eCommerce Success Open Secret #2: Ratings & Reviews
Ratings & Reviews Sell.
It’s an open secret in eCommerce that customer ratings and reviews drive significant improvements in conversion and online sales. Unfortunately, many eCommerce stores, particularly in B2B still haven’t taken advantage of it.
Ratings & Reviews Drive Google Seach & Google Ad Traffic
Online ratings & reviews improve in-bound Google search and ad traffic, increasing eCommerce sales. Online ratings and reviews syndicated out to Google show up in Google Shopping ads and in the organic search results for your ecommerce store products (see image above). Ratings and reviews improves the credibility of the Google search listings. Those search results and ads get more clicks. Those clicks drive more traffic to your website and those visitors are more likely to buy.
Reviews Reduce New Customer Purchase Anxiety & Increase Sales
Ratings and reviews are also social proof. By reassuring new customers that previous purchasers have had a good experience with the product, it reduces customer purchase anxiety. When they’re on your product pages and ready to buy, reviews reassure new customers that they are making the right decision. Lower purchase anxiety = higher conversion and sales. Reviews in the checkout process, email campaigns, and on abandoned cart emails serve the same purpose and result in better ecommerce site performance.
What If I Have Problems Generating Reviews?
A healthy ratings and review flow isn’t a magic bullet. It requires some effort and nurturing to build a healthy ratings and review process.
If you’ve tried adding ratings and reviews to your eCommerce store and haven’t found success, you have a different problem. Many of them are not good. There’s are multiple reasons why you’re not having success.
- Customer Review campaign is missing or inadequate: Review your ratings and review request process both online and offline. Consider providing customers an incentive to post reviews.
- Your online experience is lacking: Look at your product pages and the user experience for viewing and submitting product reviews. You may need to make reviews and the submission process more prominent.
- Your brand, product, or online experience is not distinctive enough to drive customer reviews: This is a larger issue that requires you to step back and consider your brand, positioning, and your relationship with your customers.
We hope this tip has been helpful. If you’re looking to start or improve your eCommerce performance, we hope you’ll reach out to us at Kilometer Marketing.
