54 of age and up), represent a shocking 59 percent.

40. How many consumers assume online reviews are fake?

No more than 95% of consumers suspect that some online reviews are fake.

(Source: Invesp CRO)

95% of customers suspect false reviews or review censorship when they do not see bad ratings. Further, 30 percent of customers take online reviews that don’t include any negativities as fake reviews. Whereas, 62 percent declared there were obvious differences in what the reviews stated and what they received. Also, 34 percent of consumers stated their poor comments, ratings, and reviews were published nowhere by the majority of e-commerce websites.

The number of people writing fake reviews is growing day by day as unscrupulous brands try to promote their products unethically or negatively impact the reputation of their competition.

41. What percentage of baby boomers read fake reviews?

Eleven percent of baby boomers read fake reviews.

(Sources: U.S. News, Business Insider, Rolling Stone, Invesp CRO)

A study revealed that eleven percent of 57+ people of age read fake reviews – this was the case during 2016’s presidential elections. However, a more recent review also states that elderly people (over 65 of age) are x7 more prompt in encountering fake news, rather than younger people.

Nonetheless, another review indicates that 59 percent of people over the age of 54 say they have read fake reviews. Simultaneously, 54 percent of customers state they would not buy from a site if they are convinced that it writes fake customer reviews.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, an opinion of a single customer can influence the buying decisions of thousands if not millions of shoppers. If you want your business to stand out, make sure you remind your customers to leave a review, no matter whether it is positive or negative. Both of these reviews can help you get better results.

We hope our online review statistics guide was useful in understanding the importance of reputation management for businesses.