How Important Are Star Ratings?

So, how important are these ratings?

Imagine two businesses that offer the same services at the same price. The only difference is their star rating. Which one would you choose?

A high star rating can make your business look more trustworthy and appealing.

In this post, we'll explore how ratings affect your business and whether having a perfect 5-star rating is really that important. Let’s dive in!

How Ratings Affect Customers

Surveys show that when people research businesses online, they mainly look for two things:

1. Positive reviews
2. High star ratings

About 75% of people say reviews are the most important. Another 58% think star ratings are crucial when choosing a business. This means many people focus on the star rating without even reading the reviews.

So, having a good rating is key to getting more sales. But can having a score that’s too high be a problem?

Is a 4.5 Out of 5 Stars Better?

A perfect 5-star rating might seem great, but it can sometimes look too good to be true. Research shows that many people use filters to find businesses with at least a 4-star rating. Some people even filter for businesses with a perfect score.

However, most people make their decisions based on ratings between 4.2 and 4.5 stars.

It might seem strange, but this actually makes sense. People can be skeptical of businesses with perfect ratings because they might seem fake. They prefer businesses that seem real and authentic, even if their rating is slightly lower.

So, is a 4.5-star rating the lowest you should aim for?

How Low Can Your Rating Go?

Consumers don’t like low ratings.



While only a small number of people look for a perfect rating, about 40% of people will only consider businesses with at least 4 stars. Fewer people will choose a business with a 3-star rating (16%), and only 10% will go for a business with 4.5 stars.

If a business has a rating of 2.5 stars or lower, only 3% of people will consider it.

So, aim for at least a 4-star rating and work towards 4.5 stars. Always look for ways to improve!

Ratings Aren’t Everything

While high ratings are important, they’re not the only thing customers look at. Many people also check the number of reviews and how recent they are.

About 26% of consumers want to see between 11 and 50 reviews to trust a business. More than 18% expect between 50 and 100 reviews.

Also, 26% of people want reviews to be posted within the past month, and 22% prefer reviews that are only two weeks old.

Finally, 30% of people want businesses to respond to all reviews. If a business doesn’t reply to reviews, 22% of people will avoid it.

How to Improve Your Rating

Here are some easy ways to boost your rating to 4.5 stars and attract more customers:

Get More Reviews

The simplest way to improve your rating is to encourage your customers to leave reviews. More recent and numerous reviews can build trust.

Statistics show that 30% of people leave reviews when asked, and 12% always do it. Most of these reviews are 5-star ratings.

You can ask for reviews via email or text. Over 40% of people get review requests through email, and 27% through text.

Email is the most effective way to get reviews. About 80% of reviews come from follow-up emails, so make sure to send them out.

Respond to Every Review

Replying to reviews is very important. Always thank customers for their feedback, even if the review isn’t positive. Apologize for any issues and invite them to discuss it further offline.

Using Software to Help

To make reaching a 4.5-star rating easier, use software that helps with:

1. Automating review requests via email and text
2. Simplifying responses to feedback

ReviewArm can help with both. Our platform sends out review requests automatically after a customer makes a purchase. It also lets you monitor and respond to reviews from one place.

To see how it works, schedule a free demo by filling out our contact form. You’ll be on your way to a 4.5-star rating with minimal effort!

Sign up for our free trial and get ready to boost your Google rating today!