Online reviews tell us where to stay, what to eat, when to go, how to get there and who to watch.
All of you reading this post right now not make buying decisions based on online reviews and most or you have participated in the review process yourself sharing recommendations and experiences with others. That’s what research shows.
Megan Arevalo. of Websitebuilders, has created a comprehensive Infographic of the research on online reviews and how they influence our buying behavior. Websitebuilders is a group of techies who have invested time, energy and money to review all the contemporary website building platforms to make a non-programmer’s life easier.
Here is the summary, 37 facts how online reviews impact what we buy, followed by Megan’s comprehensive infographic that contains many more facts and all their sources.
- 133% higher conversion rate occurs for consumers who view user-generated content
- 127% of consumers who read an online review are more likely to do it on a smartphone than a desktop
- 99% of businesses are hidden when a Yelp user sorts online reviews by “Highest Rated” or “Most Reviewed”
- 98% of consumers found that TripAdvsior reviews accurately reflect the actual experience
- 90% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business
- 86% of people will hesitate to purchase from a business that has negative online reviews
- 84% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 84% of patients use reviews to evaluate physicians
- 83% of job seekers place their decision to apply to a company for a job based on online reviews
- 81% of females would not visit a restaurant which reports cleanliness issues from a review
- 77% of patients use online reviews as a first step in finding a physicians
- 76% of travelers said they would pay more for a hotel with a higher review score
- 72% of consumers say that positive reviews make them more likely to trust a local business
- 60% of job seekers would not apply to a company with a one-star rating; 33% would not apply to a company with less than a three star rating
- 59% of travelers say online review sites have the most influence on their booking decision
- 55% of consumers use Facebook to learn about brands
- 42% of travelers use review site when planning their holidays
- 37% of patients didn’t choose a doctor because of a bad rating
- 35% of patients choose a doctor because of a good rating
- 33% of travelers posted a travel-related review
- 31% increase in consumer spending is likely for a business with excellent reviews
- Up to 30% of online reviews for certain products may be fake
- 27% of people trust online reviews only if they believe they are authentic
- 22% of consumers will not buy from a company after reading a negative online review; after reading 3 negative online reviews, that number jumps to 59%
- 20% of online review on Yelp are fake
- 18% uplift in sales is produced by reviews
- 16% of travelers share their hotel travel experiences online
- 11% room rate hike can occur for hotels that achieve a one-star increase on a five-star scale
- 10% of travelers spend more that 1 hour reading online reviews before making their booking decisions
- 10% of Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) or search page entries are contributed by online reviews
- 5%-9% increase in revenue for every star a business gets
- $350,000 in total fines among 19 companies was collected by New York regulators in a crackdown of fake reviews
- 50 or more reviews can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates
- 30 customers, on average, is what a single negative review costs a business
- 12X more trusted are consumer reviews that descriptions that come from manufacturers
- 5 positive online job reviews make up for 1 negative one
- 3.9X more likely are consumers to choose hotels, with equal pricing, that have the higher rating
Do these facts on online reviews reflect your behavior? Here they are, and many more, organized by industry, company and media type in Megan’s comprehensive and compelling infographic.
