The Good, The Bad & The Ugly:
Why Reviews Matter
As the power of advertising continues to dwindle, the influence of social proof is fast becoming a dominating force. 88% of consumers trust online reviews to make informed purchases, and 49% consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.
Customer reviews contain powerful consumer insights, and tapping into them can shed light on changes you can make to ensure a better experience for all of your customers going forward.
We sat down with Trustpilot, one of the leading customer review platforms, to understand why reviews really matter.
Reviews not only help increase conversions, they can also reduce returns.
We all know that robust, descriptive and accurate product content is key to increasing conversions. UGC (user generated content, i.e. reviews) is also a fantastic source of information; reviews from actual customers not only builds trust, but provides the additional snippets of information that can help get the sale over the line.
46% of returns are due to the size, fit or colour being “wrong”; user generated content can help bridge this divide by providing very specific information relevant to the product and it’s intended use. This vital content can give the customer a better understanding of the product by people who are actually using it, helping them make a more informed decision and reduce the likelihood of the product being returned.
Do you track why your products are being returned? 89% of retailers collate and review the reasons behind returns – but are they actioning them? If there’s a disconnect between expectation and reality, there’s a problem. Optimising your product content using this vital feedback will help bridge the gap – and reduce the rate of return. A PIM solution allows you to update this content once and once only – as it’s the one source of product truth, the updated content will be pushed out to all your sales and marketing channels.
PRO TIP: Retailers should be encouraging very specific reviews. For example, what’s the fit like? Does the sizing run small, large or is it true to size? How tall is the model and what size is he/she wearing?
91% of people read reviews and 84% trust them as much as they would a personal recommendation.
Negative reviews highlight issues that can be fixed and give you a second chance with an unsatisfied customer.
Only 1 in 25 unhappy customers complain directly to you, and 13% of unhappy customers will share their complaint with 15 or more people. Many of the companies Trustpilot works with prefer to get a 1-star review, rather than be unaware of the issues their customers are encountering.
Most of Trustpilot’s customers have a person or team who receive a notification when every single review is published. This enables them to quickly respond if there are any serious issues, or to simply thank reviewers for their time. A number of companies will even have their Managing Director or CEO receiving email notifications from Trustpilot, giving them a snapshot of their customer satisfaction. For many businesses, Trustpilot might be their main channel for getting feedback; it’s important that these reviews are seen and responded to as quickly as possible.
PRO TIP: Turn a negative experience into a positive one. Delight your customer by going above and beyond to respond to their review and rectify accordingly. Would they like to exchange or return the product? Would a discount off their next purchase make up for any inconvenience caused? Remember: you’re not just satisfying this customer, but also the people they will tell about their experience with your company.
Over 2/3 of customers who were unsatisfied with a company response to their feedback admitted they wouldn’t shop with that establishment again, and half would warn others to stay away from the company too.
Celebrate wins and encourage retail and customer service staff to continue going the extra mile to provide an amazing experience for your customers.
With the many reviews on Trustpilot documenting a positive experience, reviews like this can help businesses celebrate success. Positive reviews let you know what products or services consumers love, and what product lines could be expanded.
Businesses with physical stores also collect and analyze reviews by location, and monitor the performance of each one to see which ones might need additional support, or which ones consistently deliver excellent service.
Companies also use reviews to reward standout individuals and reinforce positive behavior within their customer service teams. When individual employees get positive “shout-outs” in a review, travel company Trailfinders ensures all feedback is passed on to the individual, and recognition is provided.
PRO TIP: Use negative reviews to your advantage. Feedback around store performance, delivery times and general user experience will tell you what needs to be fixed, and help shape your road ahead. Let Review Insights be your roadmap to better business results.
Ready to incorporate reviews into your site? Speak to use today about how Trustpilot can be integrated into your PIM solution.
About Trustpilot
Trustpilot was founded in 2007 with a vision to create an independent currency of trust. We’re a digital platform that brings businesses and consumers together to foster trust and inspire collaboration. We’re free to use, open to everybody, and built on transparency.
Trustpilot hosts reviews to help consumers shop with confidence, and deliver rich insights to help businesses improve the experiences they offer. The more consumers use our platform and share their own opinions, the richer the insights we offer businesses, and the more opportunities they have to earn the trust of consumers from all around the world. Over 120 million consumer reviews of businesses and products relating to over 529,000 domains have been posted on Trustpilot.
