LocalImpact, an online reputation management platform for local businesses, released new research showing that 88% of US consumers have decided against a business after reading negative online reviews, highlighting the growing influence of online reputation on purchasing decisions.
The study, The State of Online Reviews 2026, is based on a survey of 1,068 US adults and examines how consumers read, trust, and write online reviews, and how those reviews shape their buying decisions.
The findings show that reading reviews has become a near-universal habit. 92% of consumers have read an online review in the past year, and 67% check reviews before making a purchase either often or every time.
Star ratings act as a hard filter
The data suggests consumers use star ratings to screen businesses before reading a single review. More than 78% of consumers won’t consider a business with a rating below 4 stars, and 27% only buy from businesses rated 4.5 stars or higher.
Volume matters too. 43% of buyers read between 4 and 6 reviews before deciding to make a purchase, and nearly a third read 7 or more.
Google dominates, and consumers expect fast responses
86% of consumers use Google to look up reviews, well ahead of Yelp (34%), Facebook (28%), and Trustpilot (15%). Respondents also mentioned checking reviews on Amazon, Reddit, and YouTube.
Consumers also hold businesses to tight response timelines. 70% expect a business to reply to a review within 1 to 3 days. Response quality carries weight as well: 78% of buyers said a thoughtful response to a negative review made them more likely to trust a business.
Most consumers write reviews, and they write them quickly
72% of consumers have left an online review for a business. Other findings on review-writing behavior include:
- 65% say a great customer experience is their main motivation for leaving a review
- Over a third of reviews are written on the day of the purchase
- Most reviews are written within a week of the experience
Quote from LocalImpact
“Online reviews have become the front door of every local business. Consumers are checking ratings and reading multiple reviews before they ever walk in or call, which makes review management a core part of the sales process,” said Vitaly Motuz, CEO of LocalImpact.
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