Reviews can have an incredible effect on driving eCommerce sales. Even more so now that the uplift in online sales is set to remain at a high level because of COVID-19. Online buyers demand more evidence that your product or service is good value for money and what better way to convince an increasingly savvy audience than recommendations and reviews from previous buyers that demonstrate the product does exactly what it promises, if not more?
It’s no secret that people buy from people. Online reviews, also known in the marketing world as “social proof”, are considered to be the single most powerful behavioural bias according to Google’s Decoding Decisions report. This article taps into the many benefits of online reviews and their power to generate more sales, so you can let those stars shine below your products.
1. Display reviews and user ratings on your product pages
Many brands are sceptical when it comes to adding reviews to their eCommerce websites. However, displaying reviews can increase sales by 270%, as research from Medill IMC Spiegel Research Centre suggests. If you choose not to showcase user reviews, you are at risk of losing customers who will turn to a website that does. Especially for higher-priced products, the conversion rate increased by an astonishing 380% when reviews were displayed. As intuitive as it may seem, the impact that a product review can have on sales is vast and should not be overlooked.
2. Don’t shy away from negative reviews
Negative feedback could be the reason why online sellers opt-out from showcasing reviews as a whole on their websites. Instead of being afraid, embrace negative comments. A negative review brings credibility to a website, as many shoppers actively look for it. The aforementioned research suggests that the optimal rating is not an even 5-star review, as consumers tend to perceive it as biased or “too good to be true”. Anything between 4.2 and 4.5 is reasonable and can have a positive influence on the consumer journey.
3. Ensure all products have at least five unique reviews
As the research suggests, for both low and high-priced products, the marginal value of additional reviews rapidly decreases. Instead, it seems that the purchase likelihood occurs within the first ten reviews, while the first five reviews have the biggest impact on purchase decisions, especially for higher-priced goods where there’s potentially a greater risk involved.
4. Identify reviews from verified buyers
Reviews from verified buyers are more credible and tend to be more positive than anonymous reviews, as shown in this study. The average star rating for reviews from verified buyers is 4.34, compared to an average star rating of 3.89 for reviews written by anonymous reviewers. Identifying customers with a verified badge enhances the credibility of a review and improves the odds of purchase by 15%.
5. Entice your customers to share their post-purchase experience
Convincing customers to share their opinion about their purchase can prove tricky, especially if the product or service doesn’t have an added value for the buyer. Offering incentives such as discount vouchers, store credit or free shipping can help you lay a good foundation for user-generated reviews. You could achieve this by following up with customers after they receive their order, asking for honest feedback in exchange for a small incentive. This quid pro quo should strike the right balance, so the customer understands that you’re merely asking for their truthful feedback and not trying to “buy” their positive review. Remember that overly inflated reviews could turn customers away.
6. Make your brand shine online wherever your customers are
While reviews are deemed by many as the contemporary version of word of mouth in the digital era, many consumers turn to online communities for social proof during their buyer’s journey. Research from online review platform Trustpilot suggests that 89% of consumers chose the ad with the platform’s checkmark over the ad without it. On top of that, Google has enabled seller ratings with 5 stars for businesses advertising on the platform. Seller ratings are not charged per se, but rather show with Search Network campaigns or Google Shopping ads. Merchants are only charged when a user clicks on their ad, so the ratings don’t directly affect your PPC budget, but they do impact your paid campaign performance if the ratings are discouragingly low.
A final word
Today’s shoppers are well-informed (read our New World, One Market consumer whitepaper and learn how you can adapt your business strategy to meet their needs) and willing to express their opinions online. Facilitate purchases by adding online reviews to your website but remember to state with clarity the verified buyers’ badge and review incentives, if any. As you dive deeper into the world of online consumer shopping habits, don’t forget to innovate in other areas and offer a variety of payment options that cater to your market’s needs. By adopting a holistic approach to customer experience, you can ensure a more engaging experience for the shopper and enhanced customer loyalty (and revenue) in the long run.
At emerchantpay, we offer a range of solutions that can help online retailers to operate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. To find out more about our services, please contact us.