The Incredulous Math Behind One Book's Amazon Reviews
Authors who goose them look unscrupulous to those in the know.
Few books in the last decade have affected me more than The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, Revised Edition. Barry Schwartz's classic explains how consumers today are inundated with options. With so many alternatives, we need cues to ensure that we don't make incorrect or suboptimal decisions. We're afraid of making a mistake.
Before we hit the Buy button, we generally want validation or social proof—often in the form of product reviews. The data supports this assertion. Researchers at Northwestern University in 2021 found that:
... online reviews have a significant and quantifiable impact on purchase decisions—but the degree of that impact depends on a number of factors, such as star ratings, the nature of the review content, the number of reviews, the price of the item, and the source of the review.
Brass tacks: It's complicated, but product reviews are essential to boost sales.