An eCommerce website that doesn’t get enough customer reviews, or any at all, can be the death of an online business. For this reason, it’s important to make customer reviews on your eCommerce website as appealing as possible to increase the number of your online customers that leave reviews about your products or services. By creating a favorable review environment, you will be able to grow your business and compete with other eCommerce websites that lack reviews on their pages and are lacking exposure.
Reviews boost credibility
First and foremost, a positive review can increase your conversion rate and sales. When people are making their purchase decisions, they are likely to look at what other customers have said about a product or service on sites like Yelp or Amazon. Your business will get more conversions when potential customers see that others already love what you’re selling! In addition, receiving positive comments can also help increase revenue. You may find that your regular clientele is increased when you have a string of good reviews. Repeat business is often referred to as being retentive—that means it’s much easier to hold onto a customer than it is to go out and win new ones. And with repeat business comes greater profitability for your company!
Reviews improve SEO rankings
Reviews can impact an online store’s organic search rankings. Google uses a site’s overall rating, or star rating, as a significant ranking factor in its search algorithm. This makes sense when you consider that user experience is one of Google’s primary ranking factors. Reviews also improve click-through rates and increase conversion rates by convincing searchers to purchase products they might otherwise have overlooked. That’s why it’s important to ask customers for product reviews and use software like Reevoo to add them to your site automatically. Trustpilot offers an alternative approach by collecting genuine reviews from real customers through social referrals. Just as Facebook was built around friends recommending friends, Trustpilot allows you to leverage existing relationships to generate more business!
Reviews increase engagement
Let’s start with a key fact that’s often overlooked: Your customers like to leave feedback, and they want you to take action on it. According to a study by Forrester Research, online shoppers who post ratings and reviews are three times more likely than non-reviewers to return for another purchase. This is because even negative comments hold value—they suggest ways for your company to improve its products or services. And positive ones are just plain great publicity; word of mouth can go viral on social media quickly if you give people an easy way to share their experiences.
Reviews are linked to conversion rates
In a report from Baymard Institute, researchers found that more than 90% of people read online reviews before purchasing. Reviews can increase sales by up to 9%, and even those who leave negative feedback are 85% more likely to convert when allowed to comment on their experience. Allowing customers to share their thoughts helps build trust in your business; if a potential client reads positive feedback about your company, they’re more likely to choose you over other similar businesses that don’t provide reviews or ratings. At times, negative comments can be used as an opportunity for improvement—how often have you chosen a restaurant based on its bad online reviews but had an overall positive experience? You might not realize it, but your potential clients have done just that.
Reviews are key to conversions
Sites with high review scores have an average conversion rate that’s 50% higher than those without any reviews. Of course, simply getting more 5-star ratings won’t help your conversions if you don’t know how to get them from satisfied customers. So, it’s important to think about what you can do to improve your review score and provide value to your customers. Do you need easy ways for your customers to leave a quick review? Could you add a testimonial section or email reminder? What product/service changes could increase satisfaction scores? Finally, ask yourself if any areas need attention—and determine how you can reach out to affected customers. Getting honest feedback on these questions will help improve your business and make future successes easier.
Conclusion
Remember that one of the best ways to start getting positive customer reviews is to provide a great product and exceptional service. While your customers might need a gentle reminder to write a review once in a while, if you are consistently providing a good customer experience, you will likely see positive results.
