by, Lesa Seibert, President, Xstreme Media
Last time we looked at Loyalty and Rewards Programs and how to use them to keep customers coming back. This week we are going to discuss User Reviews and Product Ratings.
Another interesting discovery from the study was the effect that negative reviews or a lack of were found to have on potential customers. More and more shoppers are relying on user-generated reviews and product ratings to make their purchasing decisions, and the absent of negative reviews can raise questions about a company's trustworthiness. Therefore, managing your user-generated reviews becomes a very important part of the equation. If you have an e-commerce site, you should think about enabling or including product ratings for your shop. If you don't have any, and the shopper is not familiar with your product, they might think twice about purchasing because they start to wonder why you don't allow product reviews. It could cost you a new customer.
Companies such as Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews provide a variety of different management tools. Some Content Management System sites have rating and comment options built in, so check with your webmaster if you are unsure of what you need. Of course, it is up to the merchant to generate positive feedback about their products through product quality and top-notch customer service. Just remember that if there is negative feedback, be quick to respond to the consumer not only privately, but online where the review was made to show that you are sensitive to your customers needs and you provide excellent customer service. That will go a long way in showing the consumer that you are a company that they would want to do business with.
Next week, we will look at using Live Chat on your site to interact with shoppers.
Last time we looked at Loyalty and Rewards Programs and how to use them to keep customers coming back. This week we are going to discuss User Reviews and Product Ratings.
User Reviews and Product Ratings
Customer reviews and ratings are quickly becoming important tools in a potential customer's decision making process when considering an online purchase. Some recent data from the 2010 Social Shopping Study showed that two out of three Internet consumers spent a minimum of 10 minutes looking through product reviews before making their online purchase. Of those consumers, one in every three spent 30 minutes or more. This is a practice that is growing dramatically and is only going to become more a part of the online shopping experience.Another interesting discovery from the study was the effect that negative reviews or a lack of were found to have on potential customers. More and more shoppers are relying on user-generated reviews and product ratings to make their purchasing decisions, and the absent of negative reviews can raise questions about a company's trustworthiness. Therefore, managing your user-generated reviews becomes a very important part of the equation. If you have an e-commerce site, you should think about enabling or including product ratings for your shop. If you don't have any, and the shopper is not familiar with your product, they might think twice about purchasing because they start to wonder why you don't allow product reviews. It could cost you a new customer.
Companies such as Bazaarvoice and PowerReviews provide a variety of different management tools. Some Content Management System sites have rating and comment options built in, so check with your webmaster if you are unsure of what you need. Of course, it is up to the merchant to generate positive feedback about their products through product quality and top-notch customer service. Just remember that if there is negative feedback, be quick to respond to the consumer not only privately, but online where the review was made to show that you are sensitive to your customers needs and you provide excellent customer service. That will go a long way in showing the consumer that you are a company that they would want to do business with.
Next week, we will look at using Live Chat on your site to interact with shoppers.
Last Updated on Sunday, 12 September 2010 10:03
