The following is a guest post from Joanna Alter, Co-marketing Manager at Yotpo
Customer reviews are much more than words on a screen.
They are a critical asset for any online business because they address major pain points for store owners and shoppers alike.
Customer reviews improve key eCommerce metrics like conversion, retention and response rates.
They furthermore show that you value your customers by giving buyers a place to express themselves and giving shoppers authentic product information before they make a purchase decision.
Here are data-driven best practices for getting the most value from your customer reviews.
Emphasize Customer Experiences to Increase Conversion Rates
Clearly displaying customer reviews throughout your eCommerce site allows you to leverage the experiences and reactions of your customers to increase conversion rates.
Social proof from reviews and other user-generated content provides reassurance for uncertain online shoppers and gives a major boost to conversion rates for eCommerce store owners.
For example, Exo, a company that sells protein bars made out of crickets, experienced a 20% increase in conversion rate once they implemented customer reviews on their site.
User-generated content is a gift from your customers that keeps on giving.
It allows you to reach your customers at multiple touch points. Placing user-generated photos and reviews throughout your web site, social media accounts and paid promotions will consistently remind them of your brand story and enhance their connection to it.
Visible customer reviews shine a spotlight on your brand story and values.
By making the most of both positive and negative reviews you can extract continuous value out of customer content.
Send Engaging Review Requests to Increase Retention Rates
Customers are more likely to open and engage with emails when the main purpose is not to sell.
Sending review request emails that make it quick and easy for the customer to interact will increase the number of customer reviews you get, as well as your retention rate.
A higher retention rate is good news for any online store because returning customers account for a huge amount of eCommerce sales.
Contrary to popular belief, more expensive products get the most reviews.
If a customer purchases many items, request a review for the most expensive product to have the best chances of receiving a response.
You can also include upsell and cross-sell opportunities to review request emails based on the customer’s preferences and past purchases.
Online businesses know that it is crucial to make every interaction as easy as possible for shoppers.
With more and more shoppers getting things done on the move, your reviews solution and all post-sale communications must be optimized for mobile.
Happy customers are your best advocates.
Show them appreciation with useful content so that they will be more likely to stay engaged and to increase your brand visibility with word of mouth marketing.
Send Timely Review Requests to Increase Response Rates
The best time to ask for reviews varies by industry.
Stores need to keep variables like product type and shipping time in mind when deciding when to send customer review requests.
For example, you should give customers who purchase electronics enough time to learn and get used to a product before asking for a review. It is best to wait at least two weeks after an electronics purchase to send a review request.
For fashion and accessories, on the other hand, it is best practice to ask for a review as close to product arrival as possible in order to catch them in the initial excitement about their new buy. Review response rates are best for the fashion industry approximately ten days after purchase.
Takeaways
User-generated content makes a huge impact on brand visibility for online businesses and provides an opportunity to build stronger relationships with your audience.
Your customers will do their part by providing customer reviews if you ask in an engaging, personalized and relevant way.
Author
Joanna Alter is the Co-marketing Manager at Yotpo where she helps businesses maximize the marketing potential of user-generated content.
