Online Review Statistics 2026: Insights to Act On

In an era where digital word‑of‑mouth often precedes any in‑person recommendation, the landscape of online reviews offers critical insights for businesses and consumers alike. From how trust is built to how ratings influence purchasing behavior, the numbers tell a clear story: reviews matter deeply. For instance, retailers are tailoring review‑response strategies to drive conversions, while service brands are using star‑rating improvements to boost foot traffic and revenue.

Editor’s Choice

Here are seven standout statistics worth bookmarking:

• 93% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.
• 53% of consumers trust online reviews “as much as” personal recommendations.
• A 1‑star increase in average rating can boost a restaurant’s revenue by 5–9%.
• 44% of U.S. consumers use Yelp for business reviews in 2025.
• 68% of consumers form an opinion after reading just 1–6 reviews.
• 85% of consumers consider a business’s star rating to be the most important aspect of its online reviews.
• 95% of consumers will pay more for a product or service if the reviews are positive.

Recent Developments

• In 2025, only 42% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• Regulatory pressure is increasing; for example, new U.S. rules now empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to penalize companies that buy or sell fake online reviews.
• Review platforms report higher scrutiny of authenticity; one platform removed 2.7 million fake reviews in 2024 alone.
• Consumer scepticism is rising; a poll found that Americans believe only 41% of what they read online is accurate or human‑generated.
• AI and automation now factor into review generation and detection. New research shows AI‑generated content may be indistinguishable from human‑written reviews.
• The volume of online reviews continues to grow, but consumers are more selective; 72% report reading more reviews now compared to the past.
• Businesses are actively responding; many platforms now offer tools for automated review solicitation and monitoring in real time.

General Online Review Statistics

• 93% of consumers read online reviews before buying anything.
• 72% of consumers say positive reviews increase their trust in a local business.
• 66% of consumers state that many reviews increase brand trust online.
• 95% of consumers will pay more when reviews are positive.
• Only 20% of consumers consider a business with an average rating of 3 stars or less.
• 60% of consumers believe the number of reviews matters a lot when assessing a business.
• A single product with five reviews is 270% more likely to sell than the same product without reviews.
• 90% of American customers view reviews as the most crucial part of the purchase decision.
• 44% of U.S. consumers use Yelp for business reviews in 2025.
• 81% of customers read Google reviews before making a purchase.

Consumer Trust in Online Reviews

• Only 42% of consumers in 2025 trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 53% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 46% of consumers trust online reviews to the same degree as friends and family’s advice.
• 67% of consumers trust Google‑based reviews the most.
• 15% of users say they don’t trust businesses without any reviews at all.
• 68% of consumers form an opinion after reading just 1–6 reviews.
• 82% of shoppers look for negative reviews to establish credibility.
• 49% of consumers are confident they have seen fake reviews on Amazon in 2024.

Impact of Online Reviews on Purchase Decisions

• 93% of consumers report that online reviews influence their purchasing decisions.
• 32% of purchases are influenced by online reviews.
• 95% will pay more when reviews are positive.
• A 0.1‑point increase in a brick‑and‑mortar store’s rating can boost foot traffic by up to 25%.
• A 1‑star rating increase can raise a hotel’s room rate by 11%.
• 62% of consumers avoid brands involved in review censorship.
• 53% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• 90% of American customers view reviews as a critical part of the buying decision.
• 69% of consumers feel positive about using a business with positive reviews.

Importance of Average Star Ratings

• 85% of consumers consider a business’s average star rating the most important part of its reviews.
• 57% of consumers expect at least a 4‑star rating to feel confident in their choice.
• Ratings below 3 stars can cause a business to lose 26% of potential customers.
• On average, verified buyers leave a rating of 4.34 out of 5, which is 13.9% higher than anonymous reviewers.
• 40 reviews are generally required before consumers believe a business’s star rating is accurate.
• Conversion rates begin to drop when ratings rise above 4.7, which may trigger scepticism.
• A one‑star increase correlates with a 5–9% boost in restaurant revenue.
• More than half of consumers won’t use a business rated below 4 stars.

Influence of Negative Reviews

• 77% of consumers say negative reviews are “extremely” or “very” influential when assessing a business or product.
• A single negative review can cause up to a 51.4% drop in purchase probability for that session.
• 94% of consumers report that they have avoided a company because of negative reviews.
• 82% of shoppers actively look for negative reviews to assess credibility, more so than for positive ones.
• Only 9% of customers would even consider engaging with a business that is rated 1 or 2 stars.
• Among U.S. consumers, 33% cite frustrations like long hold times or repeating themselves as common themes in negative reviews.
• 56% of consumers say their opinion of a business changed because of how that business responded to a review.
• Negative reviews spread faster; one unhappy customer may tell 15+ people, whereas 72% say they tell six or more people after a positive experience.
• When reviews fall below the threshold of ~4 stars, more than half of potential customers may eliminate a business from their options.

Most Popular Online Review Platforms

• Google leads as the most used online review platform, preferred by 59% of consumers.
• Amazon closely follows, with 57% of users relying on it for product reviews.
• Brand websites are trusted by 44% of consumers for authentic reviews.
• These figures highlight how third-party platforms dominate over in-house review sources.
• Google’s top position reinforces its influence in local SEO and purchase decisions.
• Amazon remains crucial for eCommerce trust signals, especially in product-specific categories.
• Brand websites still play a significant supporting role in shaping customer confidence.
• Diversifying review presence across these platforms helps boost credibility and visibility.

Review Platforms: Google, Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc.

• Google captures about 67% of all online reviews globally.
• Combined, Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor account for about 88% of all online review volume.
• 44% of U.S. consumers use Yelp for business reviews in 2025.
• 40% of American consumers turn to Facebook for business reviews in 2025.
• In one study, 63% of consumers read reviews on Google, 45% on Yelp, and about 25% on TripAdvisor or Facebook.
• For local businesses, Google reviews are critical; reviews on Google are often the first contact customers have and show up in Maps/local listings.
• As of 2024, Google’s share of all reviews rose from 79% in 2023 to 81% in 2024.
• Smaller niche platforms still matter, but they capture far smaller shares (<10%) of total reviews.
• For businesses, focusing review‑collection efforts on Google and then one or two other platforms relevant to their industry offers the broadest reach.

Growth Trends in Online Review Volume

• The volume of online reviews increased by roughly 13% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
• Some sources expect review volume growth of 15% year‑on‑year globally in 2025.
• The rate of review‑request activity from businesses jumped by 25% in one recent year.
• Among industries like home services, review volume growth has been higher; one report noted a 9% increase in 2024 for such service sectors.
• Reviews with richer content are more common, and businesses are encouraging detailed feedback rather than simple star ratings alone.
• Mobile usage remains dominant, with ~80% of users reading reviews on mobile devices.
• Multi‑location businesses face rising complexity in managing reviews across dozens of sites and listings as volume grows.
• The growing volume means that businesses must scale review‑monitoring tools and internal processes or risk being overwhelmed.

Fake or Fraudulent Online Reviews

• Roughly 30% of all online reviews in 2025 are estimated to be fake.
• 82% of consumers report encountering fake reviews at least once in 12 months.
• Fake review activity is projected to cost consumers around $770‑$787 billion globally in 2025.
• 47% of reviews on major websites have been flagged as suspicious in some analyses.
• One major site removed 2.7 million reviews identified as fake in 2024.
• Among younger consumers (18–34), 92% say they had come across fake reviews, versus 59% of those aged 55+.
• 53% of consumers distrust reviews that appear to be generated by AI, and 88% say they don’t want AI‑generated reviews on platforms.
• Consumers say the absence of any negative reviews may itself be a red flag; ~68% say they distrust brands with only positive feedback.

Industry Breakdown: Retail, Automotive, Food, Services, etc.

• In the automotive sector, 88% of car buyers said that online reviews were as trusted as personal recommendations.
• For local services, one study found that 98% of consumers read online reviews when choosing a provider, and 76% do so regularly.
• Within the retail sphere, a business with more reviews and higher ratings outperforms peers notably in conversion and search visibility.
• In the automotive repair sub‑segment, 68% of customers rely on online reviews to select a shop, and 82% expect a minimum four‑star rating.
• Food & hospitality businesses see a large impact from reviews; a one‑star jump in rating correlates with a 5‑9% revenue gain in restaurants.
• Healthcare, home services, and legal sectors still rely heavily on reviews, but with lower volumes and somewhat different patterns of trust.
• Multi‑location retail chains have reported up to +280% conversions when improving review management at scale.

Preferences for Review Quantity and Recency

• 49% of consumers consider the number of reviews a business has to be a key trust indicator.
• 73% of consumers only trust reviews posted within the last 30 days.
• 90% of users need fewer than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business.
• 70% of consumers look at reviews at least weekly.
• 64% of customers are willing to pay more when recent reviews reflect exceptional customer experiences.
• 92% of consumers are less likely to purchase if a business has no reviews at all.
• 71% of consumers say they read at least four reviews before trusting a local business.
• 83% of shoppers say recency of reviews is essential for trust.
• 46% of consumers suspect a review is fake if the rating is high, but the review count is low.

Responses to Online Reviews (business practices)

• 89% of consumers read a company’s responses to reviews.
• 53% of consumers expect a business to respond to a negative review within one week.
• Businesses that reply to at least 25% of their reviews could see up to 35% more revenue.
• Failing to respond to reviews can increase customer churn by up to 15%.
• 80% of consumers were prompted by a business to leave a review in 2025.
• 69% of customers left a review after being asked by the business.
• Businesses responding to reviews consistently report higher retention among customers.
• 70% of consumers say they’re more likely to leave a review if they see the business responds.
• Among service businesses, those with thorough review‑response practices perform notably better in local search and reputation.

Mobile and SMS Reviews

• SMS open rates run as high as 98%, making text‑based review requests highly visible.
• A 45% response rate is typical for SMS marketing campaigns, suggesting high engagement potential when soliciting reviews via SMS.
• 82% of consumers read a text message within 5 minutes, making timely review‑request SMS effective.
• About 72% of review‑reading happens on mobile devices.
• More than 63% of U.S. consumers prefer mobile devices to research businesses and read reviews.
• The synergy of mobile search and review reading is driving immediate action; many consumers check reviews during or right after the purchase decision process.
• SMS and mobile review solicitation tools are being adopted by businesses at greater rates to capture feedback while the experience is fresh.
• Mobile‑first review flows are emerging as best practice in many retail and service businesses.

Comparison: Online Reviews vs. Word of Mouth

• A large majority of consumers (over 50%) say online reviews are as trustworthy as personal recommendations.
• 54% of consumers in the U.S. trust crowd‑sourced reviews more than traditional advertising.
• 64% of consumers say online reviews are just as helpful as recommendations from friends or family.
• 46% of consumers believe a review from a stranger holds as much weight as a friend’s suggestion when buying online.
• Despite word of mouth’s enduring value, 93% of consumers still read online reviews before purchasing, illustrating the digital shift.
• Among younger demographics (18–34), up to 91% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• Online review platforms now function as digital word‑of‑mouth, broadening reach from one‑to‑one to many‑to‑many.
• For local businesses, more than 72% say they’re more likely to be chosen if reviews are positive, showing the substitution effect of online reviews for traditional referrals.

Reviews and Local SEO Impact

• Reviews are estimated to contribute around 10% of ranking factors for local search results.
• Businesses with strong review volume and recent reviews are 126% more likely to appear in the Google “3‑Pack.
• Local mobile searches with review‑rich results show conversion rates of ~80% within 24 hours.
• 57‑58% of all online reviews across platforms are hosted on Google, underlining Google’s dominance in local SEO.
• Having a complete Google Business Profile plus active reviews leads to 2.7× more clicks from local search results.
• Businesses that prompt reviews and maintain responses may lift their local listing visibility by over 230%.
• Review recency and quantity both influence local SEO; older, stale reviews reduce trust and ranking potential.
• For local brick‑and‑mortar businesses, managing review velocity is becoming a key competitive advantage.

Review Solicitation and Automation

• 77% of users say they would leave a review if directly asked by a business.
• Businesses using automated review requests see up to 35% more revenue compared to those that don’t.
• In 2025, about 80% of consumers were prompted by a business to leave a review.
• 40% of people are likely to leave a review when asked by email, while 27% respond to in-person requests.
• SMS and mobile app automation can increase review response rates by over 50% due to high mobile engagement.
• Automated review tools now integrate with point-of-sale systems or CRMs to trigger prompts immediately after transactions.
• Retail and service businesses using automation typically see their review counts grow by 10–15% monthly.
• Ethics-focused automation avoids incentivising only 5-star reviews, which helps sustain authenticity and trust.
• In 2025, the average business used 2–3 automated channels (email, SMS, app) for soliciting customer reviews.
• Automated solicitation campaigns can reduce the manual effort involved in review gathering by up to 60%.

Review Impact on Conversion Rates

• Displaying 5 or more reviews can boost conversion rates by up to 270%.
• Products with reviews show conversion rates 190%‑380% higher than non‑reviewed items, especially for premium categories.
• A one‑star increase in rating correlates with a 5‑9% revenue increase for restaurants.
• Reviews from verified buyers increase conversion rates by about 15%.
• Businesses that increased their review‑response rate from 10% to 32% saw up to an 80% increase in conversion rates.
• More than 90% of American customers read at least one review before purchasing, and 55% read at least four.
• For local businesses, appearing in the Google local pack with strong reviews can yield significantly higher foot‑traffic conversion due to high search intent.
• The positive impact of reviews extends beyond online; many offline purchases are influenced by prior online review reading.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Online reviews are not simply supplementary; they are essential. From the sheer volume and recency of reviews, to how businesses respond, to how mobile and SMS channels feed into review flows, every facet matters. When compared with traditional word‑of‑mouth, reviews provide broader reach, measurable influence, and actionable insights.

For businesses that harness this reality, optimizing automation, engaging with reviews, and leveraging review‑driven local SEO, the payoff is clearly higher conversion, greater trust, and stronger visibility. The message is clear: invest in reviews intelligently, and they will fuel both reputation and revenue.