Product Reviews 12x more trusted
Whether you have your own website and an online store or you simply enjoying shopping online, you really don’t need anyone telling you the importance of product reviews. But, to validate that perception, let’s throw in some data and statistics, and what we see is that reviews are 12x more trusted for a buying decision, then product descriptions from the seller.
Soliciting reviews from customers is one part of it, but the next important part is how these reviews are managed, once received. It’s never too easy to get a positive review from a customer, although incredibly satisfied. As they say, Good news take a little longer to travel! So once you get it, it needs to be treated with the same level of seriousness that you show when asking for one. Your products are looked at and dissected every inch before someone writes a review and thus, then it’s your job too to carefully read, analyze and then publish the review on your website.
Yes, you can moderate reviews to make sure you don’t display anything inappropriate or overly negative, but you shouldn’t be greedy about 5-star reviews. If every product on your site is excellent, you’ll perhaps lose credibility. Be okay with 3 and 4-star ratings.
A common problem with most eCommerce sites is they do not get enough traffic to generate a good amount of reviews. For most online businesses, that would mean that 90% of their products will have a “be the first to review” link. That doesn’t help anyone. Does it?
But, because social proof is a huge influencer, reviews have gained importance which cannot be overlooked. Thus, here are few Do’s and Don'ts about Product Reviews.
1) Thank the customer for their feedback
In this age and time of social media where everyone has an urge to make their voice count, the magic of saying rather just even responding with a simple Thank you is incredible. In an otherwise automated virtual world, a power of human voice is a gesture that people remember. This could be an incentive for the buyer/s to come back and shop at your online store.
Don’t take it for granted. A little courtesy goes a long way!
2) Respond to questions left on reviews
We all come across this situation where the REVIEWS page may be treated as a FAQ page. People will comment on reviews of other customers by asking questions about the product - the one they HAVEN’T bought yet. Although you have a bold heading that says “REVIEWS”, people may choose to do as they please. And as a seller, much interested in increasing sales and repeat customers, it’s your duty to Respond.
Don’t direct them to Product Descriptions page without responding briefly about what they are asking.
By responding, you not only answer one person’s question, but you are setting an example to other customers / potential buyers that you are taking out time to answer and one response can actually answer questions of many. You may have just increased the likelihood of that person turning into a buyer. You never know! Win-win.
3) Make it Right
Bad reviews are not necessarily bad; often times we learn a lot from our mistakes, especially in a business. You may be an established or even a naive business and you know your product is good. But when the customer buys it from you, either they may have a completely different expectation from it or they genuinely did not like what they saw upon arrival. If their complaint is legitimate, make it right. It's important to exhibit that you are engaged with your customers, even when it's something negative. The key is to keep it professional and not take it personally. Take a challenge to get this particular fired-up customer back.
However, if there are 10-20 customer customers complaining about the same product or let’s say the shipping, then it most definitely means that there is a problem. You want to find ways to fix it. Start by appreciating the customer for pointing out the issues and step up to provide a more personalized customer service. By indulging in conversations, you will find an opportunity to connect positively with the customer/s and identify what’s beneath the tip of the iceberg!
Don’t ignore a bad review. Don’t forget the age-old rule: always try to turn a negative into a positive.
4) Make the reviews easily accessible
So you have all these glittering reviews making you a star online seller, now what do you do with that? Display of course! But where? Make them easy for your customers to find and read. In business, you have to play all your moves strategically and it applies equally to how and where your product reviews are displayed. Since they are one of your most prized and valued possessions, you want to ensure they are placed at the most relevant place, where it will influence a buyer’s decision.
Don’t add them to the testimonials page.
If you already have done that, take them out and put them where they’ll help. More likely on a products or services page, or even better at the “conversion funnel”. Wouldn't you feel more confident about buying a product when you get a list of 10 customer reviews displayed parallelly by the product you are looking at? Don’t make your customer go all over your website to look for something so important as product reviews.
Since product reviews are a must-have for eCommerce sites, managing those rightly is crucial. Engaging with what your customers are saying is one of the best ways to make improvements and move forward.
How do you manage product reviews on your eCommerce site? Do you have any other tips to share? Share with us in the comments below.
