Customers today need to know that they can trust your business before they put their hard-earned money towards your products or services. This demand requires that brands have a high level of transparency and honesty, and in the ecommerce industry, that means providing clear reviews and ratings from other customers.
Why All Online Stores Need A Review Platform
Customers read other people’s reviews of products and services before they consider buying for themselves. In fact, as many as 90% of customers will read a review before buying any product – so if you’re not supplying reviews and ratings, you could be costing yourself profits. What’s more, reviews can help you hone your business by reacting to the positive and negative things people have to say about your brand. Showing all reviews, the good and the bad, helps to increase loyalty and trust, and enhances conversions.
Benefits Of Review Platforms
Review platforms offer the chance to:
⭐️ Build improved customer trust and confidence in your brand, helping people to see why they should choose your business over a competitor.
⭐️ Have a positive impact on local search engine result rankings.
You’ll also likely see a reduction in complaints and returns since customers will be able to see the positives and negatives of a product before they buy, so they know what to expect. But it also shines a spotlight on areas where you maybe aren’t thriving – if numerous people are commenting on the same areas that need improvement, it may be something you need to work on.
Won’t Negative Reviews Ruin My Business?
The odd negative review won’t destroy your business, for several reasons.
Firstly, people seek out negative reviews more than they do positive ones, and they spend longer searching for them, which increases engagement with your brand. Negative reviews also instil trust and loyalty – potential customers will value your business being transparent and honest about what people have said about the products you’re selling, rather than hiding the bad and only showing the good.
Customers want the whole story, and when you display negative reviews (along with positive ones), you’re showing them that which builds trust and customer satisfaction.
Best Review Platforms For ecommerce
1. TrustPilot
Established in 2007, TrustPilot is one of the most powerful review platforms that provides services in over 50 countries around the world. TrustPilot delivers over 120 million reviews and provides over 6 billion monthly impressions, so you can be confident that it’s a platform consumers will turn to when searching for reviews and ratings. Consumer reviews on this site help businesses earn the trust of their customers and assists them with their online purchasing decisions. With their analytics tool, brands can track performance such as impressions, engagements and numbers of reviews. Trustpilot is also one of the top software review sites in the software industry.
TrustPilot Pricing
The basic plan is free, while the standard plan starts at £199 per month.
2. Feefo
Feefo offers reliable features that improve your site’s SEO by gathering more traffic and engagements. It automatically sends emails to customers to request feedback and has an efficient Insight tool that allows you to monitor your performance and conversion rates. With Feefo Hub, brands can respond to reviews and generate campaigns, and there’s the option to combine the best reviews with Facebook advertising.
Feefo Pricing
Plans start from £79 per month.
3. REVIEWS.io
Reviews.io collects text, photo and video reviews from customers to display on your site, search engines and social media platforms. It has a number of features, including SMS collections, email templates and social proof, to encourage people to provide feedback including customer feedback platform, converting reviews into high-impact content for your business. This platform is partnered with Google so the feedback you receive improves your seller ratings.
REVIEWS.io Pricing
Monthly plans start from £29 per month.
4. Yotpo
Yotpo is one of the most effective ecommerce customer review platforms on the market, with a host of review tools to enhance conversions and boost traffic. It uses AI-powered solutions to create user-generated content, collecting reviews, ratings, images and more to improve sales. There’s also the option to turn reviews into Facebook ads, which saves businesses time and attracts more visitors.
Yotpo Pricing
Free plans are available, with paid plans starting at $19 per month.
5. Bazaarvoice
Bazaarvoice helps brands reach new customers by increasing loyalty and boosting sales. It collects user-generated content for global display and collects over 11,000 brands with consumers to generate millions of reviews. Bazaarvoice automatically emails customers to request reviews and has analytics tools so businesses can monitor performance and engagement.
Bazaarvoice Pricing
Contact Bazaarvoice for a pricing plan.
6. Trusted Shops
Founded in 1999, Trusted Shops is a German company that operates across Europe. It works with over 25,000 brands in Europe, creating a safer ecommerce experience for customers. Their platform is powered by authentic reviews and a money-back guarantee, along with a trust mark that shows customers which businesses can be trusted.
Trusted Shops Pricing
Plans start from £79 per month.
What Review Platform Should My Ecommerce Use?
As you can see, there are various options to choose from when it comes to a review platform. The right option for your business will depend on several factors, such as:
- How much you want to spend each month
- Features you’ll benefit from the most
- Whether you need the platform to integrate with any other software.
When looking for an ecommerce customer review platform, consider the cost, the level of analytical tools they provide, and the integrations, as well as whether they offer email support.
How To Get More Reviews
⭐️ Put your reviews front and centre
Place some of your reviews on the homepage of your site and on each product page, so that customers can see them clearly wherever they are on your website. It can also be beneficial to create a dedicated testimonials page to showcase reviews for customers seeking them out.
⭐️ Follow up
Consider sending an email to your customers after they’ve made a purchase to request a review or a rating from them, and to check in to see that they’re happy with the product. It’s a personal touch that makes all the difference and shows to customers that you value their opinion.
⭐️ Promote positive reviews
When someone leaves you a glowing review, make a big deal out of it. Contact them to say thank you and ask if you can share their shout out on social media.
⭐️ Reward people who review
Incentives work, especially when it comes to something like leaving a review. You’re asking people to give up their time, so give them something in return, such as a 10% coupon off their next order if they leave a review. You don’t need to let them know it’s coming, as the element of surprise can be a wonderful addition to the gesture.
⭐️ Don’t ignore negative reviews
Ignoring a negative review won’t make it go away and could reflect badly on your business. Try to respond to negative reviews to see if there’s anything you can do to improve the customer’s opinion of their item or their experience. It’s an opportunity to learn how to improve your business going forward, so embrace it.
Conclusion
Reviews can be an effective sales tool, so don’t neglect this area of your business as it could cost you money in the long run. Social proof is a highly effective way of growing your company and building customer loyalty, and using a review platform can make light work of the process of gaining and managing reviews. It’s the customer success manager’s work to keep track of it all, ensuring your business leverages these reviews effectively to enhance customer satisfaction and overall success.
