greater purchase likelihood
for products displaying five reviews versus none in Northwestern’s study.
View sourceA negative review can cost more than one sale.
Reviews shape trust before a prospect calls, books or buys. One poor experience can influence many future decisions—but the real cost depends on your traffic, conversion rate and customer value.
What the research tells us
What the research tells us
These findings show why reputation matters, while their original contexts are important.
revenue impact per star
associated with a one-star Yelp increase for independent restaurants in Harvard research.
View sourcewrote a business review
in the previous 12 months in BrightLocal’s 2026 US consumer survey.
View sourceEstimate your exposure
What could weaker trust cost your business?
Enter your normal monthly figures, then choose a possible percentage of sales lost because prospects are put off by weaker reviews.
How this estimate works1. 1,000 × 5% = 50 expected sales2. 50 × 10% = 5 potentially lost sales3. 5 × £100 = £500 per month
Expected sales50
Potentially lost sales5
Possible monthly revenue at risk£500Possible annual revenue at risk: £6,000
This is an adjustable planning example, not a prediction. It does not claim that reviews caused a particular loss.
Why negative reviews matter
The cost can spread across the whole customer journey.
Fewer first choices
Low ratings and repeated complaints can remove a business from a customer’s shortlist before the website is visited.
Lower conversion
Unanswered concerns increase uncertainty at the exact moment a prospect is deciding whether to buy.
Pressure on acquisition costs
If fewer prospects convert, each lead generated through advertising, search or referrals becomes more expensive.
Lost learning
Ignoring negative feedback means service problems can repeat, creating more complaints and avoidable customer loss.
The upside of positive reviews
Positive reviews turn good experiences into visible trust.
Authentic, recent feedback gives future customers evidence that a business delivers what it promises. It can reduce uncertainty, strengthen social proof and support better conversion.
- Build confidence before contact
- Make marketing claims more credible
- Help customers compare competing businesses
- Create a steady signal of recent customer satisfaction
How TrustBoost helps
Turn feedback into a repeatable improvement loop.
Invite every eligible customer
Send consistent email and SMS feedback requests after genuine customer experiences.
Capture useful detail
Collect ratings, comments and visit information in a simple branded journey.
Act on problems sooner
Notify the team about poor experiences so issues can be understood and followed up.
Measure what changes
Track responses, sentiment and recurring themes with dashboard data and monthly AI reports.
Build trust from every customer experience.
Start with a seven-day trial and create a more consistent feedback process.
Start your free trial