Customer reviews: a gold mine for your e-commerce site
Having an e-commerce site allows you to have a continuous flow of visits, no matter the time or the place. The downside is that turning those visits into actual sales can be much more difficult than in a physical store.
Product reviews on e-commerce sites are an interesting sales driver. On the one hand, they can be time consuming to implement on your site, but on the other hand, allowing potential customers to view the reviews will generally increase your overall conversion rate.
But, sometimes, product reviews are a problem. Should you allow π‘ negative product reviews on your site and risk driving away shoppers, or allow only π positive reviews and risk looking dishonest? This is a tricky question.
This is where conversion rate optimization plays a key role for your business.
What is the conversion rate?
The conversion rate is calculated by dividing the total number of conversions by the total number of visits. The definition of conversion can vary from one web page to another, but ultimately it is what you want users to do when they land on your page. It can be a download, a sign up, a subscription. The most important thing is that you are able to track this number, because what can’t be measured can’t be improved.
What are the benefits of customer reviews?
It’s no surprise that a positive online reputation is the most powerful marketing tool to convince new users.
Customer reviews and star ratings help consumers shorten their search time and make decisions faster. And with increased confidence.
For most online purchases, it’s rare to blindly place an order without reading several online reviews.
This means that no matter what industry you’re in, having a positive online presence gives you several key advantages, which is why it becomes paramount to your brand image.
Understanding why you need online reviews will help you optimize your customers’ experience to create a positive online reputation.
Here are a few examples of how customer reviews can benefit you:
1. Attracting new customers
Online reviews are important for attracting new customers. When deciding where to eat, what to do, where to go or what product to buy, users now turn to the internet to help them make their decision. Out of a 5-star rating, 3.3 is the average score at which customers are willing to consider a purchase, according to Podium’s white paper.
81% of French customers consult online reviews before making a purchase according to a Trustpilot study and this number rises to 87% according to the Ifop study for Opinion System.
2. Build trust
If you are a new business, or have a new idea or invention, this is one of the main reasons why online reviews are important. New businesses can have a hard time competing with those that have been around for years. Online reviews show customer approval and prove that your product or service works, and works well. You will gain notoriety and credibility, as well as approval. This is the springboard you need to propel you to the top of your industry.
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3. Be more visible
Most shoppers consult search engines like Google and Bing, and even Facebook, to make their purchasing decisions. Online customer reviews provide you with a constant stream of content that search engines value when choosing which results to display.
Research conducted by Search Engine Land has shown that businesses that appear high on a Google search engine results page (SERP) tend to have more reviews. Since Google designs its service to give customers the best possible results, it makes sense that it would suggest places with the most reviews first.
This way, customers who may never have heard of your business before can be influenced by the reviews. If they see that other customers like your products or services, they will be more likely to try you themselves.
4. Word-of-mouth marketing (WOM)
Word of mouth is every good business’ best friend. When your customers are happy and recommend you to their family and friends, it’s like quality advertising that you never had to pay for. Online reviews are the internet version of word-of-mouth marketing. And, the numbers are clear: 78% of customers trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family.
80% of French people say they trust disinterested feedback more than salespeople and four out of ten French people believe that the presence of customer reviews can replace the advice of a salesperson, according to the same Ifop Opinion system study.
5. More direct interaction with consumers
Not all reviews are positive. Even if you take great care to create a great customer experience, you will inevitably get negative reviews. However, not all of them are bad. It’s a good opportunity to quickly learn about your company’s shortcomings and fix them. If there is a problem, it is certainly better to be informed as soon as possible before it turns away other customers.
Beyond simply posting reviews, consumers today expect businesses to take them into account.
It’s important to address reviews, respond to a negative review and tell your customer that the issue has been resolved. On most platforms, including Google, the reviewer can even edit their review.
These reviews provide additional customer service for consumers and this helps reinforce positive reviews. More importantly, they also give you a way to correct a bad review right away and show that you care.
