Through centuries of evolution, we have come to the point where people trust the texts of strangers on the Internet more than the state, authorities, church, or celebrities. Do we even need to explain what contribution online reviews make to a business and how valuable they are? Let’s take a look at some stats collected by CANVAS8:
- 89% of consumers globally check online reviews before buying something
- 62% of consumers globally would be ready to stop using platforms if they found out that they were censoring reviews
- 21% of consumers (aged 18-25) say they trust brands less than they did a year ago
- 96% of global consumers do not trust social media influencers
Thus, when consumers trust internet reviews more than traditional institutions and put them nearly at the same level with family and friends’ suggestions and opinions, how should we work on the reviews to make them work for us?
Review platforms
First, you should know where consumers look for reviews. Most people prefer open platforms where they can be sure the reviews are not censored (though, it’s hard to find any). If it is easy to publish feedback on a site and users understand how it is moderated, they are more likely to trust the platform and the reviews there. The majority of Internet surfers like to check out the reviews directly on the product page on the marketplace and not go any further. Fewer people would walk around 2-3 websites to compare opinions before they are ready to commit.`
Diversity
Too much positive is negative. In other words, when consumers see only positive reviews, they find it suspicious. The ideal is a mixture of positive and negative feedback (of course, if it’s not a mix of 5 star and 1-star reviews where users write that reviews are fake). It was surveyed that 55% of consumers would prefer a product with a large number of varied reviews rather than a product with a small number of only 5-star reviews.
Quality
When review-readers see a 5-star review, 21% of them believe it’s fake, but 56% are ready to consider the service/product and try to dig for more info. It would be ideal if the users could find that info in the same place and not go for it to other sites. That’s why reviews should be informative, with photo or video testimonials.
Number of reviews
The more social proof, the better. There is no place for discussion on this one — the more feedback on a service/product consumers can find, the more convincing the offer looks. Only make sure that you follow the points about the diversity and quality of reviews mentioned above.
Response to criticism
64% of consumers globally would prefer to buy products from a responsive (and responsible) company rather than the one which seems perfect but silent. Not all users write negative reviews just to spread their negative emotions and hate. Many of them believe their reviews will help other people not to waste their money. There is the best opportunity for the company to show their adequacy and client-orientation. If consumers see that the company is ready for dialogue, it makes the company look trustworthy in their eyes. The key word here is adequacy.
Besides, communication with consumers also creates a kind of relationship they are used to having in their everyday lives. They want to see real people behind the brands, so don’t ignore it.
Recency
Nothing is permanent in this world, and consumers know it. They know that companies and brands can change over time — and rumor has it, they rarely change for the better. Many brands fall into the habit of ignoring customer feedback, delay shipping, be negligent with packaging, etc. This is why a product that was a big hit one year ago may become a true disaster, and users would what to hear about it, if it’s so. That’s why recent reviews are the most valuable. Pay more attention to them.
Length of text
85% of users trust reviews with text more than only star reviews. It’s fair, as stars don’t carry information about a product/service. It was also found that SEO-wise, reviews with long texts are usually on top of Google reviews, for example. However, it appears that long feedback is normally negative. But the good news is, now you know that you should encourage clients to give positive feedback in detail.
Credibility
There is no scale for measuring believability of a testimonial, but if something is obviously fake, people feel the deception. Reviews should look honest and helpful, otherwise they won’t help the company and can be even at risk of being deleted by moderation (depends on the platform). So, genuine or fabricated, the reviews must feel honest.
Conclusion
Reviews are an essential tool in any niche which you shouldn’t ignore. And now you have a formula of a convincing feedback. Let’s repeat: a reliable platform, the diversity of opinions, the quality of info, the number of reviews, recency, believability, and the company’s online presence. This should do it — now go and conquer the marketplaces!
If you want to reach new GEOs and audiences, maybe it is all waiting for you on Telegram? We’ve prepared some material about Telegram audiences. What are the messenger’s users like this year? How old they are, what they do, and what they are interested in!
