Top ways consumers show brand love in 2023: insights into the modern online dialogue

Nearly 30 years ago, Amazon first let customers post product reviews online to share firsthand feedback. Back then, nobody could have guessed its immense impact on the modern customer journey.

But three decades on, what exactly is the impact of online reviews and review platforms in 2023? How do they drive modern consumer behavior, habits, and brand loyalty? And what can location-based brands do to best leverage reputation management and deep listening CX technology to leap past the competition and thrive in a marketplace dominated by the voice of the customer (VoC)?

To find these answers, Chatmeter initiated a survey to better understand how consumers use online reviews and what the future will hold for brands and consumers regarding customer feedback. We surveyed 1,369 people who reported relying on reviews to help in their day-to-day decision-making.

Here’s a first look at what we found. Then go deeper by downloading the full report, How Do Consumers Show Brand Love: Consumer Brand Love and the Online Dialogue, and explore all the survey findings.

What do consumers really want and expect out of brands and online reviews in 2023?

Whether scrolling through star ratings to choose the coffee shop nearby with the best latte or find the most qualified family physician in town, reviews greatly influence a consumer’s decision-making process — and ultimately a brand’s success. As local competition grows stronger than ever, people heavily rely on the VoC feedback they see on platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Bing to guide their final choice in a product or service.

According to our survey, a staggering 88% of respondents use online reviews to evaluate product and service quality. This number can’t be overlooked. Reviews can’t be seen as a moment-in-time reaction to an experience. Nor can they be viewed as public feedback meant solely for other customers.

Online reviews are integral and ongoing aspects of a two-way dialogue that — if communicated correctly — becomes part of a life-long relationship. This is fantastic news for marketers focused on building brand loyalty and advocacy. When used strategically, that dialogue becomes an opportunity to stand out from the competition.

Here are some of the key insights pulled from Chatmeter’s survey to show why accelerating an online review and reputation strategy can be your brand’s secret sauce to lasting success:

81.7% of respondents are frequent readers of online reviews. 35.6% reported that they are frequent posters.

While not everyone regularly posts online reviews, well over three-quarters of consumers closely watch what is said about a brand online.

In an uncertain economic climate, enterprise CMOs and marketing leaders must consider what drives strong ROI and loyalty. As businesses evaluate their current investments and explore new revenue-boosting strategies, our studies prove that organizations can’t overlook the massive impact of the online review.

Brands can succeed in any climate by capturing and analyzing structured and unstructured VoC data from the 35.6% of consumers who frequently post reviews online. Go further by attracting the right kind of attention from the 81.7% who read those reviews. By leveraging location CX and reputation management software, your team can amplify positive online feedback to the right audience, identify actions that build trust, and listen deeply to customer needs — all from one powerful and user-friendly platform.

76% would update their negative review to a neutral or positive if a company acknowledged and fixed the complaint

For rants and raves alike, people see reviews as an authentic way to engage and connect with brands. From there, it’s the brand’s job to listen and reciprocate. By embracing omnichannel communication, businesses can seamlessly build stronger customer relationships and open up opportunities to boost their online reputation.

As the stat above shows, people don’t just post reviews to warn others of their less-than-stellar experience. They want businesses to actively listen and solve their pain points. Survey results revealed that 58% of respondents want brands to acknowledge their feedback and fix problems quickly. If they do, customers are so forgiving that the vast majority (76%) will change the previously negative review into a positive or neutral one. About 11% would go back and delete that negative review entirely.

It’s not just poor reviews worth focusing on. Happy customers love to be enthusiastic brand ambassadors. Almost three-quarters (74%) of those who rarely leave reviews say they would consider doing so after an incredibly fantastic buying experience.

39% like the idea of using emerging technologies such as ChatGPT for gaining review insights

Online reviews didn’t stop in the 1990s with Amazon and don’t expect review-related innovations to slow down anytime soon. People across demographics are excited about the next generation of brand and product discovery through online reviews. Survey results revealed that 30% of respondents like the idea of the Metaverse, and 39% are interested in trying out ChatGPT for review purposes.

While excitement for the Metaverse and ChatGPT is about twice as high for Gen X and Baby Boomers vs. younger generations, Millennial and Gen Z consumers do look to emerging platforms for the next wave of review response trends. However, their heightened interest lies more in TikTok and gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnight. Over 30% of Millennials reported using gaming platforms for reviews, and 18% of respondents ages 18-29 posted a review on TikTok about a product they purchased.

This is just the start of what Chatmeter uncovered in the expansive survey report. Download the full report now for many illuminating insights on building brand love through online reviews.

Level up your review response game

Online reviews open the door to consumer engagement and loyalty, all without sales pressure and resources. Optimize the power and passion of real-time VoC data — and trust the right technology to pave the way.

Explore Chatmeter’s comprehensive solutions suite and discover why thousands of locations worldwide trust our software to amplify brand loyalty, engagement, and revenue. Check out the interactive Chatmeter demo now!