What Makes An Online Review Helpful, and Why Do People Leave Them?

March 23, 2023

Online reviews have long been influential in the purchase decision-making process, but what is it about reviews that people find the most helpful? To find out, Chatmeter surveyed [download page] almost 1,400 consumers who self-identified as frequent or infrequent review users and posters.

Respondents were most apt to say that the inclusion of specific details such as pricing, features, options, and quality make a review helpful, with roughly two-thirds (67%) saying that’s the case. Interestingly, 6 in 10 find it particularly helpful when a company responds to reviews with helpful comments that clear up their questions. In the past, research has likewise found that responding to reviews can have considerable benefits for brands, and that 4 in 10 consumers always read local businesses’ responses to reviews.

Meanwhile, other review features found valuable by respondents to the Chatmeter survey include explanations for the stars given (60%) and the inclusion of a story about the experience (46%).

Not surprisingly, online reviews are used most commonly to evaluate the quality of a product or service, as cited by almost 9 in 10 (88% of) respondents. Fully two-thirds (68%) use reviews as an important part of deciding what to buy, and almost half (49%) to evaluate the pricing of a product or service.

There are various reasons given by respondents for leaving reviews, but primarily they do so when they’ve had a great experience with a company (73%). Brands should be aware that while fewer do so when they’ve had a terrible experience with a company, 63% of respondents to this survey claimed that to be the case. Previous research likewise finds that many will leave reviews about poor products, though more will do so to praise an excellent product.

Other reasons for posting a review include wanting to give recognition to an employee who exceeded expectations (45%) and as a result of buying something that is fun or different (39%). Three in 10 said they leave reviews when they get a reward or perk from the company for doing so.

For more, download the report here.

About the Data: The results are based on a January survey of 1,369 adults (18+) who self-identified as frequent or infrequent review users and posters. Some 81.7% of respondents reported that they are frequent users of online reviews, while 35.6% reported that they are frequent posters.

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