Business is never about the product or the service on offer. Business is always about people.
Customers. And their satisfaction is what matters the most in any business. Customers are the best marketing tools a business organization can get. Their word of mouth can create a mountain of difference in sales patterns; Either you can generate massive profit, or you can pull the plug on your enterprise.
Today with online shopping taking centre stage in the digital arena, it is all about customer reviews. It has become a pivotal part of implementing online marketing strategies for eCommerce platforms. Customer reviews often create a certain trustworthiness and guarantee to the products and services that are being provided in eCommerce websites and platforms, to prospective customers.
And when trust is formed, it can lead to an increase in reliability and acceptability among existing and future customers, which can eventually create an impact on purchasing decisions and pave the way for a boost in sales. According to a recent report, nearly one-third of online customers rate reviews as an important feature in an eCommerce platform. As per the final reports based on a survey conducted by the management consulting company Gartner, only the businesses that the customers judged trustworthy were the ones that turned out to be profitable.
Why are Customer Reviews important in eCommerce?
Boost Credibility:
A large chunk of online shoppers prefer to buy from eCommerce platforms that showcase a dedicated space for reviews from existing customers. There are times when customer reviews are given more importance than the actual product description that is being put up by the manufacturer of that particular product. A genuine review plays a key part in influencing the purchase decisions of potential customers. They help in making better choices. Faster. Going through reviews can offer an improved and enhanced shopping experience for the user as well. Moreover, positive responses to products and services can boost sales and drive up revenue on an eCommerce website.
Improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings:
Customer reviews play an important part in increasing the visibility of your online store before a global audience by improving the search engine rankings of your website. Every customer review is considered a new form of content on the website, hence fresh content is being added at regular intervals, maybe even every day. This content may contain important keywords that adhere to the product in search engines. Hence it can bring in more visitors when a customer decides to shop for similar products that you may have given in your catalogue.
Reviews are Unbiased:
When people who bought from your eCommerce website put up reviews that are original and authentic, they are giving out a first-hand user experience of the product or service that they paid for, such comments and responses can help give invaluable insight to prospective customers about your eCommerce business and the services you provide and also gain trust.
Feedback create better products:
When a customer writes a review for a product online, you get an idea about their preferences, likes, and dislikes. In other words, customer feedback, reviews, and suggestions, whether positive or negative, give you a proper understanding of the purchasing capacity of your target audience. Based on this data, you can enhance your product offerings to your existing customers and retain them as well as gain new ones too. Reviews are a great way to inculcate brand loyalty among your customers for your products.
Boost confidence in new customers:
When a first-timer visits your eCommerce website and the individual has little to zero knowledge about what kind of products and services you offer, the best thing he or she can do is go through the reviews put in by other customers. However, it can be assured that the reviews can influence the decisions of prospective customers. If the reviews are not favorable, the potential customer can drop the plan of buying from your online store, but if the responses are positive, it can get the person interested in your services and eventually you might earn a new customer.
Cost-Effective marketing:
Customer reviews are the best cost-effective marketing tools you can get for online business. They can be a motivating factor for potential customers to shop from you. It can also be the other way around as well. But whatever the case, customer reviews will always create an impact on the sales and revenue of any business organization.
Improve products and services:
Most customer feedback is about their experience in using the product they have bought from an eCommerce website. Online users give their authentic reviews and opinions and even provide positive or negative suggestions. On seeing such reactions and responses, potential customers may have second thoughts about purchasing products from your website, such decisions will eventually create a dent in sales and revenue.
So, in order to avoid such a situation, you have to pay attention to what the customers have to say and take the necessary steps to improve and enhance your products and services. Assess and analyze the areas of concern mentioned by the customers and listen to their suggestions.
Establish a connection with your buyers:
The most important and essential part of a business that can guarantee success is building a long-lasting relationship with your customers. Although it may sound simple, it is definitely not an easy task with all the competition around you. Getting potential customers to trust your brand can take a lot of time and effort and moreover, there can be money involved as well.
The one and only way to maintain customer engagement and satisfaction is to be available for them whenever they raise a query regarding your products and services. You can listen to their concerns and suggestions, analyze their reviews rectify the shortcomings of your enterprise, and gradually gain their trust and goodwill, which can lead to the possibility of getting business from them more than once. Positive word of mouth from existing customers will always do wonders for your eCommerce platform and it will help you gain more customers and boost your chances of seeing an increase in revenue.
