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In today’s digital marketplace, customer reviews have a significant impact on consumer purchasing decisions. This was confirmed in a recent survey by Capital on Tap, which found that 46% of Brits have been put off buying a product or service by a bad review.
The survey was conducted among a sample of 1,002 ordinary UK consumers in the month of April 2024. The survey also explored the reasons why customers leave negative reviews. As expected, the most common reason is dissatisfaction with the quality of the product or service. Up to 72% of respondents said they would leave a negative review if they experienced poor quality.
Customers also perceive a difference in the type of business they are reviewing. At least the UK sample shows a slightly more forgiving attitude towards small businesses than larger ones – a poor overall experience leads 69% of customers to leave negative feedback for national companies and 66% for small businesses.
Source: Depositphotos
Motivation for positive reviews
It’s easy to criticise, harder to praise – just about every business that interacts with people knows this. But is it possible to motivate customers to speak up, even when everything is going to plan? In this survey, 84% of respondents said they would leave a good review if they felt they had received a good reward. Quality customer service is a close second – encouraging up to 83% of people to leave a positive review.
Of course, an exceptional experience and high quality products and services remain the best strategy for getting positive reviews.
Alex Miles, COO of Capital on Tap, highlights the dual impact of reviews on consumer behaviour. He points out that even a single bad review can influence other customers’ purchases:
“Negative reviews can clearly have a big impact on consumer behaviour. In our research, 11% of people would not buy a product or use a service if it had an online rating of less than five stars”.
Don’t make it difficult
Customer reviews are particularly important in e-commerce, where the buyer has no direct contact with the product. They are both a powerful tool for influencing consumer decisions and for shaping a company’s reputation.
By understanding the factors that drive both positive and negative reviews, businesses can better navigate the digital marketplace and improve their customer relationships.
Miles advises companies to view negative reviews as an opportunity to improve and engage with customers. Addressing complaints not only resolves issues, but also demonstrates professionalism and a commitment to customer satisfaction. He also recommends actively encouraging reviews. Leaving a review should not be a complicated process and with good community management, customers will feel that their feedback has not gone to waste and is valued by the business.
