Summary

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1) Level of trust in crowdsourced review websites by online users in the United States and the United Kingdom as of April 2021.

  • Trust in the factor is generally moderate, with higher trust levels in both countries (8% in the US and 4% in the UK).
  • A significant portion of respondents somewhat trusts the factor, with around 46% in the US and 49% in the UK.
  • There is a notable percentage of uncertainty, with 24% in the US and 29% in the UK expressing "Don't know."
Image showing level of trust by online users in the United States

2) U.S. consumer's most important aspects of online business reviews 2021

• 85% of consumers believe that the most important aspect of online business reviews for U.S. consumers is the overall average star rating.
• 76% of consumers prioritise a business having a higher than average star rating compared to other businesses.
• 73% consider recency of reviews to also be highly valued, and considering it a crucial aspect of online business reviews.
Bar Graph showing US consumer's most important aspects of online business reviews.

3) Impact of Online Reviews and Google Usage for Local Business Evaluation

• 93% of users acknowledge the impact of online reviews on their purchasing choices.
• 81% of consumers rely on Google to assess local businesses.
Image showing impact of online reviews and google usage.

4) Impact of Negative Reviews on Consumer Decisions and Business Responses

•86% of users hesitate to purchase from a company with negative reviews.
• 92% prefer businesses with a four-star rating or higher.
•75% of businesses do not respond to negative reviews.
Graph showing the impact of negative reviews on consumers decisions.

5) Prevalence and Perception of Fake Reviews

• 82% of consumers have encountered a fake review in the last year.
• 67% of consumers view fake reviews as problematic.
Image showing the prevalence of fake reviews and their perceptions.

6) Distribution of Online Reviews Across Top Platforms

• 73% of all online reviews are from Google.
• 86% of all online reviews are accounted for by Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor Collectively.
• 5% is made up from other platforms.
Graph showing the distribution of online reviews across top platforms.

7) Methods of Requesting Reviews from Consumers

• 41% Email
• 35% Receipt or invoice
• 35% In-person or during the sale
• 27% SMS text
• 2% Other methods
Methods of requesting reviews from consumers.

8) Consumer Attitudes Toward Online Reviews

• 86% of users hesitate to make a purchase from a company with bad reviews.
• 92% prefer businesses with a four-star rating or higher.
Consumer attitudes towards online reviews.

9) Consumer Expectations and Business Responses to Online Reviews

• 53% wanting a response within a week.
• 33% expecting a response within three days.
• 63% stating that at least one business has never responded to their online review.
Consumers expectations towards online reviews.

10) 93% of users have made buying decisions based upon an online review.

Image showing the buying decisions of users based on their online reviews.

Resources

1) Level of trust in crowdsourced review websites by online users in the United States and the United Kingdom as of April 2021

2) U.S. consumer's most important aspects of online business reviews 2021

3) Impact of Online Reviews and Google Usage for Local Business Evaluation

4) Impact of Negative Reviews on Consumer Decisions and Business Responses

5) Prevalence and Perception of Fake Reviews

6) Distribution of Online Reviews Across Top Platforms

7) Methods of Requesting Reviews from Consumers

8)Consumer Attitudes Toward Online Reviews

9) Consumer Expectations and Business Responses to Online Reviews

10) 93% of users have made buying decisions based upon an online review