The Power of Reviews: 20 Fascinating Statistics Every Entrepreneur, Service Provider, and Freelancer Should Know

As an entrepreneur, service provider, or freelancer, understanding the importance of reviews is key to your success in today’s digital age.

With the rise of online platforms and social media, customers now have more access to information about businesses than ever before, and this is in large part due to the role reviews play.

In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at 20 interesting statistics on reviews that will help you understand their impact on your business and how you can use them to your advantage.

1. Nearly nine out of ten (88 percent) consumers worldwide make the effort to consult reviews when discovering a local business (Podium, 2021). This means that almost all of your potential customers are likely to read reviews before deciding to do business with you.
2. Nearly two out of every three (62 percent) consumers say reviews play a “big” or “moderate” role in finding out more about a business (Podium, 2021). This highlights the importance of having a good number of positive reviews as it can greatly influence a consumer’s decision to do business with you.
3. Consumers are turning to reviews rather frequently—65 percent say they’ve read an online review in the past week, while up to 94 percent say they’ve done so in the past year (Podium, 2021). This shows that reviews are an integral part of the consumer decision-making process and should not be ignored.
4. As many as 62 percent of consumers say they will not support brands that engage in review censorship (Trustpilot, 2020). This simply reminds us that no one wants to feel like their opinions and reviews do not matter, so it is important to be transparent and not hide negative reviews as it can greatly damage your reputation.
5. Nearly half (49 percent) of all consumers say they trust the reviews they read online as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal, 2022). This shows us the importance of having positive reviews as they can be just as influential as a personal recommendation.
6. 37 percent of consumers have as much trust in online reviews as they do in recommendations seen on social media (BrightLocal, 2022). This means reviews on social media are as important as those on review websites, so always keep this in mind when talking with your customers.
7. 57 percent of consumers believe that online reviews are “very important” when it comes to selecting businesses that provide care services (BrightLocal, 2022). So if you are a service provider, reviews can be especially important in attracting new customers.
8. Google is by far the most popular channel people turn to for reviews, with approximately 59 percent of shoppers using it. This is followed by Amazon with 57 percent (Bizrate Insights, 2021). This is why it’s important to have a good presence on these platforms, as customers can find your business and read your reviews.
9. Only one in five consumers say they fully trust the reviews on brands’ websites, while a staggering 70 percent say they “somewhat” trust them (Bizrate Insights, 2021). Yes… Every man believes he is a “king in his hometown”, so whoever is reading your reviews on your website will believe you’re only showing your best sides. This is one reason why it is vital to have reviews from multiple sources to increase your credibility.
10. Most consumers who read online reviews don’t just stop at one. Online review statistics show that more than half of online shoppers (54.7 percent) read at least four product reviews prior to purchasing a product. Around 44 percent of them read three or fewer reviews (Bizrate Insights, 2021). Providing good service regularly means you’d get more good reviews… and with more good reviews, your prospects have enough information to make a buying decision when they get to that touchpoint in their customer journey.
11. The majority of consumers (26.8 percent) say that products with between 11 and 50 reviews emit a higher sense of trust. In contrast, just five percent of consumers feel like they can trust products that have between 501 and 1,000 reviews (Bizrate Insights, 2021). This shows that a moderate number of reviews may be more effective in building trust from skeptics than a large number of reviews.
12. Nearly three in four (74 percent) of consumers say they’ve left an online review for a local business in the past year. Interestingly, more people seem to write reviews after having pleasant interactions—34 percent say they only leave online reviews for a positive experience, while just seven percent say they only do so for bad experiences (BrightLocal, 2022). This reinforces the need to provide top-quality services (and products), as it encourages customers to leave positive reviews.
13. By far, the biggest factor influencing a buyer to leave a review is the brand’s service. 61 percent of consumers say it’s “very likely” that they will review a business if it goes above and beyond to provide exceptional service. 37 percent say they’re likely to do so if an initially negative experience culminates in a very positive one (BrightLocal, 2022). This point illustrates the need to go the extra mile on certain occasions for your customers and ensure you handle negative situations effectively to turn them into positive reviews.
14. 16 percent of shoppers say they’re “very likely” to review a business if a staff member asks them to do so or if they receive a request via email or text message (BrightLocal, 2022). This shows why it is vital to politely remind customers to leave reviews and provide feedback after buying from you.
15. 53.3 percent of customers expect businesses to respond to their negative reviews within a week. However, most of them are left disappointed 63.3 percent of them say they’ve never heard back from a business about their review (ReviewTrackers, 2018). Again… business is not all sunshine and rainbows, so it is crucial to respond to negative reviews (and in a timely manner) to show that you care about your customers and it is not just about making a sale.
16. As many as 45 percent of consumers are more likely to support businesses if they see that they’ve responded to negative reviews (ReviewTrackers, 2018). Responding to negative reviews can improve customer loyalty.
17. While more than half (52 percent) of consumers aged from 18 to 54 claim to “always” consult reviews of local businesses online, just one in ten consumers over the age of 55 do so. In fact, 29 percent of consumers over 55 say they never read online customer reviews of local stores, compared to just 17 percent of consumers aged 18 to 54 (BrightLocal, 2022). This shows the importance of understanding your audience so you know what to expect if the reviews are not coming in as you expect.
18. The average consumer reads 7 reviews before feeling able to trust a business (BrightLocal, 2022). This shows how important trust is in the buying equation and why it’s important to have a good number of reviews to build trust with potential customers.
19. 98% of consumers read reviews on a regular basis (BrightLocal, 2022). Reviews are an integral part of the consumer decision-making process and should not be ignored.
20. A business with positive reviews is likely to attract around 200% more customers than a business with no reviews (BrightLocal, 2022). This means that reviews can greatly impact your business growth and should be taken seriously.

Reviews are an integral part of today’s digital landscape and can greatly impact your business.

As an entrepreneur, service provider, or freelancer, seeing these statistics will help you understand what areas to focus on and how it can improve your credibility, and business, and attract more customers in the long run.