JRB Team - Inside the Data JRB Team Contributes to Global Study on Consumer Purchase Patterns

Inside the Data: JRB Team Contributes to Global Study on Consumer Purchase Patterns

The GoodFirms research report, “How Online Reviews Influence Consumer Buying Behavior Across Industries Globally,” highlights the transformative role of customer feedback in the modern digital economy. As a key research and survey partner, The JRB Team contributed to gathering and analyzing data from over 550 business professionals across 25 countries.

The study confirms that online reviews have moved from “nice-to-have” features to essential pillars of brand credibility and revenue growth.

Key Research Insights

  • Universal Influence: A staggering 97% of consumers are influenced by online reviews when making a purchase decision.

  • Trust Over Tradition: 91% of respondents believe that consumers now trust online reviews more than traditional marketing messages.

  • Sector Sensitivity: The impact is most significant in E-commerce (83%) and Travel & Hospitality (76%), where digital social proof is the primary trust signal.

  • Format Matters: While star ratings are the baseline, Video Reviews have emerged as the most impactful modern format (29%), followed closely by Verified Purchase badges (94% trust rate).

  • The Cost of Negativity: 80% of businesses report that negative reviews create a damaging first impression, with 61% noting a direct drop in conversion rates.

Critical Challenges for Businesses

Despite the clear importance of reviews, the research identified significant operational hurdles:

  1. Review Generation: 76% of businesses struggle to encourage happy customers to leave feedback.

  2. Authenticity: 54% of companies are concerned about fake, incentivized, or misleading reviews.

  3. Management: 39% of businesses plan to increase investment in professional review management and reputation tools in 2026.

Looking Ahead

The survey predicts a shift toward AI-driven moderation and a heavy emphasis on experience-focused feedback. Businesses that fail to actively manage their online reputation risk losing nearly their entire potential customer base to competitors with more robust social proof.