The impact of reviews on online reputation
E-commerce customer reviews are essential in the decision-making process, as they help customers get a better idea of the web product or service.
Consumers now have the opportunity to share their experiences and opinions with their peers, in a hugely influential and powerful way.
Reviews give customers a voice, increase consumer trust, improve product visibility, and can dramatically increase sales.
In e-commerce, the big challenge is to gain the trust of consumers . A shop aims to convince without the prospects having the product in their hands. In this sector of activity, social proof through consumers is an asset to prove the reliability and quality of your offer. Working on the E-reputation of an e-commerce site is essential for success on the internet.
To ensure the success of your business and increase your sales, perfect your customer relationship management through customer feedback.
The process of improving conversion on an E-commerce site involves building consumer confidence through reassuring elements.
Some numbers to know
In order to give you an accurate idea of the impact of consumer reviews on your sales, it is essential to look at the studies published on different sites.
Essential data to know
According to various analyzes of the Brightlocal site :
- 91% of people between the ages of 18 and 25 attach as much importance to opinions on the internet as to those of their relatives.
- More than 50% of consumers do not buy a product if the rating is less than 4.
- 70% of Internet users need to read at least 4 of the offer to get an idea.
- 49% of people consider the number of reviews left to be an essential criterion in decision-making.
- 50% of users aged 18-25 always watch them before buying. This proportion is 6% among people over 55 years of age.
83% of users no longer believe in advertisements and 77% of prospects do not believe in reviews older than 3 months. These figures prove the reluctance of consumers in the face of e-commerce, the reassurance elements of which are not relevant enough.
For this, it is important to know the best practices to highlight your business.
Why are reviews important in e-commerce?
Many companies neglect reviews. Two actions should be banned from your habits: not responding to consumers and not motivating them to evaluate their experience. Indeed, according to the publication of a study on the Statuslabs site, 30% of prospects like when companies interact and respond.
Increase your e-commerce sales
Social proof plays a vital role within e-commerce . Before making a purchase, users need to feel the reliability of the company. They don't want to feel alone in their spending. Having the opinion of consumers increases the sales of an e-commerce. The satisfaction of your customers motivates hesitant people to buy, strengthens the purchase process and reduces shopping cart abandonment in E-commerce.
Interpret them as digital word-of-mouth.
Moreover, beyond confirming Internet users in their choice of purchase, the opinion provides additional information on your offer. Thanks to the use of other people, interested parties can find information not present on your site and answer the questions of potential customers.
See statistics and studies on the effect of consumer reviews and customer satisfaction on web sales.
Improve consumer engagement
Leaving an opinion on a product, an offer or a company creates a community . Writing an opinion and sharing a user experience unites your customers.
For example, a person gives their opinion on a feature of a specific product. While sharing her experience, she will consult the other comments left to see if another user has had the same feeling. Internet users can interact on the use, the material, the resistance of the product and thus interact with each other.
This sharing of information develops a commitment around a company. Opinions federate a community.
Develop your natural referencing
When writing reviews, people cut to the chase . Most customer feedback is simple and effective. The use of certain keywords is inevitable for some people. This practice boosts the SEO of your store, which gains positioning on these specific words.
For example, your e-commerce sells sports shoes. A consumer's opinion may be “Quality sports shoes! They allow me to do my running (or jogging) in complete safety”.
If another user searches for "sports shoes" or "safe running", it is possible that the algorithms highlight this review and therefore your e-commerce.
Moreover, they give search engines regular, updated and fresh content. Numerous analyzes have proven that regularly published content helps a site's natural referencing and improves its position in the SERPs.
Gain the trust of users
Reviews are a great way to gain the trust of prospects who don't know about your business . Thanks to the published opinions, they manage to form an opinion. If they have a positive feeling, your conversion rate increases.
They also have the ability to build loyalty among current customers. They take the time to write a few words about your offer. This practice brings them closer to you. The feeling of belonging develops. The loyalty phase begins.
However, to take advantage of these benefits within your store, build a high-performance website where they are highlighted on the home page as well as on the product pages.
Having good opinions: what are the elements to take into account?
To get positive consumer reviews, you have to do what it takes. It's not about making sales and waiting patiently. To boost your business, practices and elements must be taken into account.
Create a customer experience
According to studies published by the Kinsta site , 64% of users consider the customer experience more important than the price.
Checkout is not the end of the customer journey. Keep in mind that the customer experience starts from the moment the prospect is in contact with your brand until the receipt of the order and the use of the product.
To have a fair and objective opinion on your offer and the user experience you offer, put yourself in the consumers' shoes. Are you having a good time on your site? Do the pages load quickly? Is all the information accessible? How is the product packaged? Is the shipment safe or is there a chance that the order will arrive broken?
Tools allow you to put the odds on your side to optimize and improve the customer experience.
Setting up chatbots
To facilitate the exchange between the prospect and your company , put forward a chatbot. This technique allows consumers to have a quick answer to their questions. They no longer have to wait endless minutes on the phone or send an email. Thanks to this chat, they have indications concerning your offer and can thus decide more quickly.
Access to voice assistance
Thanks to the built-in microphone in smartphones, consumers can search your site by voice. In 2020, this approach should represent 50% of the searches carried out.
Integrate personalization
E-commerce companies sometimes have difficulty creating a human relationship with prospects . To overcome the digital barrier and offer an unforgettable experience, bet on personalization. This includes creating product recommendations based on searches or integrating location.
Have omnichannel marketing
Improving the customer experience means simplifying the buying journey . With the implementation of omnichannel marketing, consumers can buy on various platforms: the site, social networks, physical stores, on marketplaces like Ebay or Amazon, at events or from pop-up stores.
The importance of customer service
Poor customer service drives consumers away. To put the odds on your side and increase the sales of your web store, simplify internal procedures. Highlight points of contact in case of problems and facilitate returns of items.
Allow mobile access
59% of users make purchases through their smartphone and 7 out of 10 people prefer to buy on mobile sites.
How to explain this success ? Why can mobile versions win you consumer reviews?
Prospects take their smartphones everywhere with them. Wherever they are, they easily and quickly access the necessary information, make a purchase or compare the prices of several offers. Allowing them to access your web store from their phone earns you points. They don't need to open their computer to get your product.
Facilitating the user journey is the key to having good customer feedback. In addition, in a few seconds, they can publish an evaluation of your services.
Don't forget social media
Sales can be made through social networks . These platforms are effective methods to implement your marketing strategy. Indeed, they have a real power of influence. 74% of consumers go to the networks to find out the opinions of Internet users.
Having good customer feedback also requires a communication strategy. Motivate users to interact with your brand by leaving comments. To do this, write captivating descriptions. Make them want to share their experience.
How to motivate to leave comments?
They have a dazzling impact on e-commerce sales. Beyond gaining the trust of prospects, reviews help your business establish itself in the market. As the saying goes, “the world attracts the world”.
But how do you get feedback? Indeed, users can get your offer without sharing their opinion afterwards. See our article for Google My Business reviews .
Ask the question directly
Within your shop, integrate an order tracking system . After a few days of receipt of the package, do not hesitate to send an email to know the customer's opinion. Is he satisfied with the product received? Was he able to track his package? What ratings would he put on the site? His suggestions for improving your offer?
If you choose this option, simplify your approach. Ask simple questions:
- Last name First Name
- Email-address
- The note in the form of a star
- An insert for specific comments
You can also ask customers to rate your services on dedicated pages. To do this, integrate site links (your Facebook page, the rating tab on your site, your Google Business profile). In this way, in a few seconds, the customer can give you feedback.
Create a give-and-take relationship
Offering a gift, an exclusive discount coupon, loyalty points or participation in a contest can be a good way to motivate customers to give their opinion on their order.
Winning consumer reviews for your e-commerce means grabbing the customer's attention. The goal here is to get them interested in your feedback request.
Bet on pictures
With the use of social networks , Internet users are used to taking pictures of everything. Ask them to send them to you. The visuals of the orders received give more strength and authenticity to the reviews left.
If you feel some reluctance from your audience, the alternative is to go on the networks and look for publications that expose your products. As soon as you are faced with a profile that is a customer of your store, do not hesitate to send him a message to ask him for his opinion. Beyond obtaining feedback, you strengthen the customer relationship.
How to deal with negative reviews?
All businesses fear negative reviews. And for good reason, the fear of having a bad image is present. If you have a store, be aware that a negative review can benefit your business.
Faced with this, you must have the right attitude:
- Apologize and acknowledge your share of responsibility.
- Thank the customer for their feedback.
- Ask for clarification on the situation. If you have all the elements to solve the problem, propose a suitable solution.
- Offer compensation for the inconvenience caused.
To minimize the impact on your business, respond to all negative consumer reviews . Your answers prove the responsiveness and reliability of your company. What interests users is not to know the source of the problem, but rather to know how you are going to handle the situation.
Reviews, whether good or bad , have an undeniable impact on e-commerce sales. Responding to reviews is fundamental in E-commerce and is part of the fundamental processes of the relationship with consumers.
Motivate feedback and have the right reactions to gain the trust of Internet users.
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