News · Google and reviews
How much do reviews matter to win a customer in 2026
97% of people read reviews before choosing a local business, spending an average of nearly fourteen minutes reading around ten reviews before deciding whether to trust it. It's not a quick glance: it's where a real chunk of the decision actually happens.
Updated 2026-08-22
The bar moved up
68% of people now only consider businesses with 4 stars or higher, and 31% require 4.5 or higher, nearly double the 17% who said the same the year before. Fall a star short of that and a business gets cut from the list before anyone reads a single review word for word.
Old reviews barely count
73% of people only trust reviews written in the last month. A business with a hundred reviews from three years ago and nothing new since looks, for practical purposes, almost like it has none at all. Asking for reviews on an ongoing basis, not just once when the business opened, is what keeps that number current.
One more figure worth keeping in mind: people say they're willing to pay 22% more for a service from a business with a strong online reputation. Reviews don't just bring the call in, they hold up the price once it does.
Sources: LocaliQ, Capital One Shopping.