23 Online Reviews Statistics You Must Know this 2023

In this data-driven world, people are grasping every piece of information they can when deciding. This includes checking on online reviews before buying or selecting from a business. 97% of online shoppers aged 18-34 rely on online product reviews, and 93% claim online reviews helped them make purchase decisions. 

Reading a trusted review feels like experiencing the product or service firsthand, ensuring you have a clear idea of what to expect when engaging with a business. Which is why a person who reads online reviews feels assured they're making the right call. 

We've compiled the most compelling facts about online reviews' influence with these informative online reviews statistics.

Editor's Choice

• 9 of 10 consumers worldwide rely on reviews when discovering a new business.
• 58% of customers would be willing to spend more or travel further to visit places with good reviews. 
• 59% of consumers expect responses within a half hour when they want to learn more about a product or service. 
• Reviews made an 18% uplift in sales on average.
• A purchase is likely when ratings are in the 4.0-4.7 range. 
• Almost 30% of online reviews are unauthentic, and consumers cannot tell. 
• 89% of 18-34-year-olds have spotted a fake review, a higher percentage than any other demographic. 
• 71% of survey respondents said negative reviews are as critical as positive in purchasing decisions.
• An average review in 2020 has an average of 200 characters. 
• 89% of consumers browse through a company's responses to reviews. 

Online Reviews Statistics Overview

Consumers depend on the online reputation of a business before choosing to support them. The importance of online reviews is to give consumers a way to share their shopping experiences with others. 

It also provides social proof to other potential consumers. The more proof people are using and enjoying a particular product or service, the others are likely to follow. 

These online review statistics will give you a general idea of their impact: 

Positive and Negative Online Review Statistics

When it comes to online shopping, most customers rely on brand reviews before buying a product.  Online reviews are a business's focal point as they provide an influential factor to potential customers. 

Online reviews vary from consumers, trends, and shopping platforms: here are some noteworthy stats about positive and negative reviews.

1. 9 of 10 consumers worldwide rely on reviews when discovering a new business.

(Oberlo)

Consumers can easily access products and information online with just one click, which proves essential in buying a product without wasting money. Reviews have become a fundamental part of a customer's buying process. 90% of shoppers claim reviews play a significant role in learning about a business. 

2. Google is the primary home for online reviews as it has 6 times as many reviews as the 3 closest competitors combined.

(Exploding Topics)

The top four review sites, Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Tripadvisor, host 88% of all online reviews. If you're starting a new business, posting on as many websites as possible might be tempting to get more reviews. 

However, it would be wise to focus your budget and attention on building your online presence on these top four review sites. They will help customers find your business and increase your rankings on search engine results pages (SERPS). 

3. 58% of customers would be willing to spend more or travel further to visit places with good reviews. 

(Trustmary) 

Overall, people want to receive better service and get a better experience. Price is less relevant when they know they will receive either. Based on this information, you can give a competitive price while providing a great customer experience.

4. 8 out of 10 consumers use their phones and gadgets to search product reviews in your store. 

(Search Engine Journal)

Online and offline worlds are quickly becoming one when people search product reviews, even when they're already inside a physical store. Consumers want to see what other people say about the specific product. They will also check to compare prices and see if another shop offers the product at a lower price.

5. 94% of individuals claim reviews have caused them to avoid a business. 

(Luisa Zhou)

Modern consumers are courageous enough to share their opinions about a specific product or service. 49% of shoppers shared their good and bad experiences on social media. This is why businesses should provide a good customer experience. Every interaction is a chance to generate buzz or risk public shame. 

6. If a business had a 1 or 2-star rating, only 13% of individuals would consider choosing them. 

(Qualtrics)

Customers look for good ratings when they browse through reviews. When they see low ratings, they think twice about choosing their business. The minimum rating a customer wants is 3.3 out of 5 stars. If your business gets lower stars, your products could be overlooked. 

7. 59% of consumers expect responses within 30 minutes when they want to learn more about a product or service. 

(HubSpot)

Customers tend to be impatient. Over half of the buyers want a response to their questions within 30 minutes, which rises to 72% when they need customer support. It climbs to 75% when they want to talk to a sales representative. 

Statistics on the Influence of Online Reviews

It's no secret that people rely heavily on the experiences of other consumers to tell them about a specific product or service. People reading reviews are curious to see if a business is worth considering. That's why companies must provide remarkable customer experience to ensure they're getting good feedback online. 

Here, we'll be sharing all the most compelling statistics on the influence of online reviews: 

8. 60% of people read online reviews at least once a week. In comparison, 93% believe these help them make decisions. 

(Frontiers)

People also believe reviews assist them in reducing the risk of loss and making the right decisions regarding their shopping options. 82% of customers browse through product reviews before finalizing their purchases. It makes a massive impact on a company's sales. 

9. Reviews made an 18% uplift in sales on average.

(Dixa)

Most consumers would prefer a website with a solid number of reviews. Having these gives potential buyers assurance to purchase your products. Good reviews reduce doubts and lead to a higher conversion rate. 

10. Displaying favorable reviews for higher-priced commodities can increase conversion rates by 380%.  

(The Chat Shop)

People are instantly attracted to low prices. If your product is priced slightly higher than other commodities, it would be difficult to increase sales. It would help to have good reviews as that would mean a consumer's investment would be worth it. 

11. On Yelp, a 5% to 9% boost in sales can occur because of a one-star increase in ratings. 

(Mention)

Even a half-star increase in ratings for a restaurant assured a 30-49% likeliness to fill up during their peak hours. When readers like what they read online, they will flock to the place. 

12. 63% of consumers are likelier to buy from a company with good reviews because they have established trust. 

(Big Commerce)

Good reviews assure consumers of the product or service. They are likelier to choose a business that has established good customer service and trust among customers - building brand loyalty. Consumers also want to see at least 40 comments on a brand posting or an average star rating before trusting a brand.

13. A purchase is likely when ratings are in the 4.0-4.7 range. 

(Spiegel Research Center)

Reading a 5-star review may be too good to be true in consumers' eyes. It was found that purchase likelihood peaks at the 4.0 - 4.7 range yet decreases as ratings get close to 5.0. It becomes more believable if a business has bad reviews. 

14. 86% of consumers hesitate to buy from companies with bad reviews. 

(Reputation X)

Negative reviews often contain the word "disappointed" or "disappointment" in them. Those were mentioned 20,000 times. Disappointed customers express their expectations and how the shop failed to meet them. You can respond to negative reviews by improving your service and providing a better customer experience. 

Fake Online Review Statistics

With many products and businesses available online, consumers have many options when they rely on online reviews to buy products. 9 out of 10 people read reviews before making a purchase. However, most reviews online are fake and made by the business to boost sales and engagement.

We'll tell you everything you should know about these fake online reviews with these stats: 

16. 7 in 10 consumers say authenticity is a growing concern. 

(Exploding Topics)

In the U.S., researchers claim that up to 50% of online reviews for certain products like Amazon are highly unreliable. Consumers want to find a brand they trust, so they rely heavily on reviews to help them make good buying choices. Having this many fake reviews ruin customers' expectations of your brand. 

17. 82% of consumers read a fake review in 2021. 

(Invesp)

Fake reviews can't help businesses in the long run. Brand reputations and products are usually at stake when customers no longer trust them.

More than 50% of consumers claim they wouldn't buy a product if they found a fake positive review. 33% of individuals also think that if a business has exclusively positive feedback, it must mean the reviews are fake. 

18. Almost 30% of online reviews are fake, and consumers cannot tell. 

(CBS Austin) 

As a consumer, you should know how to tell if a review is fake. A fake review usually is short and doesn't have a lot of concrete details about the product. Feedback is also suspicious if you see it's too enthusiastic about a product, especially if they're ordinary stuff like umbrellas or extension cords. 

19. 89% of 18-34-year-olds have spotted a fake review, a higher percentage than any other demographic. 

(Brightlocal) 

It's easier for younger people to spot fake reviews as they've grown up online. They're also wiser in terms of navigating online content. Their constant exposure also means they have digital street smarts, making them more aware of reading online reviews. 

20. Studies show that 56% of fake reviews have similar wording or comments.

(The Bazaar Voice) 

The other factors that make customers suspicious are mismatched review content to the specified product, a plurality of 5-star reviews, typographical errors, and ratings without photos. Nowadays, customers scrutinize reviews more, making them wary of suspicious listings.

Online Reviews Trend Statistics

Online reviews create trends that vary from what’s new to bestselling. Most consumers will also write reviews, regardless of the item and experience. 74% of buyers admit to writing online reviews after buying, 34% claim to have written a positive experience, and 7% admit to have written about a negative one.

These trends will tell you how your online reviews impact your business in the long run:

21. 88% of small businesses actively keep track of their online reputation. 

(Clutch) 

Small businesses rely on their online presence to boost sales and engagement. Potential customers would also research a small business before reaching out or buying products to ensure they’re not dealing with scams or fraud. This is why small businesses are more likely to respond in messages and posting content online.

22. 71% of survey respondents said negative reviews are as critical as positive in purchasing decisions.

(The Bazaar Voice) 

Negative reviews often contain more detailed data about a product's pros and cons and tell other consumers what to expect. 54% of individuals also assume they're less likely to be fraudulent. Businesses can use this feedback to engage customers and identify potential product adjustments and improvements. 

23. An online product review in 2020 has an average of 200 characters. 

(Review Trackers)

Review lengths in 2010 averaged around 600 characters. However, reviews have been 65% more concise since then. Most consumers prefer direct comments and matter-of-fact sentences to know quickly whether a business is worth supporting. 

24. 89% of consumers browse through a company's responses to reviews. 

(Brightlocal) 

42% of consumers are still likely to support a business despite its lackluster efforts in reviews and customer support. However, companies should still try to help their consumers through engaging content and service.

Final Thoughts

9 out of 10 shoppers consult online reviews before purchasing. This means that even if your product is the best in the market, it would be best to have good reviews online. Incentivizing customers who leave reviews through customer loyalty rewards is one way to get good feedback, and another is providing excellent service to each individual. 

To ensure that your reviews look authentic, respond to most, if not all, of them. It will tell readers that the reviews are genuine and that you take the feedback seriously.