Top 30 Online Review Statistics for 2018
Check out our updated list of Online Review Statistics for 2020.
Before starting Bryan Caplan Marketing, I worked for a tech startup that focused on growing online reviews for small business owners. Back then, barely anyone knew what an online review was, let alone why it mattered to their business. In fact, most business owners wanted me to delete their negative reviews instead of helping to grow positive online reviews.
Today, the paradigm has shifted, and small business owners realize how important positive online reviews are to their success. For those who still doubt the power of reviews, I’ve put together a list of up-to-date online review statistics that are relevant for 2018.
Top 30 Online Review Statistics for 2018
97 percent of consumers read online reviews before making a buying decision in 2017
12 percent of consumers used the internet every day to research a local business
54 percent of consumers used the internet every month to research a local business
85 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as recommendations from a friend or family member
Over 63 percent of consumers trust businesses with overall ratings of 4.0 or 4.5 out of 5 stars
Only 2.5 percent of consumers trust businesses with overall ratings of 2.0 stars or less
73 percent of consumers have more trust in a local business with positive reviews
30 percent of consumers say responding to reviews is a key factor when judging local businesses
46 percent of consumers pay attention to the quantity of reviews when making a buying decision
68 percent of consumers left a local business a review when asked
79 percent of consumers read a fake review in 2017, but 84 percent of them can’t always spot a fake review
Over 36 percent of consumers agree that Google reviews, reviews on other websites, and local search rankings are the most important factors when choosing a business
Nearly 67 percent of consumers believe online reviews are important when choosing a business
Over 57 percent of consumers will eventually buy from a business they researched online
Over 26 percent of consumers will almost always buy from a business they researched online
Only 3 percent of consumers do not read reviews when making a purchase decision
Consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business in 2017, up from 6 reviews in 2016
Restaurants had the highest volume of reviews read (60 percent), followed by hospitality (40 percent), medical and healthcare service (33 percent), clothing stores (32 percent), and grocery stores (31 percent.)
A one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5 to 9 percent increase in revenue
Yelp (20%), Facebook (20%), and Google (16%) are the most trusted review sites for consumers
26 percent of consumers will search for more online reviews after reading a positive online review for a business
10 percent of consumers will contact a business after reading a positive review
17 percent of consumers will visit a business after reading a positive review
35 percent of consumers always read reviews when looking for a local business
50 percent of consumers will question a business’s quality after reading negative online reviews
92 percent of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review
71 percent of B2B buyers look at reviews during the consideration stage
67 percet of B2B buyers want to see a mix of positive and negative reviews
72% of B2B buyers say negative reviews give depth and insight into a product
40% of B2B buyers say negative reviews help build credibility for a product
Thanks to recent consumer research studies, it’s obvious that leads, prospects, and customers are considering online reviews before they’ll ever consider buying from a local business. If your business needs help growing and managing its reviews, take a look at MyReviewDashboard, a powerful new review engine that allows your business to proactively solicit positive reviews from happy customers and handle negative reviews before they can become a public issue.
Have questions? Contact the online review experts at Bryan Caplan Marketing to explore how we can help grow your online reviews:
Sources Include:
BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey - 2017
HBS Working Paper: Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com