The Importance of Reading Product Reviews Before Making a Purchase on An Online Marketplace

What are Product Reviews

Product reviews are customer feedback or thoughts for a specific product. Many online businesses allow customers to evaluate and review the products they purchase by including a review section on their website.

A product review allows potential buyers to form a firm opinion of the item before making a purchase. They may assess whether the product is worthwhile by reading the reviews and making an informed decision.

Meanwhile, if you’re a seller and haven't included an area for product reviews on your eCommerce website just because you're worried about bad feedback, you're missing out on many potential clients.

Who are Reading Reviews (Read Reviews)

Nowadays, almost everyone reads online reviews in the realm of the internet.  According to studies[1], 84% of those who read them place the same level of trust in them as they would a personal recommendation, based on the 91%. Reviews have tangible consequences that can be measured.

When shopping at a store with great recommendations, the typical customer is willing to pay 31% higher.

Reviews of all sorts can be equally valid. 82% of those who read online reviews intentionally look for unfavorable comments[2].

This data shows that unfavorable reviews aren't ignored, yet some advantages exist. According to statistics, when people interact with negative thoughts, they stay on websites five times longer[3] and have an 85% higher conversion rate.

Customers prefer to read numerous evaluations. One review with a few encouraging comments can form an opinion, but it takes several hundred reviews that all agree to form a consensus. It is best to have more reviews, and one study indicated that for an average star rating to be considered reliable, buyers need to read at least 40 reviews[4]. Even so, a few reviews are preferable to none because it helps with the consumer’s decision-making process.

Why are Product Reviews Important (Read Reviews)

The number of people making purchases has exploded in today's age of consumerism. We enjoy shopping just as every other person does. There are several things to think about when we want to buy or shop for something. Once you read evaluations concerning the products and the vendors, these factors become less demanding to consider. Before making a purchase, it's crucial to read reviews for the following important reasons:

1. Precautionary Measure

Reading online reviews is a precautionary measure you may take before making a purchase. By taking this precaution, you can learn more about the product's quality and the seller's reputation so that you won't be taken advantage of. Reading reviews can help you avoid unfavorable outcomes and is highly convenient and helpful.

2. Social Proof Online 

The product’s social proof helps us better grasp the experience and outcome that others have had by reading its reviews. The social proof provided by the reviews will facilitate your decision-making process. This is because it provides concrete evidence that the product, company, or business is legitimate and trustworthy.

3. Authenticity and Dependability

You should study reviews of goods or sellers to determine their credibility. You can evaluate the seller's reliability and whether or not you should purchase the product by reading reviews to determine its validity. It might be challenging to determine whether a product is reliable when you wish to shop. You can get advice by reading reviews on that.


When shopping online, credibility is a crucial factor to take into account. You can easily determine the quality of a product or a seller by reading the reviews left by previous clients.

Benefits of Product Reviews to the Buyer

Online reviews have advantages, even though not all customers read what other customers say. Shortsightedness can result from believing that other people's opinions are irrelevant or only relevant to them. Checking out reviews is beneficial for everyone who wants to purchase any kind of merchandise, and here are its four benefits:

1. Customers Learn More About the Products

Reviews do more than only express the buyer's sentiments about what they didn't like about the product. The customer may provide comprehensive details regarding the operation of the product, related features, and essential specifications. A potential customer can get specific information from someone who says, "I disliked how the product took too long to assemble," or "I enjoyed how easy the product was to use." Yes, specific details can be gathered from the product description itself. However, these descriptions aren't as comprehensive or descriptive as a customer review. Some people may write lengthy reviews that give incredibly detailed explanations of what to anticipate from the product. That dramatically reduces the purchase's element of mystery.

2. A Great Way To learn if the Product is Worth the Money

Consumers anticipate a dollar-to-benefit ratio when they pay for a product. If a particular product has a prolonged lifespan, it can be worthwhile to spend a lot of money on it. A product offering a consumer financial benefit, such as anything increasing energy efficiency, also provides positive value.
Only some have a huge budget for purchasing goods. Spending money on something that isn't worth it won't assist a tight budget. Making the right purchasing selection involves knowing what to expect financially from a purchase. Reviews of products include this vital information.

3. It helps Consumers Choose Between Buying or Switching to Other Brands

Everyone enjoys receiving what they anticipate from a product. Buying a premium product you are familiar with is one of the simplest ways to get this result. When purchasing the same model of automobile or television, surprises are avoided. Such purchasing choices reveal the core of brand loyalty. However, by taking this approach adamantly, consumers might not be purchasing the most excellent product. What happens when customers stick with a company that sells mediocre goods despite making a less-than-ideal purchase decision early on? These customers may need to step outside of their comfort zone.
Consumers must feel pressured in some way to leave their comfort zone. Why would you stop purchasing product "Y" when product "X" only offers questions? Reading product reviews removes such ambiguous question marks because of the information provided by the reviewers.

4. Access to Reliable Commentary

Not every review of a product or customer is written by a consumer alone. Publishing product reviews is a significant focus for established media companies' online and print publications. Consumer evaluations that have been professionally published aim to provide an objective, factual analysis of products. Customers tend to place a lot of trust in these reviews. There is no cause to question the validity of the review opinions as long as the organization releasing the thoughts upholds constant reliability. Consumer review publications undoubtedly aid in providing a clear image of a product's advantages or disadvantages.

Benefits of Product Reviews to the Seller (Customer Reviews)

Despite providing benefits to the consumers, product reviews also offer advantages to the sellers or businesses offering the product, such as:

1. Boosting Sales

An online review is one of the most prominent forms of social proof available. For instance, if potential buyers check the product's listing in the marketplace or in the business's website, and once they notice that it has hundreds or even thousands of 5-star ratings, they will know that the seller has a reputable company and that customers are happy with their goods and/or services. This can increase sales, which would increase their revenue.

2. It Makes the Company More Visible Online

Most consumers will use search engines like Google to find what they need when looking for things. These websites use detailed indexing and content display methods, yet the algorithms prioritize new original information. Customer reviews can help, making search engine algorithms show the business' website even more.

3. Encourages Conversation About the Product and Business

A positive or negative review can get around very quickly. The best way for businesses to encourage conversation among consumers and leave reviews of their services or goods is by growing the company's reach.

This may be done by the seller through sending emails with a voucher or discount to buyers and asking them to utilize it as well as leave a review. With this approach, it can generate both favorable feedback and sales.

In Conclusion