Word of mouth has always been the best way to promote your business, and with online sales booming, these personal recommendations may be more important than ever. In fact, 95 percent of customers read reviews before they buy, and 8 percent of consumers use these reviews to discover new local businesses.
How your business collects and responds to online reviews is vital to its success, especially as people are spending up to 30 percent more online since COVID-19. Businesses have to prioritize customer experience and stay engaged online to encourage positive reviews and increase sales and visibility.
We’ve collected these online review statistics to help you create a strategy for your business in 2021. Read up on how consumers use reviews to shop online, or jump to our infographic for key statistics and communication strategies.
The Importance of Reviews
Most consumers use Google reviews to find businesses — 72%.—Podium
72% of Americans have written an online review for a small business.—BrightLocal
93% of consumers have used the internet to find a local business in the last year.—BrightLocal
67% of local businesses maintain a four-star or higher average review rating.—Podium
When looking at reviews, readers name star rating the most important factor, and quantity the least important.—BrightLocal
34% of shoppers always read online reviews, while only 13% never read reviews.—BrightLocal
88% of Americans use online reviews to discover new local businesses.—Podium
65% of consumers have read an online review in the last week.—Podium
Businesses average 83 reviews across online review sites.—Womply
Businesses with at least 200 reviews generate twice as much revenue as others.—Womply
The Power of Positive Reviews
41% of Americans believe reviews are one of the most important considerations when browsing local businesses.—Podium
A majority (58%) of consumers would travel farther or pay more to support a business with positive reviews.—Podium
Reviews have an influence on visibility and account for over 15% of Google’s ranking of a business.—Moz
A 0.1% increase in star ratings can increase conversion up to 25%.—Uberall
Customers tend to spend 31% more with businesses with excellent reviews.—Invesp
Consumers trust four-star reviews the most.—RT
The Consequences of Bad Reviews
19% of online reviews are negative.—Womply
Most people leave one-star reviews for bad service (59%), followed by unsafe COVID-19 policies (26%).—Podium
Just 9% of shoppers would consider buying from a business with a two or one-star average review.—Podium
A shopper is 21% more likely to leave a review because of a negative experience than following a positive one.—RT
Negative phrases and sentiments are negative ranking factors, which hurts visibility with Google.—Moz
94% of consumers have avoided a business because of an online review.—RT
Customer Engagement
Businesses that never respond to reviews generate 9% less revenuethan the average.—Womply
1 in 5 consumers expects to get a response to their review within 24 hours.—BrightLocal
83% of consumers only trust recent and relevant reviews.—Podium
56% of people have changed their opinion of a business after reading the owner’s response to reviews.Podium
Businesses that sometimes respond to a quarter or more of their reviews earn 35% more revenue.—Womply
62% of shoppers are more likely to buy a product if they can view other customer’s photos and videos.—eMarketer
How to Get More Reviews
Local businesses who are proactive with their online reviews are 150% more likely to maintain an average rating of 4.5 or higher.—Podium
Consumers are 36% more likely to leave a review after a positive experience when prompted through email.—Podium
Praising an excellent product is the leading reason people leave reviews at 53%.—JungleScout
71% of consumers will leave a reviewif they’re asked to.—BrightLocal
Employee attitude is the biggest reason consumers leave one-star and five-star reviews, both answers at 85%.—Podium
Online Reviews and COVID-19
41% of Americans are more inclined to support small businesses now than they were prior to COVID-19.—Podium
39% of Americans want to see businesses enforce mask requirements.—Podium
27% of people think social-distancing requirements are important — nearly equal to the importance of store appearance (28%).—Podium
Half of shoppers are reading reviews to make sure local businesses are following safety procedures.—Podium
17% of people have written negative reviews for companies with lacking health and safety guidelines.—BrightLocal
Consumers want engaged and honest communication from businesses now more than ever. Asking your customers to share their voice and investing in your communication strategies is an ideal way to boost your sales and reputation online.
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