Having product reviews on your eCommerce store helps to establish credibility and also allows customers to learn more about the product beyond the product description you provided.
Product reviews are the ultimate type of social proof for customers because
- a) 70% of customers interact with reviews before placing an order online.
- b) 65% of customers are more likely to purchase from a store that has product reviews
If you are looking to increase the number of product reviews you get from customers, try offering them loyalty points!
With the Fera.ai and Smile.io integration, you can offer loyalty points in exchange for a
- Product review
- Photo review
- Video review
Why product reviews are so important
The reason product reviews are so critical (and why customers almost need them to buy a product) boils down to the following.
Product reviews:
- Build trust with your brand
- Contain vast amounts of information
- Help you rank on search engines like Google
- Create a space to have a conversation around your product
1. Build trust with your brand
When shoppers see that you have plenty of happy customers, they are more likely to trust you. That is because reviews are a powerful form of social proof that allows people to feel like they are making the right decision based on the decisions of others.
Very few people want to forge their own path! Seeing that other people got their order and loved, it helps shoppers try your brand out.
2. Show information beyond the product description
Creating great product descriptions is always a good idea, but let's face it, most people don't read them - especially if they are long.
Here is an example, I have the dimensions of my jewelry and suggestions on where to wear it in the product descriptions, but I still get questions asking about those things!
Most shoppers will look at the photos and then browse through the product reviews. Shoppers want to see
- what the product looks like
- if other people liked it
Many reviews will mention things that don't belong in the product description like
- how they used it in real life (which might differ from the suggested use)
- photos of the product in use
- how long it took to arrive
- if the color or size is what they expected
- and so much more!
That is why you want to ask for photo and video reviews from customers because they contain so much more information and real-life use than a written review could.
3. Rank on Google
One way to get more visibility for your product is through SEO and being visible on Google. One way to do that is with Star Ratings, and 'Star Ratings' come from Product Ratings.
Start Ratings
Star ratings and seller ratings are used by search engines like Google to help give shoppers a quick look at the experiences that past customers have had with your product or brand overall.
Typically, star ratings are based on product reviews collected from around the internet and shown on Product Listings and on Google Shopping Ads.
According to Google, having a star rating on your product will increase your click-through rate (CTR), and this is essential when you are running ads or competing in a crowded marketplace.
4. Creating conversions
Customers love brands that interact with them and seem authentic.
One of the best ways to interact with your most engaged customers is through responding to product reviews - both good and bad ones.
Thank people for leaving great reviews, and be sure to respond to the reviews that are not so great. Engaging in these conversations is a great way to make your product better and show shoppers that you are a brand that cares!
Responding to bad reviews
When responding to bad reviews, always make sure to
- thank customers for leaving feedback
- outline how you are willing to make it better
- show the reviewer how you are going to do better going forward
Sometimes it isn't appropriate to leave that response publically, so you can always say that you are going to reach out to resolve the issue so that other shoppers see that you care about making the situation better!
A good loyalty program will boost review submissions
One of the most important things you will learn when growing your business is that repeat purchases matter the most. Having a good loyalty program will improve your repeat customer rate and build a successful business.
A good loyalty program will
- offer value to your customers
- offer alternative ways to earn points (not just when they spend money)
- are well branded
- work for both you AND your customer
That is why a loyalty program like Smile.io is so useful. As a merchant, you can offer customers points for
- signing up for your program
- following you on social
- spending money
- leaving reviews
- and so much more!
Why offering points for product reviews makes sense
With Smile.io and Fera.ai's integration, you can accomplish so much with only 2 tools! When you offer rewards for reviews, you
- Avoid discounting your brand
- Incentivize past customers to buy again
- Get reviews that will encourage other people to buy
1. Avoid discounting
Maybe your brand isn't a discount brand, and you never offer discounts. Offering points as a reward instead of a discount will help you incentivize product reviews without deviating from your brand image.
This is also great for brands that may not have great margins. Offering a discount on a future purchase can hurt your bottom line, so points are the best answer!
2. Incentivize repeat purchases
If you are asking for a video review or photo review, you may want to offer your customers many points in exchange for their hard work. Typically, when people have many points to spend, they are more inclined to start shopping with your brand.
Again, loyalty points offer customers a reason to shop with you again, so be generous with them when you are getting a review!
Pro Tip: consider following up with an e-mail after customers have earned lots of points by leaving a video or photo review. Show them how they can spend their points with you!
3. Getting reviews will get others to buy from you
As mentioned above, reviews help people make buying decisions! The more positive reviews you have, the more photo and video reviews you have, the easier it is for people to trust you and buy from you.
If you offer your customers great rewards (like 500 points for a video), you are sure to get great reviews and tons of content that you can repurpose across your social channels to sell more!
Why you need the Fera.ai and Smile integration
If you want to start building loyalty, trust, and sales all at once, the Fera.ai and Smile.io integration is what you need. Getting started is simple. Head over to "How to Set Up Smile.io and Fera.ai Integration" or watch the video below!
