This research explores the value of showcasing customer ratings and reviews in advertising, particularly the impact of Trustpilot content in digital campaigns.
Based on a survey of 1,000 US consumers, this London Research study reports on the benefits of using Trustpilot ratings and reviews to build trust and increase the propensity to purchase. The efficacy of Trustpilot compared to some of its competitors.
The research also looks at the extent to which specific types of Trustpilot content in online advertisements influence US consumers, including the Trustpilot logo and stars, TrustScore, the volume of reviews, and the impact of an authentic customer testimonial.
Looking at the impact of customer ratings and reviews at the broader level within the customer journey, 66% of consumers say they’re ‘often’ or ‘very often’ influenced by customer reviews during the trip to purchase, and 62% say the same of customer star ratings.
Regarding the impact of Trustpilot, almost three-quarters (71%) of US consumers agree that a good Trustpilot score makes them more likely to buy from a brand, compared to only 3% who disagree.
An even higher proportion (73%) agree that a good Trustpilot score makes them more likely to trust a brand (including consumers who hadn’t previously heard of Trustpilot).
Testing the value of Trustpilot ratings and reviews in ads Survey respondents were shown a series of digital advertisements for a fictitious car insurance brand and asked which ads they would be most likely to click through and potentially purchase.
Summary of the research
- Almost three-quarters (71%) of US consumers agree that a good Trustpilot score makes them more likely to buy from a brand, compared to only 3% who disagree.
- Almost three-quarters (73%) agree that a good Trustpilot score makes them more likely to trust a brand, compared to only 2% who disagree.
- An online advertisement for car insurance with the Trustpilot logo and stars is nearly two-and-a-half times more persuasive than the same ad without them.
- US consumers shopping for car insurance are ten times more likely to click a Trustpilot co-branded ad with a five-star customer rating, 3,000+ reviews, and a customer testimonial than an ad with no Trustpilot content.
- Trustpilot content in an ad can offset a lower discount: an ad with a five-star Trustpilot rating, 3,000+ reviews, a customer testimonial, and a 20% discount performs two-and-a-half times as well as the same ad with a 25% discount, but no Trustpilot content.
- US consumers are almost three-and-a-half times more likely to click a Trustpilot co-branded ad with a five-star customer rating, 3,000+ reviews, and a customer testimonial than a Yotpo co-branded ad showing the same information.
- An online advertisement for car insurance with just the Trustpilot logo and stars is 61% more effective than the same ad with the Yotpo logo and stars.
- US consumers are 38% more likely to click a Trustpilot co-branded ad with a five-star customer rating, 3,000+ reviews, and a customer testimonial than a Google co-branded ad showing the same information.
Importance of ratings and reviews in the buyer journey
In a world where consumers must be continually on their guard against disreputable businesses and even fraudsters, credible ratings and reviews play an increasingly important role in the customer journey.
Data released by the Federal Trade Commission in early 2022 shows that individuals lost more than $5.8 billion to fraud in 2021, an increase of more than 70% over the previous year.
Consumers understandably want to spend their money wisely during economic uncertainty and are also becoming savvier about suspect reviews used by less-known brands to bolster their credibility.
Our research shows that customer reviews remain the touchpoint most frequently referenced by shoppers as they become increasingly reliant on credible and authoritative information (Figure 1).
Two-thirds of US consumers (66%) now say they’re ‘often’ or ‘very often’ influenced by customer reviews during the journey to purchase, while 62% say the same for star ratings.
This does not surprise Kyle Rao, President, and CEO of Secure Medical. As the company behind eDrugStore.com, they are fully aware that consumers need to see that people like them have used a service before and rate it highly.
“There are a lot of consumers out there who have been burned, so a rating service is essential. It’s helpful for businesses to show they are trustworthy by putting green stars on their advertising.
We also put them at the bottom of all our emails to remind people they can trust us. So, it helps with both winning new customers and retaining them.”
Kyle Rao
President and CEO, Secure Medical