Creating an online brand that customers trust and purchase from is the fundamental goal for any eCommerce company. Having product or service reviews on your website is a great strategy for building trust with your customers, and giving them the confidence they need to purchase your product. That’s because ratings and reviews reassure shoppers that they are making a smart choice when purchasing a highly praised product or service. But just how much can the presence of ratings & reviews influence online shoppers? Well, the answer is alot! BrightLocal published a 2016 study about consumer behaviour related to online ratings and reviews, and found that 91% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses, and 84% of people polled reported trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Also important to note is that online shoppers seek out more than one review to form their opinion about a product or service, with 90% of people polled reading up to 10 reviews for a service or product.
These stats are a reflection of the trust-building process that eCommerce companies can strategically engage in to move shoppers from passive visitors on their site to buyers. Adding a review and ratings app to your online store can be a great tool for increasing conversion rates, as consumers are encouraged to engage with your products and services in a way that is most meaningful for them when debating whether or not to buy. Yotpo, a Blue Badger favourite rating and review app, reports findings that conversion rates on eCommerce sites where visitors can browse user generated content such as ratings and reviews are a whopping 161% higher than on other sites. Again, the reason for this dramatic increase in conversion rate on sites that display ratings and reviews has to do with the trust that is fostered between brands and consumers through the display of peer reviews. Shoppers may be overwhelmed in a crowded online marketplace with brands boasting greatness, but consumer reviews are overwhelmingly trusted as a reliable form of marketing.
Want to boost your conversion rates?
If you are an eCommerce retailer and are considering integrating a ratings and reviews app into your online shop as a means of boosting your conversion rate, give us a call today.