As marketers, we understand how crucial a positive online reputation is, but, we know it can be a little more difficult to sell the need to your clients.
That’s why we’ve created this ultimate list of online reviews statistics to help you demonstrate to clients and prospects why they need to put their reputation first – complete with free-to-use images to add to your own sales collateral – updated for April 2020.
Stats are pulled from our own extensive research, as well as trusted external sources to provide all the facts you need to prove to clients:
- Why they need to invest in online reputation management
- How many reviews they need, and the star ratings they need
- The benefits to be gained from monitoring, growing, and responding to reviews
And, if you wanted a helping hand to build a 5-star reputation, our Reputation Manager can save you time and effort by managing all of your clients’ online reviews. Find out how it works.
Why Businesses Need Online Reviews



- The most valuable local marketing services: 1) GMB optimization, 2) On-site optimization, 3) Reputation management, 4) Citation management, 5) Website design. [Source: BrightLocal, Local Search Industry Survey]
How Online Reviews Impact Trust

- A positive reputation online helps customers trust businesses, converts searchers into leads, and boosts local search rankings. [Source: BrightLocal, Online Reputation Management Survey]



What’s Holding Businesses Back From Managing Their Reputation



Why Businesses Need More Reviews

- Consumers read an average of 10 online reviews before feeling able to trust a local business. [Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey]

- The purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than a product with 0 reviews. [Source: Spiegel Research Center, How Online Reviews Influence Sales]

- 74% of local businesses have at least one review on Google. Hotels, restaurants, and bars have the most. [Source: BrightLocal, Google Reviews Study]

- The average local business has 39 reviews on Google My Business. [Source: BrightLocal, Google Reviews Study]

- Businesses ranking in Google’s local positions 1-3 have an average of 47 reviews, while businesses in positions 7-10 have 38 reviews. [Source: BrightLocal, Google Reviews Study]

- The average consumer spends 13 minutes and 45 seconds reading reviews before making a decision. [Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey]
What Star Rating Businesses Should Aim For





- The average Google Reviews star rating is 4.42 stars. Senior living services, car dealerships, and hotels have the lowest ratings. [Source: BrightLocal, Google Reviews Study]

- Only 5% of businesses have a Google average star rating below 3 stars, while 61% have 4-5 stars. [Source: BrightLocal, Google Reviews Study]

Which Review Sites Matter Most




Why You Should Ask For Reviews


- Consumers that write reviews for local businesses wrote an average of 9 in 2019. 18-34-year-olds write twice as many reviews as people aged 55+. [Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey]

- The most common ways local businesses ask for reviews: 1) In person, 2) Via email, 3) Over the phone, 4) On receipts, 5) Via SMS. [Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey]
Why Businesses Must Respond to Reviews

- 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to visit a business that responds to their negative reviews. [Source: ReviewTrackers, Online Reviews Survey]

- 53% of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week. [Source: ReviewTrackers, Online Reviews Survey]




How Fake Reviews Are Threatening Local Businesses



We hope our list of online reviews statistics is useful in setting your online reputation management strategy. If you have any questions about managing your online reviews, or wanted to share any useful research, please let us know in the comments!
The post The 40 Online Reviews Statistics You Need in 2020 appeared first on BrightLocal.