Top 5 Insights About Review Writers That You're Missing

Reviews play a crucial role in consumer decision-making. Based on a study, in 2024, 48% of consumers reported that testimonials from specific individuals enhance their favorable perception of a business, an increase from 40% in 2023. We studied current research on users who write reviews and made 5 key conclusions. Read about them to see what might be affecting your online reputation.

According to a Synup study, 34% expect to get responses within 2-3 days after they leave a review. Customers expect companies to respond to both negative and positive feedback, and this interaction influences their choices. It's important for a business to engage with all reviews — both positive and even those without text.

According to Forbes, 40% of youth (for 18 to 24-year-olds) use TikTok as a search engine, replacing Google. Based on this, we can conclude that young users are now reading company reviews directly on TikTok instead of Google. When they are looking for reviews about 'Bershka', they might not even visit Google. They'll just open TikTok and type "Bershka Reviews." What they’ll see there is a completely different picture: unboxings, reviews, and humorous sketches with tens of thousands of views. This is a layer of reputation you can’t afford to miss. So, you need to focus on reviews on TikTok.

What does this mean for businesses?

In addition to monitoring reviews on TikTok, we recommend not only engaging with current trends to boost your brand’s reputation but also considering collaborations with influencers. In TikTok, nano-influencers — creators with between 1,000 and 10,000 followers — are particularly impactful. This is due to the social media audience's increasing demand for authenticity and relatability, especially among younger users, over polished visuals. By 2025, this trend is expected to grow even stronger. So, start connecting with influencers in your niche now: if you run a café, for example, find local city-based experts and invite them to review your place.

According to recent studies, a 3.4 out of 5 rating is the minimum threshold at which users are willing to give a company a chance. Only about 13% of consumers would consider engaging with a business rated at 2 stars or below. And it makes sense: think about it when searching for a restaurant to celebrate a birthday, a salon for a haircut, or a medical center for care. We usually pass over businesses with ratings below 3.3 or even 4 stars on Google Maps.

According to Thrive, a single negative review can have a significant impact, potentially causing a business to lose as many as 30 customers.

What does this mean for businesses?

It’s clear that raising a low rating is essential. However, we recommend starting with an in-depth analysis and paying close attention to what customers mention in their reviews. Perhaps your café has uncomfortable chairs or an unfriendly barista, your store stocks outdated items, or your salon employs an inexperienced hairdresser. Also, take note of the positives: if customers rave about your pumpkin spice latte, consider keeping it on the menu through the winter!

Increasing the number of reviews is, of course, a good strategy. Set up a streamlined review generation process, and in the next section, we’ll explain why review generation is one of the most popular channels.

Surprisingly, the top three channels for requesting reviews are led by email marketing. InMoment’s research highlights that up to 70% of reviews originate from emails requesting feedback after a purchase. This approach not only boosts review generation but also allows businesses to connect reviews with actual transactions, as they are based on customer emails collected at the point of sale — adding an extra layer of credibility to the feedback.

What does this mean for businesses?

Set up review generation with automated emails sent after a customer visits your location or makes a purchase. This should bring good results. However, we also recommend focusing on review generation through QR codes, as it's the simplest and fastest way to gather feedback. We covered this method in detail on our blog.

According to the Wisernotify research, 65% of consumers say that seeing customer-generated photos and videos helps build trust in a product, making them more likely to make a purchase.

What does this mean for businesses?

Motivate users to leave not just text reviews, but also to take photos and videos at your location and add them to location-based services to attract even more customers. After all, you might have the most beautiful restaurant in the city, or your masters might do the best manicure, which is hard to describe in words alone. Photos and videos can tell the story better than words! And of course, create an attractive environment for photos. If you provide services, offer to take pictures of clients during training, work, or showcase their results afterward.

It's important to understand how users leave feedback to improve a business's online reputation. Studies show that actively engaging with reviews, especially on TikTok, and using email to gather feedback increases customer loyalty and influences their purchasing decisions. Companies need to not only respond quickly to reviews but also consider photos and videos to enhance trust in their products. Certainly businesses must adapt to new trends and actively communicate with customers through various channels.

If you're feeling unsure or overwhelmed about optimizing your review management and boosting review generation, we're here to support you. Get in touch with us today to talk about the challenges you're facing, and we'll work together to find effective solutions.