Impact of Customer Reviews on Sales

Updated March 4, 2025

Reading Time: 2 minutes

What can make or break a sale on an eCommerce site? A negative customer review. What could be worse? A bad review with no response from the brand. We all know the importance of customer reviews from a brand reputation standpoint. Now customer reviews — especially on local profiles play an even bigger role in the buyer journey. Let’s look at how user-generated content (aka customer reviews and comments) has a direct correlation to sales.

The Proof is in the Numbers

The impact of customer reviews is so important there has been a bevy of research studies. So a special thank you to Harvard Business Review, BrightLocal, Moz, Spiegel, and Search Engine Watch for publishing their data:

• 95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase
• 93% of customers will read customer reviews of local business to determine its quality
• When a product gets five reviews, the likelihood of it being purchased increases by 270%
• Even if an item has a higher-price and reviews are displayed, the conversion rate increases by 380%
• Verified reviews increases purchase by 15% over anonymous reviews
• Reviews account for about 15% of the method Google uses to rank local businesses
• 68% of consumers have left a review for a local business after being asked

95% of customers read reviews before making a purchase. Share on X

Google’s Algo Update for Product Reviews

Earlier this year Google announced a major update to its Product Reviews algorithm. What’s important: Google now holds Product Reviews to the same standard as content. What it means: the algorithm checks a product review to make sure it includes “highly relevant content.” Essentially the update focused on measuring qualitative on-page content citing that product reviews should be “nuanced and substantially detailed in nature.”

If you’re hosting a number of product reviews on your website, perhaps as part of a referral scheme, it’s (past) time to re-evaluate this strategy. Product reviews are meant to add real value. Remember, reviews are social proof that buyers frequently use to aid their decision-making process. Questions to ask:

• Do your product reviews help buyers figure out the differences between products?
• Are reviews vague and full of superlatives that provide little detail?
• Are product descriptions unique, highlighting helpful features or are they templated affiliate marketing copy?

From a user’s perspective, Google’s recent change in how they evaluate product reviews are a good thing. The update rewards products that highlight detailed information and useful feedback from previous customers.

#HumbleBrag

We can confirm first-hand the importance of customer review for sales. Our agency recently received its 8th on Clutch, a platform that conducts in-depth interviews of our clients and verifies quotes and results. We routinely point prospects to our profile as part of the vetting process. Collaborating on digital marketing efforts takes commitment and trust. And there’s no better sales pitch than direct quotes from a happy client. Here’s an example of what you can expect on our profile:

Customer Reviews on Your 2021 To-Do List?

Adding customer reviews to your Local SEO profiles, website, and to third-party verification sites on your 2021 to-do list? We can help with in-depth customer interviews and making sure your local profiles (like Google My Business, Bing, and Apple) put your best foot forward.