The Expiry Date of Online Reviews

Would you eat a stale biscuit when a fresh, crumbly one is just within reach? Of course not. We all know the best things in life have an expiry date—biscuits, milk, and yes, even online reviews.

Business and Biscuits

Think of your online retail site as a biscuit tin—the one you keep for special guests. Inside, you’ve got all sorts: jaffa cakes, custard creams, and a few rogue chocolate digestives. But imagine this: you haven’t refilled your tin in months. What happens when visitors pop by?
Your guests politely decline. And worse, they remember you as “that host” with the soggy, stale biscuits. The same goes for reviews. Products with outdated reviews send the wrong message, turning potential buyers away faster than you can say “sell-by date.”

4 Reasons Why Fresh Reviews Matter More Than Ever

Reviews are like biscuits—they’re only worth indulging in if they’re fresh. Here are four reasons why up-to-date reviews are vital:

1. Up-to-the-minute insights
Reviews provide the freshest product information out there. But just like tech, what’s current today can be irrelevant tomorrow. New features, upgraded versions, and competitor innovations mean outdated reviews won’t cut it.

2. Avoid irrelevance
A mountain of old reviews isn’t the flex you think it is. Products with 50+ reviews may look established, but savvy consumers might wonder if a newer, shinier model is waiting in the wings.

3. Trust is time-sensitive
Trust is built on relevance. A glowing review from two years ago might be about a different product entirely—a discontinued color, an older feature, or a past customer service standard. Shoppers want proof your product is current and your brand is still delivering.

4. Ease of discovery
Nobody has time to scroll through endless, outdated reviews in search of useful ones. Consumers want quick, relevant insights, and older reviews clutter the path to their decision.

So, How Fresh Is Fresh Enough?

Studies from 2022 reveal a growing demand for timely reviews. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology found that consumers are significantly influenced by review recency when forming purchasing intentions. This reinforces that the “recency bias” of reviews is not just alive—it’s thriving.
Moreover, a 2024 Wall Street Journal article highlighted that online product reviews written in the present tense are perceived as more helpful. This suggests that not only recency but the immediacy and language of a review play a critical role in swaying consumer perceptions.

The Power of Recency: Why Review Dates Matter

“But wait,” you say. “A good review is a good review, regardless of when it was written.” Sure, but in the age of instant gratification, recency often trumps length and detail. Studies show that recency ranks higher than both sentiment and depth when consumers evaluate a product. So, even a five-star masterpiece from last year won’t pack the same punch as a simple, honest review from last week. We think the topic is so important that we wrote another blog about it as well.

What Fresh Reviews Do for Your Brand

Two key areas get an instant boost when you top up your “biscuit tin” of reviews:

SEO and discoverability
Search engines love fresh content, and recent reviews are a major factor in ranking. Google even allows users to filter by “Most Recent,” giving products with fresh reviews an edge over competitors.
Sales lift
Fresh reviews mean shoppers know your product is current, popular, and in demand. Seeing someone else use and love it recently? That’s a green light for them to hit “Buy Now.”

How to Keep Your Reviews Fresh

Just like biscuits, reviews lose their magic over time. Here’s how to keep the crumbs from piling up:

Ongoing strategy: Make reviews a consistent part of your marketing plan. Treat them as a continuous flow, not a one-off task.
Automated collection: Use tech to prompt reviews from recent buyers—ensuring they’re timely and relevant.
Engage your audience: Activate nano-influencers and customers who love your brand to share their experiences across platforms.

How can Stars and Stories help you get fresh, recent reviews every month, again and again?

At Stars and Stories, we’ve perfected the art of keeping your review tin full and fresh. Here’s how:

Quarterly Campaigns
Every three months, we launch targeted review campaigns that ensure your product reaches new hands—and hearts. These consumers test your product and share their authentic experiences through thoughtful reviews.
Beyond the Review
The hidden value? Each reviewer becomes a storyteller. Not only do they provide valuable online feedback, but many also talk about your product offline and post about it on their social channels. It’s like planting seeds of trust across multiple platforms.

This isn’t just review management—it’s consumer activation at its finest. With our system in place, your brand stays fresh, relevant, and top-of-mind for every potential customer.

"We have had the pleasure of testing the Bosch MUMS2TW00 for a few weeks via Reviewclub. We have made both soft and hard cakes, as well as regular bull dough. It has done all the tasks well, however, the whisk was not so effective at whipping cream. But for thicker doughs, we think it has good power, it does not seem strained or so in the engine. There are many accessories which are good. It has a slim and modern design and looks good on the kitchen counter! All parts are easily washed in the dishwasher."

Joost van de BeldBrand Activation & MarCom Specialist at Sony Benelux

“First of all, I think the design is quite nice. You can choose between different skins to customise it. The delivery includes a storage case and several of these black rubber attachments. You can practise inserting the skins in front of the mirror, but it’s also very intuitive. So far, I have always had the problem that all earplugs become loose or slip out at some point. During a concert, I was constantly busy adjusting the earplugs. That’s definitely over now because the wings make them sit perfectly. I no longer have to worry about accidentally losing them. Now for the important part – the sound. You can still have a conversation without any problems. The sound is not dull, it is still clear, but simply quieter and therefore more pleasant. You can easily clean them with water. All in all, I am really thrilled and have finally found my favourites!”

Martijn BraamBenelux Director | iRobot

"Like this sharply. Feels solidly built and stands extra extra firmly with the help of the suction cups at the bottom. The engine does a good job. Both for simpler tasks such as whipping cream, but also when putting dough and other heavier jobs. The sound volume is perfectly okay. What I like most is all the accessories you can complement it with. This means that it can completely replace a number of household appliances. It is also good in size, feels compact but still strong. Looks so good that you can have it in the kitchen."

E. EngqvistLindt

When I unpacked [the coffee machine] for the first time, I was surprised at how big and powerful the coffee machine looked. Although I knew the dimensions when ordering, it still looked even larger in real life. If you only have limited space in the kitchen, this will probably be a bit difficult. Otherwise, the coffee machine makes a valuable impression with its titanium look… The taste of the coffee is full-bodied and very tasty. Whether it’s an espresso in the morning or a latte macchiato at noon, I’ve never had a coffee that I didn’t like. I was completely won over by the fully automatic coffee machine despite the high acquisition costs. You quickly have a really tasty coffee that is cheaper in the long run and better for environmental reasons than our previous capsule coffee machine.

E. EngqvistLindt