The most comprehensive collection of social proof data — reviews, testimonials, FOMO, UGC, and conversion stats. All with sources.
These are the headline statistics worth memorizing.
93%
of consumers say online reviews impact their purchase decisions
Source: Podium
270%
conversion increase when products display 5+ reviews
Source: Spiegel Research Center
88%
of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations
Source: BrightLocal
92%
of consumers hesitate to buy when no reviews are available
Source: Fan & Fuel
80%
conversion rate increase from video testimonials vs text
Source: Unbounce
62%
revenue increase per customer with consistent social proof
Source: DataPins
67%
more purchases when customer reviews are visible on websites
Source: Trustmary
40%
of consumers avoid buying products with zero reviews
Source: Trustmary
12.5%
average conversion rate on pages with social proof vs 11.4% without
Source: Amra & Elma
31%
more spending at businesses with positive reviews
Source: Invespcro
98%
of people read online reviews at least sometimes; only 2% never read them
93%
of consumers say online reviews impact their purchasing decisions
87%
of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
72%
of consumers trust customer reviews more than brand descriptions
57%
of consumers will only buy from businesses with at least 4 stars
40%
of consumers won't buy products with zero reviews
10
average number of reviews a consumer reads before feeling ready to buy
270%
conversion increase when displaying 5+ reviews
Spiegel Research Center
67%
e-commerce conversion rate growth with visible reviews
Trustmary
29%
service booking conversion rate increase with reviews
22%
more contact requests with visible reviews
68%
higher likelihood of being chosen with positive ratings
18%
sales increase from reviews on e-commerce sites
ConversionXL
The sweet spot is 4.2-4.5 stars — products in this range have a higher purchase likelihood than those with a perfect 5.0 rating.
87% won't consider a business with less than 3 stars
6% fewer consumers willing to use businesses with 3.5 stars in 2024 vs 2023
Products with 5.0 perfect ratings are trusted LESS than 4.2-4.5
A 3.5-star rating is increasingly viewed as inadequate
85%
don't trust reviews older than 3 months
73%
more impact from reviews less than 2 weeks old
#1
consumers prioritize recency over volume
79%
of people have watched a video testimonial to learn about a product
77%
say video testimonials convinced them to buy
80%
conversion increase from video testimonials vs text alone
2/3
of people say they're more likely to purchase after watching a testimonial video
6th
most common type of video content consumed online: product review videos
12.5%
conversion rate on landing pages with testimonials (vs 11.4% without)
31%
more spending at businesses with positive testimonials
Customer testimonials are most effective when placed near CTAs
Specific result testimonials ("increased revenue by 34%") outperform vague ones ("great product")
92%
of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after reading a trusted review
60%+
trust increase from case studies with specific metrics
54%
of B2B buyers visit a company's website after reading positive reviews
Reviews from similar companies have the highest influence on B2B purchase decisions
69%
of millennials experience FOMO regularly
60%
of people make reactive purchases because of FOMO
10-15%
conversion increase from social proof notifications (popups)
98%
conversion boost from real-time activity feeds
WiserNotify
56% of people fear missing out on events, experiences, or product launches
Low stock alerts increase add-to-cart rates by up to 33%
Countdown timers can boost conversions by 8-10% on average
"Only X left in stock" messages create immediate urgency
Caveat: fake scarcity erodes trust when detected
Products with a 4.2-4.5 rating outperform 5.0-rated products
Authenticity beats aggressive FOMO tactics
Consumers are increasingly skeptical of manufactured urgency
Brands overusing FOMO see diminishing returns over time
50%
of consumers find website trust badges reassuring
28%
say social proof icons make them click product pages
Security badges increase checkout completion rates
Displaying customer logos increases perceived credibility
"As seen in" media logos boost trust for unknown brands
Partner/client logos work especially well for B2B SaaS
23%
of consumers point to positive ratings/reviews as the #1 trust factor
Expert endorsements increase trust for technical/complex products. Industry awards and certifications serve as authority signals.
25%
higher click-through rates in email campaigns with reviews
Star ratings in email subject lines boost open rates. Testimonial snippets in email increase engagement.
12.5%
conversion rate with social proof vs 11.4% without
10.99%
referral traffic conversion rate (highest of all channels)
Video testimonials see highest conversion among social proof types
17%
CTR increase from review stars in Google Ads
Social proof in ad copy increases click-through rates. UGC in paid social ads outperforms brand-created content.
270%
purchase likelihood increase with 5+ reviews
Spiegel Research Center
380%
conversion boost from reviews on higher-priced products (vs 190% for lower-priced)
69.57%
cart abandonment rate — social proof helps reduce it
Baymard Institute
166%
conversion increase from UGC on product pages
Yotpo
87%
of consumers read online reviews for local businesses
68%
say positive reviews make them more likely to use local businesses
#1
Google Reviews are the top source for local business trust
33%
of customers always read reviews when searching for local businesses
95% of travelers read online reviews before booking
TripAdvisor reviews influence $10 billion+ in annual hospitality spending
Social proof on booking pages reduces price sensitivity
These statistics are compiled from industry research, academic studies, and marketing platform data. Key sources include:
Statistics are updated regularly. Last update: February 2026.
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Social Media & UGC
User-Generated Content (UGC)
79%
of people say UGC highly impacts their purchase decisions
29%
higher conversion rate on websites with UGC
62%
of consumers are more likely to purchase when they see customer photos/videos
2.4x
more likely for consumers to trust UGC over brand-created content
75%
of marketers say UGC makes their marketing more engaging
Social Media Influence
70%
of consumers trust brands more with positive social media interactions
88%
of consumers trust user reviews as much as brand content
84%
trust recommendations from people they know over any advertising
Social media mentions function as digital word-of-mouth — the most trusted form of marketing
Social Commerce
U.S. social commerce sales projected at $85.6 billion by 2025 — platforms like Instagram Checkout and TikTok Shop drive discovery-to-purchase.
Community-based platforms increasingly emphasize peer recommendations over algorithmic discovery