This is how important online reviews are when making a purchasing decision

Editorial Board

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January 15, 2024

Opinions can vary when it comes to online product and provider reviews. On the one hand, it is part of a feedback culture that can provide consumers with guidance in the Internet jungle. On the other hand, there is a risk of buying a fake reputation through manipulated reviews. A current survey of 1,019 respondents conducted by the digital and opinion research institute Marketagent Switzerland shows how strongly the Swiss are influenced by online experience reports in their decision-making and purchasing behaviour.

Nearly five respondents to the Marketagent survey said that online reviews are very or somewhat important to them. A deeper look at the age structure shows a clear generational trend: for digital natives from Generation Z (60%) and millennials (58%), the use of online reviews is much more common than for Generation X (42%). Especially baby boomers (27%).

Differences in product categories

However, the importance of reviews also varies significantly between different product categories: for holidays (62%), and gastronomy and technology (55% each), online reviews are most important to consumers.

The fact that trust in online reviews is limited is not surprising given the increasing prevalence of fake reviews. 52% of those surveyed said they had already noticed fake reviews, and 36% said this had happened several times. It is also estimated that the percentage of fake reviews is relatively high at 36 percent. While nearly one in three Gen Zers are confident in their ability to spot fake reviews, that confidence drops to 13 percent among baby boomers, which also explains this generation's overall lower trust in online reviews.

When identifying fake reviews, participants rely primarily on textual evidence. (Almost) half of survey respondents are suspicious when there are many reviews with the same wording, reviews are overly positive or look more like ad text.

Business behaviour, i.e. how responsive they are to praise or criticism, is also an important factor for 51% of those surveyed. When it comes to the tone of reviews, Swiss consumers take a holistic view. 63 percent read roughly the same number of positive and negative reviews. The extent to which the latter influences the purchasing decision cannot be ignored: a clear majority of those surveyed – specifically 83 percent – ​​reported that they had actually refrained from making a purchase, booking, etc. because of a bad review. There must be at least four stars for a product or company to be considered. For the majority of participants (55%), reviews should be no more than six months to a year old.