Consumers Believe Five-Star Reviews are not Credible

A recent study suggests that five-star reviews may not be as useful as you imagined.

In December 2019, reviews platform, TrustPilot commissioned a study that involved over 6,300 adult internet users. Respondents were from the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.

The researchers wanted to understand how reviews or review environment could affect consumer trust. The findings portray a kind of dissonance.

The rise in fake news has led to a significant decline in trust toward brands and media. So, it was surprising when the study found that 48 percent of consumers in the U.S. rely on reviews today than they did two years ago.

According to the report, 90 percent of consumers in the United States check reviews online before making purchases. Meanwhile, 89 percent of consumers globally do the same.

Here’s another takeaway from the study.

Five-Star Reviews are Less Credible

Consumers believe that the internet is filled with fake reviews.

In fact, 49 percent of the participants said that too many companies are creating fake reviews online. And they are worried that these reviews could make them waste money on inferior products or services.

What’s more, some of the participants dismiss a 5-star review as the product of manipulation. In other words, consumers are less likely to trust 5-star reviews unless negative comments bolster it.

Fifty-five percent of the respondents said they prefer products with a large number of reviews and average rating over a small amount with an excellent rating. On the other hand, 56 percent said they would commit to a 5-star product or service only after detailed research.

Finally, 16 percent of the participants believe that 5-star ratings are fake.

Businesses are always seeking a five-star review while purging unflattering comments at the same time. The TrustPilot study suggests that this may be a mistake. It turns out that consumers want to see some mixed reviews to be sure that the feedbacks are genuine.

Critical reviews may not be such a terrible thing, after all.