The Psychology Behind Online Reviews: What Consumers Really Think

September 05, 2025

Online reviews serve as social proof of what customers really think of the products/services. Online reviews assure consumers seeking similar products or services. Internet users rely heavily on online reviews, which become a major driving factor in decision-making. Whether you want this product or not depends on whether it has positive reviews or not.

But how do you understand the intent behind the review? What factors should we consider while writing reviews online? Let’s understand the psychology behind online reviews in this blog.

Why Do Customers Write Reviews in The First Place?

#1: Customers write reviews online to share their personal experience with a product or service

Customers write online reviews to share their experience with the product or service. They share their pain points and experiences with the product. It helps the other customers know about what features or capabilities a product has and how it solves individual problems. The positive reviews contribute towards building a positive reputation for the brand, while critical or negative reviews can impact the purchasing decision of other customers.

#2: Customers write reviews online to highlight the value-for-money feature of the product

Customers provide details of whether the product pricing markup justifies its quality and usage. In simple words, customers highlight the value-for-money feature of the product. Through this, other consumers can make an informed decision about whether they want the product in this particular price range or not.

#3: Customers write reviews online to provide features and characteristics of products/services

Customers provide details of the features and characteristics of the products or services. These aspects include the design of the product’s performance, quality and durability. By reading reviews, consumers can evaluate the positive and negative aspects of the service or the product, which offers a balanced perspective to other consumers.

To Sum Up

Every customer’s psychology is wired differently when it comes to reviews. Some customers focus on reading reviews even after hearing good things about the product from their friends and family. Some customers focus on writing reviews when they have a negative experience. Customers are more inclined towards providing reviews when their purchasing experience is not good. But for brands, reviews are the ultimate tool at their disposal that proves the worth and characteristics of their products.

There are not many customers who don’t know what reviews do. Brands keep pushing customers to leave a review on their product using Google reviews, ecommerce platform reviews, etc. To make an informed decision about purchasing any electronic goods, equipment, etc, you can look for genuine reviews from customers at VirtuousReviews.

Virtual Reviews enlists businesses from education, software, mobile development, online services, personal care, Legal, hotel and restaurant, Real Estate, on-demand services, entertainment, electronics, automotive, daily needs, shopping, events, cooking classes, wedding, insurance, sports, etc.