Guest post from REVIEWS.io
There’s no arguing with the fact that customer review content is now a must have if you want your ecommerce business to thrive. With so much competition out there, and acquisition costs at an all time high, you’ll struggle to hit profitable conversion rates if you’re not displaying that persuasive authentic insight.
But stars are just the beginning. There’s actually a whole host of benefits to be had (and a far greater ROI)from your review platform.
We’ve teamed up with REVIEWS.io to look at what those benefits are, and how they boost growth potential for your ecommerce store.
1. Trust Signals at Every Step of the Buyer Journey
When we talk about the right Review/User Generated Content (UGC) platform, there’s one essential feature you should look for – Google Licensed Partner status. This means the reviews you collect are shared with the search engine, giving you Google Seller Ratings and Stars in organic results, paid ads and Google Shopping.
Since this is where most people start the buyer journey, these trust signals help you capture purchase-ready traffic. And when you display customer review content on product pages, you’re carrying that trust right through from search to checkout.
Google Seller Ratings and Stars are also a boost for SEO and help lower ad spend – so you’re increasing your visibility and getting more value from PPC campaigns at the same time.
2. A Consistent Reputation Across the Web
Provided you go with a Google Licensed Partner, a key benefit is establishing trust at that first point of contact. But what about anywhere else you might have set up an online presence, like social media or a third-party marketplace? And what about other review platforms, where there’s nothing to stop a disgruntled customer leaving damaging feedback without your knowledge?
A good review solution will enable full control of your online reputation. You can collect, publish and manage reviews on third party platforms like Facebook, Amazon, Etsy and Trustpilot, all through one single interface.
By actively encouraging reviews on any site a customer may use, you ensure a consistent trust score across the web. Essentially, you won’t miss out on any acquisition opportunities because you’ve built a solid reputation at every possible source.
3. Authentic Content With Real Selling Power
Savvy ecommerce retailers are starting to realise that UGC is their most powerful marketing tool. It’s trustworthy, relatable, and often far more engaging and persuasive than brand generated content. And the great thing is, with phones at their fingertips, consumers love creating it – especially around brands and products they value.
The best way to gather this kind of content? By asking for image and video reviews from your happy customers by email or SMS.
Video reviews in particular offer real insight by sharing a visible product experience. A potential buyer has no need to question the authenticity of a review, because they can see the value a product brings with their own eyes. And that speaks far louder than a star rating.
4. The Insight You Need to Build a Better Business
Reviews don’t just help shoppers make the right choices. They also help you better understand how well your products meet consumer expectations. When you encourage customers to leave detailed feedback, you get insight on areas for improvement from the very people you’re aiming to please. Having a feature that looks at Google Review Attributes, will let you gather customer ratings on item specifics like quality, performance, and fit according to size. Adding attributes to review collection gives you valuable data that you can feed into product development.
It’s not just products either. Review content is a goldmine of information when it comes to quality of service. Too difficult to contact customer support? Find ways to make your team more accessible. Constant complaints about delivery? It could be time to switch your 3PL partner. In evaluating and acting on the feedback you receive, you build a stronger business that better serves the needs of your target market.
5. The Chance to Showcase Excellent Customer Service
Everyone dreads the negative review, but given that no business is perfect, you have to take them as par for the course. Rather than seeing them as detrimental though, look at them for what they actually are – an opportunity to show just how great your customer service is.
A well-crafted, helpful, genuine response to a negative review proves that you take accountability for your mistakes, and will find the best possible solution in the event that something should go wrong.
This gives anyone reading that review the confidence that, should they encounter one, their own issue will be effectively resolved. Far from putting them off, it actually makes them more inclined to complete their purchase. In addition, the customer who gives a negative review is also more likely to continue shopping with the brand if it is handled with excellent customer service.
To help you implement an efficient strategy you need a platform that integrates seamlessly with customer support solutions like Gorgias or Zendesk. Tickets are raised in response to a poor review, and your support teams can jump on the issue straight away.
Grow Your Ecommerce Business With Reviews
Making the most of customer reviews all starts with choosing the right tools. Stars are nice, but strategy is better, so you want a platform designed to bring maximum value from review content.
The features and functionality of REVIEWS.io really do push the boundaries, and we’ve only just scratched the surface of what it’s capable of here. To find out more, book a personalised demo and consultation with the REVIEWS.io customer success team.