Did you know that nearly 90% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase? That number should come as no surprise, considering how easy it is for potential customers to find reviews for pretty much any product or service with a few clicks.
The problem is that many ecommerce businesses don't have very many reviews, let alone 5-star reviews. How can you increase the number of 5-star reviews for your ecommerce business? Here's our Guide to landing more reviews for your business:
Don't be afraid to ask for reviews (and make it easy)
One of the best ways to increase your 5-star reviews is simply to ask your customers for them. You can do this via email, social media, or in person. And, when you do ask, make it easy for them to leave a review by including a link to your review page.
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Follow up with customers after purchase
When customers make a purchase from your ecommerce store, follow up with them afterwards and ask if they're happy with their purchase. If they are, politely ask if they would be willing to leave a review and provide a link where they can do so easily.
Respond to all reviews—good and bad
When you do get reviews, take the time to respond—even if it's just a short thank-you for taking the time to leave a review. potential customers will see that you're active and engaged with customers, which can help build trust. And when it comes to negative reviews, try not to take them personally—use them as an opportunity improve your business.
Use social media strategically
Don't underestimate the power of social media when it comes to getting more 5-star reviews for your business—just make sure you're using it strategically. One way to do this is by tagging customers in photos of them using your products and then asking them to tag their friends who might also be interested in purchasing from you. You can also share positive customer reviews on your social media channels with links back to your website so potential customers can read them for themselves.
TOP TIP: Thomas Edison famously said that "There's no such thing as failure—only feedback." And that's true when it comes to increasing your ecommerce business's 5-star reviews too. If you're not getting the results you want, take a look at what you're doing and see where you can make some changes. Then repeat until you've increased those 5-star ratings.
Use positive reviews as social proof
Social proof is when people see that others have had a positive experience with your product or service, and they want to have that same experience. You can use positive customer reviews as social proof on your website and in your marketing materials. This will help increase confidence in potential customers and encourage them to buy from you.
There are a lot of review sites out there, but not all of them are created equal. To help you get started, we've compiled a list of the top five review sites for ecommerce businesses.
Trustpilot
Trustpilot is one of the most popular ecommerce review sites in the world, and for good reason. They offer a free and easy-to-use platform that allows businesses to collect reviews from their customers. They also offer a paid service that gives businesses access to additional features, such as the ability to respond to reviews and generate custom reports.
Feefo
Feefo is another popular ecommerce review site that offers both a free and paid service. They differ from Trustpilot in that they focus exclusively on verified reviews, which means that all of the reviews on their site are from verified purchasers. This makes Feefo an excellent choice for businesses who want to ensure that all of their reviews are coming from real customers.
ReviewCentre
ReviewCentre is a bit different from Trustpilot and Feefo in that it's not exclusively focused on ecommerce businesses. However, they do have a section of their site dedicated to ecommerce reviews, making them worth considering if you're looking for somewhere to showcase your customer feedback. ReviewCentre also offers both free and paid services, with the paid service giving businesses access to additional features such as customisation and reporting tools.
Google Reviews are a bit different
Because Google reviews are one of the most important ranking factors for local SEO. In other words, if you want your business to show up in the search results when people are looking for a business like yours, then you need to have good reviews on Google.
But getting Google reviews is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, you need to make sure that you're asking for reviews from the right people. Secondly, you need to make sure that you're asking for reviews in the right way. And last but not least, you need to make sure that you're managing your reviews so that the negative ones don't drag down your average rating.
The Right People
If you want good Google reviews, then you need to make sure that you're asking the right people for them. That means people who are actually customers or clients of your business. The best way to do this is to send an email after they've done business with you and ask them to leave a review. You can also include a link in the email so that it's easy for them to leave a review. Just be sure that you're only sending this email to people who have actually done business with you, or else you risk having your account suspended.
The Right Way
When you're asking for Google reviews, it's important that you're doing it in the right way. That means not offering any kind of incentive in exchange for a review, and not asking for anything other than a star rating and a short comment. If you offer an incentive, Google will flag your account and could suspend it. And if you ask for anything other than a star rating and a short comment, Google may remove your review altogether. So just be clear, concise, and easy to understand when you're asking for a review, and don't try to game the system.
Managing Your Reviews
Once you start getting Google reviews, it's important that you manage them so that they don't drag down your average rating. The best way to do this is to respond to all of your reviews—both positive and negative—in a professional and timely manner. If someone leaves a negative review, try to reach out to them offline so that you can resolve the issue without getting into a public back-and-forth battle. And if someone leaves a positive review, be sure to thank them! Responding to all of your reviews shows that you're engaging with your customers and that you care about their experience with your business.
Read our guide to eCommerce Readiness
How to Respond to a Negative Review of Your Ecommerce Business
No one likes getting negative reviews, but they are a part of doing business. The important thing is how you respond to them. Do you ignore them? Do you get defensive? Or do you take the opportunity to turn a negative into a positive?
The way you respond to a negative review can say a lot about your business. It can also be an opportunity to gain a new customer or even turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one. Here are some tips on how to respond to a negative review of your ecommerce business.
Don't Take it Personally
The first thing to remember is that it's not personal. A negative review is not about you as a person; it's about the product or service that your business provides. It's important to keep this in mind so that you don't take the review personally and get defensive.
Respond Promptly
When you see a negative review, don't ignore it. The sooner you respond, the better. This shows that you are taking the concerns of your customers seriously and are willing to address them head-on. It also shows that you are responsive, which can go a long way in winning over potential customers.
Be Professional
It's important to be professional in your response, even if the review is not. This means no name-calling or getting defensive. Keep your response short, sweet, and to the point. Thank the customer for their feedback and let them know that you are working on resolving the issue
Offer a Solution
Where possible, offer a solution to the problem that was raised in the review. This could be something as simple as offering a discount on the next purchase or providing additional information about the product or service. Whatever the solution is, make sure it is feasible and realistic.
Take it Offline
If the issue raised in the review is complex or sensitive, offer to take the conversation offline so that you can provide a more detailed response. This shows that you care about resolving the issue and want to ensure that the customer is satisfied with your business.
Interested to learn more?
We are experts at landing 5-star reviews, and we can help your business make 5-star testimonials easy for your customers. Get in touch at hello@treattorbay.co.uk or simply book some time in the diary below.