Consumer Views on Online Reviews
An independent study by ImpactSense
In May 2024, the UK government passed the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024, which included specific legislation prohibiting fake online review practices.
In November 2024, TruthEngine® commissioned research agency ImpactSense to carry out a consumer perceptions study. More than 1,000 UK consumers participated in the research, which explored attitudes, perceptions and behaviours in relation to online reviews.
Here we reveal five key findings and the implications for your company if you collect and publish online reviews about your products and services.
More than 90% of UK consumers consult online reviews at least sometimes before choosing a product or service
Implications:
Positive reviews about your products and services can help secure a sale, while negative reviews can lead consumers to buy from a competitor instead. And for nearly ¾ of consumers, this decision can happen at the last minute.
So, most consumers use reviews to make buying decisions, and most consumers have changed their mind about a purchase after reading a review.
More than 70% of UK consumers have changed their mind about choosing a manufacturer, company or service after reading an online review
Implications:
Online reviews have become a critical factor in the buying decisions of millions of consumers.
There is a clear business imperative to ensure that consumers can find and consider reviews on your products and services, particularly if they are able to find reviews about similar products and services offered by your competitors.
UK consumers think that online reviews are not always what they seem. In fact, our study showed that 56% of consumers are aware that a significant number of online reviews may be fake, and only 61% of consumers trust reviews
Implications:
There is a growing suspicion among consumers that reviews can’t always be trusted.
The UK’s new legislation specifically targeting fake reviews will be enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority. The regulator has announced it will enforce the DMCC Act from April 2025. We’ve already seen media interest picking up and this is likely to increase as we approach enforcement.
Increased media interest will create more awareness of fake reviews among consumers, putting online reviews in the spotlight.
The most important factor1 for consumers using online reviews when making their final decision on choosing a product or service is that the reviews are “verified or authentic”
Implications:
Increasingly, consumers will seek assurances that the reviews they are reading have been left by genuine customers of the products and services being reviewed.
Incorruptible “verified purchase” indicators or “independent authentication” indicators such as TruthEngine’s TruthMark ® will give consumers confidence that they can trust reviews.
1 The factors offered to survey respondents were: the overall customer rating e.g. the number of stars; the number of reviews; how recent the reviews are; verified or authentic reviews; the review source (i.e. the site / platform where the review is hosted)
Consumers feel strongly about the authenticity of online reviews and they will turn away from companies found to have fake reviews
Implications:
- More than 90% of consumers said it was “very important” or “important” that all reviews are genuine and not faked.
- 32% of consumers said they would not trust a company that was found to have fake reviews.
- 30% of consumers said they would avoid purchasing from companies found to have fake reviews
Companies with fake reviews risk not only regulatory penalties, but also an erosion of trust and reduced sales, which may be challenging to recover.
How can TruthEngine® help your company?
Step 1
Take the TruthEngine® Test and see if you might be exposed to the new legislation.
Step 2
Contact the team if you have any questions about online reviews and how to navigate the new legislation.
Step 3
Discuss an independent TruthEngine® audit of your reviews – we're here to help.