Well The Onion is known for it’s parody posts – and this is a funny one. But.. the actual lesson here is that people DO check out your Yelp reviews, your Google reviews, your menu, your website and more before they decide to try your restaurant out or visit your store.

In fact, according to a recent article in Oberlo, here are:

The Top 10 Online Review Statistics for 2021

  • 9 out of 10 people read reviews before making a purchase

  • 62% will not buy from someone if they censor their reviews

  • 3 out of 4 shoppers trust reviews just as much as their friends

  • 57% of consumers rely on Google for local reviews

  • 56% of consumers read at least 3-4 reviews before buying

  • Almost half of internet users leave at least 1 review monthly

  • Over 50% expect a reply to a negative review within a week

  • 97% of consumers also read the responses from the business

  • 8 out of 10 consumers rely on reviews for local businesses

  • Product pages with reviews have 3.5x more conversions