The Impact of Customer Ratings on Buyer's Intention

Online product reviews usually affect purchasing behaviour. People read reviews to double-check if they purchase from a reputable business and if the products work well. The importance of a review, and how often customers rely on it varies. Studies show that 31% of customers are interested in grocery shop reviews while 60% are likely to read a restaurant review and 70% of consumers need technology products, gadgets etc...

It’s a must for business owners to pay a great deal of attention to the feedback and read reviews to understand consumers’ needs. Some consumers who are happy with their products usually give praise and hints about what would make them buy again.

Personal preferences that affect buying decisions include age, gender, race, and level of involvement. The level of involvement plays a great role in the process of making buying decisions. Customers frequently express an emotional attitude to the product in the reviews.
Obsessing with some goods is not a rarity even if the product is not practical. A lack of online consumer reviews tells two things about your business – either you don’t sell enough to get the review or you’re not confident enough to allow your customers to leave feedback.

Every stage in the process of online decision-making is closely connected to psychological factors as most of the marketing activities are aimed at appealing to the desired state of a customer. The aspiration to make a purchase leads to motivation. Motivation pushes people to take action and a good review is a good stimulus for motivation.

How does it all enhance the importance of online reviews? People love reading someone else’s opinion and assessing whether the purchase was successful for these buyers or not. Customers believe reviews as much as personal recommendations. 94% reported an online review had convinced them to avoid the purchase. Quite often people compare two brands in their reviews, which also is either beneficial or harmful for the business.

Top online review sites today are Google My Business, Facebook, Amazon, Yelp, Trip Advisor, Yellow Pages, BBB, Manta, Foursquare, etc. Among online ratings and reviews websites, Google reviews for business still have paramount importance.