Online Reputation Stats: Our Top 25

Online reputation stats can give you insight into the industry and help you decide which strategies to use moving forward to achieve your business goals.

Online reputation management (ORM) is a new concept for most businesses in 2024. It has always been around, though, and it’s typically been referred to as your reputation or industry standing. Formerly, it was primarily tracked by word-of-mouth actions from customer to customer in hopes of generating more business. 

In this digital era, your reputation or online presence can act as a double-edged sword. 90% of Americans claim that when they Google themselves, the results are not pleasant. 

Additionally, for most individuals — unless they’re a celebrity or in the public eye in some way — there’s no online reputation to speak of, which can also be problematic for your professional goals.

Think of your online reputation as your safety net in life: If you ever get knocked down, your online reputation can make the difference between staying down and bouncing back on your feet in full stride.

Whether you are a business owner trying to expand their company or an individual looking for a new job or home — or even dabbling in the realm of online dating — these online reputation stats are sure to put you in the right state of mind. 

Nobody wants to visit a business with a bad reputation, and today, people trust online reviews more than ever. There’s too much on the line when you consider reputational risk. A poor reputation can cause resolute harm and have detrimental effects on your future, both personally and professionally.

As you read the statistics below, keep in mind how imperative it is to build, manage, monitor and maintain a positive reputation. To speak with an ORM expert right away, call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the contact form below.

Online Reputation Stats Regarding Your Career

On a professional level, would you do business with anyone who has negative reviews online? For most Americans, the answer is “no.” 

Individuals tend to care more about their reputational standing online after a major life change has transpired. Maybe they lost their job suddenly, or perhaps they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and got arrested. Or, maybe they’re looking to change careers but forgot about embarrassing posts from back in college that are lingering on page one of Google.

Whatever your situation is, the following ORM stats are important to keep in mind if you want to improve your life professionally. That goes for job-seekers in addition to business owners. Regardless of whether you care about your online search results or not, potential employers will be looking you up.

For this reason, it is imperative that you make yourself as marketable as possible online. Showcase your best attributes and demonstrate what you can bring to an organization.

Top ORM Stats for Your Career

• 57% of potential employers have decided not to hire an applicant after viewing their social media profiles.
• 77% of recruiters in 2020 checked LinkedIn as a primary source for career information pertaining to each applicant.
• Less than 50% of employers refrain from hiring an individual whom they cannot find online.
• Businesses with a poor reputation tend to pay 10% more to their employees.
• 95% of job employers say the hiring process is beginning to pivot toward free media controlled by the applicant (i.e. social media, public records, and word-of-mouth).

Whether you are a current job seeker or looking for personal recommendations to land that promotion, what the internet says about you has an everlasting impact on your success. Be proactive about your reputation, and stop waiting for a crisis to emerge before you decide to act.

ORM Stats Regarding Education

It’s not uncommon for young people to make stupid mistakes they regret later in life. Whether you posted an embarrassing photo from a drunken night out with your friends or you decided to broadcast the use of illicit drugs on platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram or YouTube, those past actions can come back to haunt you.

Right now, maybe you’re trying to clean up past mistakes. Or, it’s possible you’re the parent of a teenager who’s going to be in college soon, and you want to teach them how to protect their reputation. You may also be in college at the moment and want to future-proof your online presence. Whatever the case may be, it is important to understand how influential the internet can be on your future.

Think of social media as a working resume for yourself. Decide how you want to present yourself to anyone who may be looking at your social profiles. In addition to what you post on your profiles, protecting your reputation also means being purposeful about the comments you leave on other people’s posts. Even a poorly placed “like” on someone else’s content or comment can cause issues in the future.

College admission advisors are privy to the fact that your college application only shows one side of you. And since there’s a seemingly endless amount of free personal information about you online, it’s common for college personnel to see what else they can find out about you.

Notable ORM Stats To Improve Your Education

• 36% of college admission offices research each applicant’s social media profiles.
• 85% of American teens between the ages of 13-17 have dedicated social media profiles.
• 45% of American teens think their social media accounts have no impact on their future.
• 36% of the time, college admission advisors say social media has worked in the applicant’s favor.

Furthermore, one important factor to consider is that college applications are typically only viewed by one individual. That person’s decision will impact your future academically. For situations such as these, there really is no second chance or even time to explain yourself.

Important Online Dating Reputation Statistics

You can be 20 or 60 years of age, and one thing holds true: The world of online dating never gets easier. However, with all the dating apps available on your phone these days, finding that match seems to be easier than ever before. But is it?

With search engines such as Google at our disposal, blind dates that are set up online never tend to really be that “blind.” In 2024, thanks to people-search sites such as WhitePages or Spokeo, you can essentially find out where a person lives by paying only $10. 

Thanks to these people-search sites, you can find out everything you need to know about that individual before you ever go on your first date. This includes their contact information, details about their relatives, links to their social media profiles, and even their criminal history.

Consider this: If you are the individual who is being researched by a potential date, you need to make sure your online presence is impeccable. Prospective dates are likely to research you in some form before you meet in person. 

What will they find about you on Facebook? What about Google? Are you confident that your search results are positive? 

According to sources like the Spiegel Research Center, it’s recommended that you review all of your social media profiles routinely to make sure they showcase the best version of you.

Reputation Statistics To Help With Your Personal Life

• 77% of people Google their match on sites such as Tinder, Bumble, and Match.com.
• 42% of individuals judge their prospective date purely off their social media profiles.
• 25% of matches on dating sites claim they reverse image search on Google (in hopes they prevent themselves from being “catfished”).

Your Reputation Score and Its Business Impact

As a business owner, there are endless factors that you must be aware of as you attempt to scale and grow. One of the most influential assets you control is your digital reputation.

Learning how to respond to negative reviews on review sites and how to ask an average consumer to leave positive feedback on popular review sites takes finesse and convincing at times. This is also true when figuring out where you stand amongst your competitors or other local businesses. Together, these factors contribute to whether or not you’re creating a positive online reputation.

This is especially true if your potential consumer is already skeptical about your product or service. Customers are smarter than you think and often scan review sites and ratings to dig for dirt.

As a business owner, you must know that your company and reputation are constantly under scrutiny. Even the most established brands have to prioritize ORM. It doesn’t take much time for an influx of negative reviews or fake reviews on online review sites to cause major damage.

There are many ways to respond to bad reviews and negative criticism on online review platforms. Whether or not you’re able to discredit the testimonial — which is particularly important when it comes to fake reviews — always be respectful, attempt to make amends, and, when appropriate, take responsibility.

This goes a long way, now and in the future. Weeks or months down the line, potential customers may read your negative reviews and see how you responded to them. By seeing that you took the online review seriously and attempted to rectify the problem, the negative review will hold less power. At the same time, you’ll show your commitment to customer service, which consumers love to see.

Reputational risks for businesses can seem daunting and endless. Here are the top ORM stats businesses need to keep in mind as they continue to operate in the digital age:

Top ORM Stats for Businesses

• Businesses show a 58% increase in revenue after claiming 4+ business profile listings online.
• 50% of a company’s market value derives from their reputational standing.
• 33% of online users search for local businesses on a daily basis.
• 81% of consumers will wait longer and pay more for a reputable business.

Whether your business has a lot of negative reviews on review sites, fake online reviews that have gotten out of hand, or limited online reviews that make it hard for internet users to learn about your business, you should never neglect the power of an online review.

At NetReputation, our team of ORM experts knows exactly how to respond to negative online reviews, encourage positive online reviews and even combat fake reviews. If online reviews are wreaking havoc on your reputation, speak with us today by calling 844-461-3632.

Online Reviews Reimagined Thanks to ORM Stats

As a consumer, you always look for the best deals, lowest prices, and reputable brands as you shop online. You read online reviews and look at popular review sites to get an idea of what your experience will be like with the business.

Why would you expect your customers to act differently? Just like you rely on online reviews to make business decisions, your consumers trust online reviews about your business, too.

As a small business, you must make around-the-clock efforts to generate as many positive reviews as possible.

However, this comes with a caveat. Not everyone in the world is going to love your business and leave you positive online reviews, especially without you asking for them. It has become more apparent in recent years that individuals tend to only leave their thoughts online after a bad experience. It’s much more common for unhappy customers to leave negative reviews instead of positive ones.

It is rare that you see a customer post an online review saying something like, “The staff was pleasant and helped me with everything I needed.” Instead, businesses tend to get bombarded with an influx of disgruntled testimonials and negative reviews, regardless of how accurate that feedback is.

When this happens, the best thing you can do is work to amend the situation. To the best of your ability, take responsibility and address the points made by the customer in their online review.

The last thing you want is to get into a heated debate with customers over online reviews. Always remember that your future customers will probably see your online reviews and act on the information they receive. Handling your business’ online reviews unprofessionally can cause you to lose business.

Top ORM Online Review Statistics

• It takes 40+ positive reviews to “cancel out” a negative review.
• Businesses that respond to at least 25% of their online reviews see a 35% increase in revenue.
• 70% of potential customers will abandon their cart (or bounce) after seeing 4+ bad reviews.
• 93% of potential customers confirm that they purchase from a brand after seeing positive reviews for a product.
• Businesses with a star rating between 3.5 and 4.5 have reported the highest ROI on their reputation management expenses.

The world of online reviews holds fake reviews, unfair reviews and other forms of negative feedback. Many customers will know the difference and avoid being influenced by misleading online reviews altogether. However, assume that anyone reading a review will take it at face value, and make sure your response has a positive influence on the impression they leave with.

Final Thoughts About ORM Statistics

Modern companies — and anyone with personal goals in today’s digital age — must ensure they’re building and maintaining a positive reputation. These ORM and online review statistics are proof that protecting your digital presence is imperative if you want to achieve any type of personal or professional success.

You can use the stats above in a number of ways. Maybe you have a better idea of how to increase conversion rates thanks to the online review statistics we talked about. Or, maybe you know how to handle your social media profiles to put your best foot forward and impress future employers.

Here are some final ORM stats to get your wheels spinning a bit more:

• 50% of all businesses do not spend more than 20% of their time working to improve their online reputation.
• 89% of businesses agree to the fact that managing their reputation leads to an increased ROI (return on investment).
• 90% of the world’s population only looks at the first page of Google.
• 90% of potential customers take the time to read a review prior to engaging with a business.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a negative reputation for themselves or their business, get in touch with us today to discuss a strategy forward. Call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the form below.

by Net Reputation

NetReputation was founded in 2014 by Adam Petrilli, a results-driven leader dedicated to empowering individual and business success on the web. Our award-winning process and team of online reputation management specialists allow us to remove, suppress, repair, and monitor your online presence. Within our first two years, we were recognized by some of the world’s leading business publications for our company growth. Today, NetReputation operates offices in Sarasota, Florida; and Kansas City.