Research carried out by Digital Business Ireland (DBI) shows that two-thirds of Irish consumers have now bought something online, and that one in three claim to use customer reviews to verify the safety of online purchases.
The survey, conducted across a pool of 30,000 panellists, shows that the proportion of people checking customer reviews when buying goods and services increases to 59% among 18-34 year-old, while just 21% of those 65+ do the same.
The other most commonly cited methods of reviewing purchases were ensuring the website has payments authentication validation (35%) and being familiar with the sellers' brand (26%).
Among 18-24 and 25-34 year-olds, the proportion of people checking for payments authentication (64% and 79%, respectively), seller familiarity (both 70%) and customer reviews (59% and 55%) all rose significantly.
Shoppers in the 35-44 and 45-54 brackets most commonly checked for payments authentication (76% and 81%) and relied on familiarity with the seller (69% and 59%) but less frequently checked customer reviews (37% and 32%).
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Among the 65+ group, payments authentication (75%) was again the most common method of reviewing purchases online, ahead of seller familiarity (42%).
"Many consumers are increasingly relying on independent customer reviews to determine the legitimacy of a website, before deciding to make an online purchase," said Lorraine Higgins, secretary general of DBI.
"We see this particularly among younger generations, who as they continue to increase their online expenditure, view the opinions and experiences of other customers as a crucial determining factor in whether to proceed with an online purchase.
"While having a functional, user-friendly, secure website is crucial, in a highly competitive digital marketplace, independent, verified customer reviews can act as an additional incentive to attract potential customers," Higgins added.
"In an age when many businesses are battling for online visibility, incorporating an additional layer of trust and transparency can increase digital footfall and drive consistent, quality traffic to a website, without the need for paid or targeted advertisements”.
Neil Bayton, head of partnerships at reviews platform Trustpilot, said: ““Online reviews serve as a valuable resource to help consumers verify the trustworthiness of a brand without in-store interaction - and this research by Digital Business Ireland just goes to show the value shoppers place in hearing the feedback of other consumers’ experiences, playing an increasingly important role in the consumer shopping journey.
“Businesses have a great opportunity to earn a trusted reputation online through independent review platforms. Those that do not engage with their customers through reviews may risk being left behind.”
