Online sales, in recent years, have grown exponentially: there are really a large number of people who prefer to buy from the comfort of home since, among other things, one now has the possibility of being able to make any changes/returns quickly and without any hiccups.
Along with sales, the importance of reviews has also increased: before making a purchase, in fact, most users look for information about both the product/service and the seller to make sure they are making the best choice, trusting (almost) blindly those who have already had a similar experience.
What does it all mean? That ecommerce owners absolutely cannot do without including reviews, increasing them and managing them to the best of their ability to facilitate buyers and increase their brand awareness.
What are online reviews for
Nowadays on any e-commerce there is the ability to be able to leave a review, which is very useful for two main reasons: on the one hand, the entrepreneur can realize what works and what possibly does not, intervening in time and, on the other hand, you facilitate likely future buyers, who will be able to receive information while not being able to touch the product with their hands.
Consequently, it seems obvious how one should always ask a customer to leave his or her opinion after making a purchase by perhaps guaranteeing him or her some sort of gift or reward to convince him or her without too much trouble.
But what specifically should be asked? There may be several aspects to be evaluated, but the most important ones are definitely:
- the clarity of the site and, therefore, the ease of purchase;
- the quality of the purchased product/service;
- the available payment methods;
- customer service;
- the delivery/exchange/return experience.
In addition, at the end, the customer could be asked whether they would recommend the brand to someone against what they personally experienced. To make it easier for him to answer, the mode of entry can be provided with stars or by ticking a number from 1 to 10.
Taking care of these aspects and working on customer ratings is a great way to increase earnings, as : T at least 8 out of 10 users read reviews before making a purchase and according to Shopper Experience Index 2018, the survey conducted by the company Bazaarvoice, Inc:
Reviews can boost up to 95 percent of an e-shop's earnings, as well as a physical store's.
How to best manage reviews: 5 useful tips
For those who have not yet provided for reviews within their ecommerce or for those who already have them but would like to make them even more useful and perform, some techniques can be put into practice by following these simple 5 tips:
1. Choose a certified review service
Signing up for a review service such as Feedaty or TrustPilot allows you to better collect and monitor customer evaluations, partly because it is an external and, therefore, unbiased site that will give the brand more credibility. In addition, every single review is checked and, consequently, certified before being published.
2. Taking reviews as advice for improvement
The opinions left by customers should be read carefully to draw advice and benefit from them. Especially the negative ones, in fact, help to understand where you are going wrong and to remedy it by making improvements to your eshop. Among other things, one can contact the customer directly and offer a discount or a free product to compensate for the “damage” incurred.
3. Explicitly ask to leave reviews
In most cases, customers do not spontaneously leave a review, but need to be prodded. This is where a real persuasion strategy comes into play through emails or text messages inviting people to leave their opinion, perhaps in exchange for a coupon or discount to be applied to their next purchase.
4. Respond to all reviews
You can receive positive reviews, as well as negative reviews; the important thing is to respond to all of them, especially those that raise criticism, precisely to find a solution together with dissatisfied or disappointed customers. Moreover, it would always be better to respond in a timely manner, because it is synonymous with the brand’s interest in the opinion of its buyers.
5. Avoid removing negative reviews
In the presence of negative reviews, then, one should avoid asking for their removal: what impression could be given by a brand that instead of going to the dissatisfied customers removes their opinion altogether? Much better, instead, to always respond in a calm and proactive tone. Also because, fake reviews are punished (since it is a crime) so other ways can be found to solve the issue.
By following these practical and useful steps, the review system will work at its best and their management will also appear easier and smoother!
6 advantages of ecommerce reviews
What has been said so far clearly demonstrates that providing reviews on one’s ecommerce has a large number of benefits, from increasing brand awareness to increasing earnings. In summary, here are the top 6 benefits of their use:
1. Winning the trust of customers
Giving customers the opportunity to express themselves freely grows in them a sense of trust in the brand and its services. A likely buyer who notices a large number of (mostly positive) reviews to rely on will then be even more enticed to proceed with the purchase and return to visit the ecommerce again in the future.
2. Monitoring ecommerce performance.
As mentioned earlier, reading user reviews allows ecommerce managers to get an idea of how the service is performing and to take action if customers report problems. The latter, in fact, may notice bugs or glitches that non-buyers certainly cannot. Finally, solving problems promptly and responding cordially always pays off.
3. Select the best products/services
Then, thanks to customer opinions, it is possible to identify the best products/services that work and satisfy users and, in turn, those that should be revised, if not eliminated. A quick and somewhat foolproof method to find the square and fix what is wrong.
4. Increase credibility and brand awareness
The better you are at satisfying customers, the more credible your brand becomes, the more easily it is recognized and chosen when purchasing. These are all interconnected steps that start with positive reviews and arrive at brand awareness, which, thanks to the good work done and the attention given to the customer, will become the first choice in its target industry.
5. Facilitating the shopping experience
Reading reviews left by other shoppers helps new customers move around the ecommerce better, speeding up purchase transactions and making them more enjoyable. Of course, in the case of negative reviews the problem does not arise: it is highly likely that a user will abandon the site without even taking a look at the products/services. That’s why you have to avoid them!
6. Increase conversions and sales
Finally, the most important benefit: reviews increase conversion rates and sales. The more satisfied customers are, the more they will be driven to leave a positive opinion, the more positive reviews will increase, the more new customers will be attracted. Moreover, if the review system is complemented by a well-done design and an effective SEO strategy, the results will certainly not be long in coming.
How to increase ecommerce reviews in 3 steps
At this point the importance of ecommerce reviews is extremely clear, so it’s time to put what has been said so far into practice and test it directly with your own hands. To end on a high note, below are 3 tips for increasing post-purchase opinions:
1. Ask for feedback via email
Email marketing always proves to be among the most effective tools for promoting an ecommerce, even in the case of reviews. An inquiry email could be sent about 1 week after the purchase, facilitating this by including a CTA cross-reference to the dedicated page directly within the email.
2. Create a specially dedicated page/section
Therefore, we need a page/section dedicated specifically to reviews or any complaints in case something goes wrong. Each product sheet, therefore, must be provided with the appropriate section, which must be provided already in the design phase of the eshop.
3. Offer something in return
The Latin saying “quid pro quo” is never wrong, especially when it comes to asking for something: in this case, in exchange for the review you can offer the customer a free sample, or a discount to be applied on the next purchase. In short, a small gift worth taking 5 minutes of your time to drop a few lines for!