Consumer Demand for Ratings & Reviews

• When making purchase decisions, North American Internet users trust recommendations from people they know and opinions posted by unknown consumers online more than advertisements on television, on the radio, in magazines and newspapers, or in other traditional media. (Nielsen Online, April 2009)

• 25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content (Socialnomics, 2009)

• 84% of consumers said they were more likely to check online for reviews prior to making a purchase compared to twelve months ago, according to a recent survey by Brand Reputation (Retail Bulletin, October 2009)

• Traditional social network ads fail to engage 96% of users; users "are looking for buyer reviews." (Telegraph UK, August 2009)

• 97% of UK female Internet users research products online and 92% of UK female Internet users buy products online. (eMarketer, February 2009)

• The survey (Conversations Among Consumers), which drew on the responses of 1,000 online shoppers, found that while 46 percent of e-shoppers find value in product recommendations from their friends, 47 percent look to onsite customer reviews when making a decision. (Manage Smarter, September 2009)

• Customer reviews are the most effective social tactic for driving sales, followed by question-and-answer features and a Facebook fan page where companies post information. (Etailing survey of 117 companies, September 2009)

• Some 70% of Americans say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before making a purchase, according to an October 2008 survey by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, a research and consulting firm. (Business Week, October 2009)

• 63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews. (Major consumer electronics retailer/iPerceptions study, January 2008)

• 81% consider the availability of customer reviews to be "very important" (33%)or "somewhat important" (48%). (Major consumer electronics retailer/iPerceptions study, January 2008)

• 70% of online consumers said they use the Internet to research everyday grocery products. (Prospectiv, January 2008)

• According to a survey of 2,445 US online consumers, 82% considered user-generated reviews “extremely valuable or valuable”. (North American Technographics Retail Online Survey Q3, 2008)

• Over 50% of respondents from Germany (56%), Italy (55%) and the UK (54%) agreed that “customer ratings/reviews help me decide whether or not to purchase a product/service”. (European Technographics Retail, Customer Experience and Travel Online Survey Q3, 2008)

• Customer reviews are an important research tool for online consumers, with 71 percent agreeing that consumer reviews make them more comfortable that they are buying the right product. (Nielsen Online Holiday Survey, December 2008)

• 41% of Europeans claim to have changed their mind about what brand to buy as a result of researching choices online, according to EIAA's latest Mediascope survey. (Mediascope Europe, November 2008)

• The Trust in Advertising survey of 26,000+ found that Consumer Recommendations are the most credible form of advertising. ("Social Media Marketing: The Right Strategy for Tough Economic Times" Awareness, 2008)

• Nearly 49% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a recommendation through a social media property; respondents most relied on the following sources when making a purchase decision: 60.53% user reviews; 20.48% comparison charts; 15.41% editorial reviews; 3.58% shared shopping lists. (Razorfish, October 2008)

• 46% of Britons now read online reviews or recommendations on a specific product before buying it and 32% are willing and able to publish a review online - but only 19% would be prepared to write a letter to a retailer. (1&1 Internet survey of 1600 consumers, December 2008)

• As of October 2008, almost half of US online adults read ratings and reviews at least once a month, and 19% post them. Nearly twice as many read reviews compared with 2007. (The Growth Of Social Technology Adoption, Forrester, October 2008)

• Nearly half (49%) of shoppers intend to do their holiday gift buying online (versus in-store), and 72% are planning to research products online prior to purchasing (vs. 65% in 2007). ("Mindset of the Multi-Channel Shopper Holiday Survey," e-tailing group, October 2008)

• 91% of millionaires say they always or often look at reviews before buying luxury goods; 68% of ultra-affluent shoppers use consumer reviews. (Unity Marketing/Google study, reported in AdAge, October 2008)

• Mobile user-generated content will generate $5.7 billion worldwide in 2012, up from $576 million in 2007. ("Mobile Social Networking: Opportunities & Forecasts 2008-2013," Juniper Research, October 2008)

• 57.2% of U.S. toy purchasers are influenced by product reviews online. (Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice, Fall 2008)

• 55% of surveyed Internet users consulted other people's opinions online, making reviews the #1 resource for product research. (Avenue A/Razorfish "Digital Consumer Behavior Study," October 2007)

• Seven in 10 (69%) consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact. (Deloitte & Touche, September 2007)

• In an online survey of 4,000 consumers, 63% said they had done internet research for health and beauty products. (Prospectiv, 2007)