Study Finds Two-Thirds of Online Reviews are Negative

According to a recent research commissioned by P&G Professional, almost two-thirds of online reviews are negative. 

We all know by now that online reviews have the power to make or break brands. Since this is the case, having a strong online presence is all about good rating scores. For brands to achieve that, the first thing they need to provide their customers with is good products and services and even better customer service.

Two-Thirds of Online Reviews are Negative

A survey of 2,000 adults from the United Kingdom who leave reviews on social media and other review platforms regarding products and/or services shows that a regular online user leaves an average of 36 reviews each year. The study results show that 24 out of those 36 reviews are negative.

To be more specific about the participants, 41 percent of them leave negative reviews as a warning for others, 15 percent prefer to leave poor reviews simply because leaving praise reviews would make them feel awkward, and 18 percent just forget to leave reviews since they didn’t encounter a specific problem.

What’s more, study results reveal that one in 20 adults declare that they leave negative reviews so that they could get a discount or a freebie in their future purchases, and 53 percent of them trust customer reviews more than star ratings.

Online customers are prone to share negative experiences

Considering online reviews' tremendous effect on businesses, having a higher star rating is important and getting good reviews is crucial. However, the findings show that most of the reviews people leave online are negative, meaning that online customers are more prone to share their experiences with brands if they’re unhappy about them. This makes things harder for companies to stand out among their competitors.

What matters the most is not just getting good reviews, but making sure to keep the negative reviews levels at a minimum. In case of a bad review, companies should try to contact customers and work with them in order to improve their experiences. Coincidentally, the study results indicate, 66% of the participants think that brands should take on board customer service reviews in order to improve their service and learn from bad reviews.