Best Practices in Online Review Management

Customer reviews in e-commerce are incredibly important. Online shoppers don’t get to inspect products in person and they don’t get in store customer service. There is a lot of trust a customer gives a business when they shop online, for first time customers it is often times blind faith. Aside from the information provided by the store such as product descriptions and images, customers can rely on reviews when making purchase decisions. In fact they are the best referral you can get in e-commerce. Research shows that 91% regularly read reviews when browsing. Not only do most people read reviews, 84% trust them as much as a personal recommendation. 

 

How essential are reviews? 

 

Customers are empowered, they know that a single post on social media can have serious consequences on a business. A satisfied customer can bring in more traffic and boost a a brand’s reputation but a disgruntled customer can do the exact opposite.

Reviews affect sales directly - the more the reviews and the better the reviews, the bigger the impact. Customers are likely to spent 31% more on a store with excellent reviews. A positive review will lead 7 out of 10 customers out of the just browsing stage.

Post purchase reviews are just as important to customers as they are to companies. Majority of online shoppers want to share their experience and would consider leaving a review for a positive or negative experience. Customers are thrice more likely to tell friends about a negative experience, businesses need to avoid unpleasant incidents or errors at all costs.

Reviews offer social proof - the tendency to rely on the opinions or actions of others to inform our own. In this era of e-commerce consumers need this social proof to corroborate our product picks and brand selections. It only takes a minute or so to read the reviews on a product page or jump on to Google to check how many stars an establishment has.

We all know that it is more expensive to gain new customers than retain existing ones so keeping customers happy is crucial. 

 

Best Practices

 

1. Respond To Reviews

Responding to reviews shows customers, visitors and even those just browsing that customers are important to you. A response to a good reviews conveys an appreciation and gratitude to customers who not only have supported your business but have taken the time to share their good experience. A response to a bad review exhibits that you are attentive to the needs and feelings of your customers and are willing to learn and grow for them.

 

2. Use an Efficient System

An efficient system will help manage your online reputation across channels and platforms. Requesting reviews should be automated, monitoring reviews and mentions should be centralized, and responding to reviews should be prompt. When your system does all this it will not only save you time but it will also boost your image and SEO.

 

3. Turn Bad Reviews Around

A bad review is inevitable, no company is infallible. Bad reviews are not a problem, they can be a good opportunity to grow and establish trust. Critical but honest reviews are a learning opportunity for companies to improve service and products. When handled compassionately and quickly unhappy customers can become loyal ones, negative experience can turn into positive ones. Research shows that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one bad review so it is best to do damage control before it becomes a major crisis. 

 

4. Establish Review Management Guidelines

Requesting and getting reviews is just the beginning of review management. Reviews have to monitored and responded to in an appropriate, timely and consistent manner. A response is done in writing as well as by carrying out improvements based on the feedback received. Lastly criteria should be set for the tone, voice and language the company uses in responding to reviews. 

 

5. Empower Loyal Customers

Reach out and cultivate a relationship with your loyal customers. Customers that keep supporting your business are your biggest brand ambassadors whether they leave reviews or not. Keep them happy and reward them for their loyalty. Their word of mouth recommendation to friends only strengthens your reputation  - online and offline.