Consumers Like Reading Online Reviews, Not Writing Them - eMarketer
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Consumers Like Reading Online Reviews, Not Writing Them

More than a third of respondents said they rarely leave online reviews after making a purchase

Reviews can be an important aspect of the shopping experience because many consumers rely on them to help influence whether they should make a purchase or not. According to July 2016 research, roughly half of internet users said they always, or at least most of the time, check online reviews before making a purchase. But when it comes to leaving a review for others to rely on, they rarely do so.

US Internet Users Who Check Online Reviews Before Making Purchases, by Frequency, July 2016 (% of respondents)

AYTM Market Research found that online reviews are a big part of consumers’ purchasing decisions. Some 20.1% of US internet users said they always check online reviews before making a purchase. And more than a quarter (29.5%) of respondents said they check online reviews most of the time.

Even 24.6% of respondents said they read reviews about half the time. Just 9.9% of internet users said they never check online reviews before making a purchase.

US Internet Users Who Leave Online Reviews After Making a Purchase, by Frequency, July 2016 (% of respondents)

When it comes to actually leaving a review after making a purchase, just 6.2% of respondents said they always do. And 14.8% said they do it most of the time. Many consumers seldom do, AYTM Market Research revealed. More than a third said they rarely leave a review, and 19.6% of respondents said they never do.

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