Why are reviews important in an ecommerce?

Reviews are a powerful tool to boost your ecommerce and increase your sales.

MHA explains the main benefits of reviews for your online business, how to get more reviews from your customers and how to use them to improve your marketing strategy.

Trust and credibility

Positive reviews act as social proof, assuring potential buyers that others have had satisfactory experiences with your products or services.

According to a study by BrightLocal, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Additionally, 72% of consumers say that positive reviews make them trust a business more.

Trust and credibility are essential to building customer loyalty and retention. If your customers trust you, they are more likely to repeat their purchases, recommend you to others, and give you a good online reputation.

Help in decision making

Reviews provide unbiased and authentic information that helps buyers evaluate whether a product or service meets their needs and expectations. Reviews can include details about the quality, performance, design, shipping, customer service, and other relevant aspects of your offering.

These details can resolve buyers' doubts or concerns and make them feel more confident about their decision.

According to a study by Spiegel Research Center, 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase. Furthermore, the same study found that displaying reviews can increase conversion rates by up to 270%.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

They contribute to your website's visibility in search engines by indicating the relevance and popularity of your business. Search engines like Google value fresh, original, and helpful content for users. Reviews are user-generated content that may contain new keywords or associations that refresh your content.

Additionally, reviews can improve your local ranking, as they can include your business name, location, or category. This can help you appear in local search results, which are more specific and relevant to users near you.

According to a study by Moz, reviews account for 15% of the factors that influence Google local ranking.

Customer feedback

Reviews allow you to learn what your customers think about your products or services, which helps you improve your offering, your customer service and your reputation. Reviews can reveal what your customers value most, what problems or difficulties they have encountered and what suggestions or expectations they have.

This information is very valuable for detecting areas for improvement, correcting errors, innovating solutions and adapting to market needs. This way, you can offer a better customer experience and differentiate yourself from the competition.

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How to get more reviews on an e-commerce site?

Now that you know why reviews are important for your ecommerce, you may be wondering how to get more reviews from your customers. Here are some practical tips to encourage your customers to leave more reviews on your ecommerce:

Incentivize your customers

You can offer discounts, coupons, giveaways, or freebies in exchange for honest and constructive reviews. This can motivate your customers to share their opinion and thank you for your collaboration.

Make sure your incentives are transparent, legal and ethical, and do not affect your customers' evaluations.

Request reviews

You can send emails, text messages, or notifications to your customers after they make a purchase, inviting them to leave a review about their experience.

To make your request effective, you need to choose the right time, the right channel, and the right tone. You can also personalize your message with the customer's name, the product purchased, or some other detail that shows your interest.

Facilitates the process

You can integrate a quick and easy review system into your website, allowing customers to leave their feedback without having to register or log in. You can also offer different options to express their opinion, such as ratings, stars, emojis, text or images.

The simpler the process, the more likely your customers will participate.

How to use reviews in an e-commerce

Once you have collected your customers' reviews, it is not enough to store them in your database. You must take advantage of them to boost your ecommerce, through strategies such as:

Display reviews on your website

You can display your customers' reviews on product pages, on the home page, or in a dedicated section to increase visitor trust and interest. By displaying reviews on your website, you give your customers the opportunity to read other buyers' experiences and compare the different options available.

This helps them make a more informed and confident decision, which reduces the abandonment rate and increases the conversion rate.

Respond to reviews

Another way to use reviews in your e-commerce is to respond to them, interacting with your customers and showing your attention and willingness. You can thank your customers for their positive comments, congratulating them on their purchase and encouraging them to continue shopping at your e-commerce.

You can also resolve any issues or concerns your customers may have in the event of negative feedback by offering solutions or alternatives. This demonstrates your commitment and professionalism, and can help you regain your customers' trust and satisfaction.

Social proof marketing

Another way to use reviews in your ecommerce is to share them on your social media, newsletters or advertising campaigns, to generate more traffic and conversions to your website. You can share reviews from your most satisfied or influential customers, highlighting their benefits or advantages.

This allows you to leverage the power of social proof, which is that people tend to follow the behavior or opinions of others similar to them. This way, you can attract new potential customers who can relate to the reviews of your current customers.

How can I verify the authenticity of reviews?

Reviews are a way to get feedback from your customers and improve your online reputation. However, not all reviews are true or trustworthy. That's why it's important to verify the authenticity of the reviews you receive or consult.

There are a few ways to verify the authenticity of reviews, both on your own website and on other sites. Here are some of them:

• Check the reviewer's profile. Look for a photo, real name, location, and other reviews in their history. If the profile is anonymous, generic, or suspicious, it may be a sign that the review is fake or purchased.
• Compare reviews with each other. Look for duplicate, copied, or very similar reviews. This may indicate that these reviews were generated by bots or hired people.
• Analyze the content of the review. Look for specific, coherent, and relevant details about the product or service in the review. If the review is too vague, exaggerated, or irrelevant, it may be a sign that the review is fake or malicious.
• Check the date and frequency of reviews. Look for a pattern or anomaly in the timing and number of reviews. If there are a lot of reviews in a short period of time or if there is a prolonged absence of reviews, it may be a sign that the reviews are manipulated or inflated.
• Consult official or reliable sources. Check to see if the company or product has a legal, fiscal or commercial registration with an official entity. You can also look to see if the company or product has any certifications, memberships or recognition in any professional organizations.

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How can I respond to negative reviews?

Some tips for responding to negative reviews effectively:

• Stay calm. Don't let frustration or anger get the better of you. Respond with respect and professionalism, avoiding emotional or defensive responses.
• Respond quickly. Try to respond within 24 hours of posting the review. This shows that you care about the customer's opinion and are willing to address the issue.
• Apologize and take responsibility. Acknowledge the mistake or inconvenience that caused the negative review, and express your regret for what happened. Do not blame the client or third parties for what happened.
• Offer a solution. Suggest a way to compensate the customer or solve their problem. You can offer a discount, refund, exchange or repair, as appropriate.
• Steer the customer to an internal channel. Invite the customer to contact you through a private channel, such as phone, email or chat. This way you can deal with their case in a more personalized way and avoid the conflict from escalating into public.
• Thank them for their review. Express your gratitude to the customer for their feedback and their trust in your business. Let them know that their opinion is valuable to you and helps you improve your service.

Written by Moises Hamui Abadi : I am an entrepreneur, founding partner of Viceversa and SoyMacho. After leading several digital businesses and advising several other businesses, I decided to form MHA Consulting, a digital marketing consultancy dedicated to growing and empowering digital businesses in more than 7 countries and generating more than 1,500 million pesos.