In today’s digital age, almost everyone considers reading online reviews before making a purchase. Nine out of ten shoppers prefer to do that before clicking on “buy”. Whether it is a new poolside restaurant to enjoy with friends or which smartphone has the best features, we are all checking reviews for the products we are interested in buying.
When it comes to traveling, customer reviews play an even more important role in choosing a hotel among so many options available today. We don’t prefer to stay in a hotel which is not recommended by a single person. The same thing happens offline: we ask our friends and relatives for recommendations, don’t we?
Well, a study also showed that 72% of consumers have an opinion that “positive reviews make them trust a business”. And 88% say that they are less likely to engage with a business if it has negative reviews posted online. So it’s clear; if you display genuine reviews on your Shopify store, it can make a sale. Online reviews are especially important for mobile commerce. The point is how you can utilize these reviews to drive sales and generate customer loyalty.
Joining hands with a digital marketing agency can help you reach sales goals through reviews. An agency with experts knows how to drive positive reviews to a business, and continuously keeps track to find opportunities for future growth.
Why Are Online Reviews So Important?
When it comes to deciding the credibility of a business, word-of-mouth plays an important role. People have been recommending places, products, and services to their friends for ages. However, with the growing number of people purchasing online, customer reviews now hold as much credibility as personal recommendations did in the past. The main thing to consider here is that people will only trust a review if it is genuine and high-quality. Fake reviews will take your website down and are likely to have the opposite effect.
Reviews are more than just words
There is so much more to online reviews than getting an immediate sale. They are certainly important for getting a good number of sales, but some intangible benefits are associated with kind words and comments about the business.
Reviews build trust
Surveys show that “74% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations”. In a world where online scams are a big part of our lives today, people are increasingly becoming aware of businesses. But other shopper’s comments can help to build trust and position you as a credible, reliable company.
Reviews contribute to SEO
Good reviews can get a higher ranking in search engine results pages. That’s because Google, Bing, etc take online reviews into account while determining the rank of a business. So, if you want to attract more traffic to your business through organic search, focus more on getting positive recommendations.
Reviews give you constructive feedback
In addition to getting sales and help in your SEO efforts, reviews also provide feedback about your products and services. Negative reviews from customers give you an insight into what’s going wrong and what you can do to improve it. Such constructive criticism can help you make improvements.
Increased conversion rate
Reviews increase sales. Potential customers are more likely to trust a business if it has positive reviews. Not only that, they will even make a purchase. A research study by BrightLocal found that companies with more positive customer reviews see an average increase in the conversion rate by 4.6%.
How to Leverage Reviews to Improve Customer Satisfaction?
The way a business treats online reviews plays a big role in how your brand will be perceived. Research says that almost 89% of customers say they are likely to trust a business that responds to all types of reviews–positive and negative.
Give Reply to Positive Reviews– When customers leave positive words for your business, make sure to reply to them with a thank you and appreciate their feedback. You can simply respond “Thank you for your kind words. Your feedback is valuable for us to keep improving our products and services.” A simple reply like this shows that you’re paying attention to their review and appreciate their time.
Give Reply to Negative Reviews– Negative reviews are equally important. Don’t just see positive comments, reply to negative ones will leave an impression that you’re ready to accept criticism. You are constantly improving. It shows that you are willing to listen. You can simply say, “We are extremely sorry that you had to face this problem. We will make our best efforts to make changes in this particular service. Your feedback is valuable. Our customers are valuable to us”. This type of response is better than saying nothing at all.
Use Reviews to Make Improvements– Not only should you reply to all the reviews, but also analyze them to make improvements in your products and services. If you see a continuous trend of negative reviews, it’s high time that you need to reposition yourself as a brand.
Ways to Get More Reviews
Make It Easy For Them– One possible way you can increase the number of reviews on your website is to make it easier for customers to leave them. This means providing links to the review page, making the page clean and clutter-free, giving them a personalized message while redirecting to the review page, or following up with customers after they have made a purchase. Also, don’t make it a lengthy process to submit their review. It should take only a few seconds of their valuable time before they click on the “submit” button. Booking.com is a great example, their review page looks as easy as it should be.
Ask for Feedback– If you feel your business is not getting many reviews, asking for them is not a bad idea. You can ask your customers directly to give their feedback. Do this by sending a personalized email after they have made a purchase. Tell them that you would like to hear about the availed services or products purchased. You can tell them that it won’t take much of their time. You can even send them a push notification asking for feedback. The feedback would not always be encouraging, or what you were expecting. But treating negative reviews equally is the key to success. With customers’ input, you may be able to identify growth opportunities. You can also respond to negative reviews to show that you pay attention to each customer and that you’re willing to make improvements.
Share on Social Media– Share positive reviews on your social media to spark conversations. This strategy encourages other customers to leave feedback. It’s a double-win situation where you can show gratitude for your happy customers, and subtly invite others to share their reviews also. Engaging with your customers by going LIVE on Instagram, or using polls and questions, also helps to attract reviews.
Use Incentives– Make it worth reviewing for customers. You can offer them exclusive discounts, coupons, or early access to the sale. These are some great ways to encourage them to leave reviews, and the bonus is they will engage in repeat purchases. Loyalty programs are also one of the options to track and distribute your incentives. Under a loyalty program, you can give points to share reviews on your website and social media.
Use A Call to Action on Product Materials– You can create and print a call to action with a QR code on paper invoices or any other marketing materials in your orders. Customers can scan the QR code from their phones, and they are automatically redirected to the review form.
Final Thoughts
Online reviews are like catalysts for businesses, as they make customers trust the brand and be confident in their purchase decisions. The likelihood that a customer will buy something from your brand with reviews posted online is “100%” greater than the chances of buying without any feedback at all. You don’t even need to focus on positive reviews, negative reviews also count. You can use negative reviews to improve the brand and show that you are willing to make changes. It positions you as an industry leader and boosts your sales. Just make the review process easier for customers. And to do that, we can help you.
Our team at Own the Digital can create a custom integration for your Shopify mobile app. Contact us and learn more about how you can include an aesthetically appealing review page on your website. We would be happy to help!
