Customer reviews for eCommerce

Customer reviews are a powerful tool for any commerce business. With a world of options out there for consumers to browse and shop, eCommerce stores have to have a unique selling point and customer reviews can help drive this with increased transparency, increased trust, and social proof of what your products and services can actually offer. In fact, 82% of consumers say the content of a review has convinced them to make a purchase.

It’s not just the consumers that reviews are helpful for. They give you valuable feedback on your products so you can continually improve. They also have a lot of SEO advantages:

  • When it comes to optimising your site, user-generated content is ideal because it provides relevant keywords and context.
  • According to Moz, review signals make up approximately 7% of what gets you listed in organic results, so reviews are a perfect way to add an advantage.
  • Reviews show up in organic search results and help to significantly increase your click-through rate.

 

 

Who reads online reviews?

More than three-quarters (78%) of shoppers read online reviews which means the overwhelming majority of your consumer base. With the retail landscape shifting dramatically towards eCommerce after an unprecedented pandemic and a demand for convenience, reviews have become increasingly important when purchasing online, particularly for items for which you simply have photographs and a product description.

According to Trustpilot, 9 out of 10 people check reviews before making a purchase, therefore transparency is key. Consumers want to read all of the reviews, not just the positive ones before making an informed purchase, and not every business has consistent 5-star evaluations. In fact, one study found that 82% of those who read online reviews specifically seek out negative reviews with an 85% increase in conversion rate due to consumers spending longer on your site perusing reviews. So if you don’t incorporate customer reviews into your online content, you’re missing out on a huge potential to convert customers.

How to use customer reviews to increase sales 

Businesses with a minimum of 200 reviews generate twice as much revenue with customers having more faith in your brand and a more informed choice when it comes to purchasing. This is especially true for eCommerce sites where no in-person sales support is available and you can’t physically place the product in the customer’s hand until they’ve purchased it. There are multiple ways you can use these reviews to increase your eCommerce sales:

 

  • Highlight reviews on your landing pages. Encourage conversions by displaying products star ratings directly on the product pages.

 

 

  • Use reviews in your socials both organic and paid – user-generated content is a major trend for 2022 with consumers more likely to purchase after seeing social proof.

 

 

  • Utilise reviews in your email marketing – you can incorporate video testimonials, customer stories, or case studies, all adding a personal touch to your emails and encouraging purchases.
  • Use review badges to display your ratings on your site or socials to show a summary of your online reputation and increase your click-through rate.

  • Setting up a Google Shopping feed is also a good idea so you can use Google Shopping reviews as another approach to demonstrate your quality and integrity while increasing your eCommerce sales. It also improves the click-through rate by allowing your products to appear in organic results.

 

How to collect more online reviews

So you’ve realised reviews are imperative, now how do you get them? There are numerous methods for increasing online reviews. Review requests can be included in purchase confirmation emails, sent as follow-up emails, or integrated via a platform on your website which allows for consumers to leave reviews. You can also utilise your social media networks to promote positive reviews and encourage other customers to do the same. 

Integrating a review area on product landing pages is a great approach for creating real evaluations; customers are more inclined to submit reviews this way because it’s simple and doesn’t send them to a million other sites.

What not to do

There are equally a lot of things that we’d recommend not doing when it comes to collecting reviews:

  • Writing reviews yourself – most major review platforms audit reviews that are written and will pick up a fake review 
  • Deleting or not responding to negative reviews – every company has them but it’s the way that they are dealt with that will solidify your brand’s reputation. Don’t try to delete them, it’ll only fuel the fire, instead respond, take accountability and learn from the feedback. Also, don’t be afraid to stand up for your brand if needed. 
  • Don’t make reviews mandatory – if people are forced to fill one in, you’re more likely to receive inaccurate feedback 

Best platforms to integrate for customer reviews 

As mentioned above, one of the easiest ways to incorporate your customer reviews and start engaging your consumers and boosting revenue is by using a reviews platform. They put all the legwork in for you. Two of the best that we partner with are Reviews.io and Yotpo:

Reviews.io

Reviews.io is a solution based on sourcing genuine reviews to show off your eCommerce site’s reputation. With eCommerce integration, review publishing, merchant metrics, and Google Seller Ratings as some of their top features, they’re proven for increased eCommerce sales.

TW Toolstore  is a hand and power tools specialist, selling high-quality power tools, hand tools, and other building supplies to both trade and DIY clients. They incorporated Reviews.io onto their site and have since seen a considerable increase in sales with their excellent rating enhancing their brand reputation. 

 

Yotpo

With visual UGC, SMS campaigns, reviews, and loyalty programmes, Yotpo enhance your customer’s experience. The solution is designed to accelerate your growth and leverage social proof. 

Tile Giant provides high quality, affordable tile ranges in an ethical and sustainable way. Incorporating Yotpo they saw that the conversion rate is higher on products with user-generated images and using review badges. 

 

Customer Reviews Summary

Customer reviews, negative or positive can have a significant impact on your eCommerce site. They influence purchases, improve rankings, and increase revenue while also enhancing your brand image. Use our assistance, as well as that of our review solutions partners, to improve your reputation as a trustworthy and transparent eCommerce company.

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