3 tips to keep in mind when integrating a rating system into your shop
Reviews for your store and your products have become increasingly important in recent years. Studies show that customer trust and sales in online shops have risen steadily when operators use a rating system. Here, the three basic rules of authenticity, sustainable service and constant customer communication play a major role for the credibility and trust of customers. We illustrate our following report using our partner Trustpilot, with whom we have already been working successfully for two years.
Authenticity
Online shop customers are increasingly informing themselves about the store and its reviews before making a purchase decision, i.e. about the so-called social trust. It is astonishing that online reviews are perceived as almost as credible as recommendations by friends and family; over 66% of all customers who shop online trust reviews by others. By comparison, trust in recommendations by family and friends is 83% (Nielsen). 72% of online shoppers surveyed say they check out reviews of the supplier before making a purchase decision (Testimonial Engine).
Here it is extremely important that the reviews displayed are obtained according to a transparent and comprehensible system, so that the customer does not get the impression of seeing "fake reviews". Trustpilot, for example, makes a clear distinction between reviews that come from verified purchases in the Shopify shop and reviews that customers submit via the Trustpilot website. Each review is published immediately and without prior approval by the shop operator or the system, so that the highest level of transparency is guaranteed (Trustpilot I).
A liberating realisation for online shop operators who have not yet set up a rating system for fear of bad and imperfect reviews: According to a recent study by KPMG, 46% would buy again from a shop with which they have built up loyalty, e.g. through positive interaction via a rating system, despite a bad experience (KPMG). You can read more about this below.
By the way, did you know that reviews that reach you via a system like Trustpilot have a positive influence on SEO and can thus improve your ranking in search engines or be included in the display of search results? (Trustpilot II, reviews.io)
Sustainable service
You can pave the way for positive customer reviews with a focus on high-quality, sustainable products and attentive customer service. According to a survey, product quality (74%) and customer service (56%) are key to customer loyalty, ahead of price (54%) (KPMG). Of course, your efforts in these areas will pay off because your customers will notice when they are taken care of and reward you with positive feedback; here are two examples of Trustpilot reviews from our Shopify customers.
Our Shopify customers have had good experiences with asking shoppers for a review after receiving their order - whether positive or negative. As a rule, the overwhelming experience of customers is positive - and this is reflected more strongly in store ratings as a result. One study states that 72% of respondents were more likely to leave a review for a shop if they were asked to do so by the operator (BrightLocal). For this, Trustpilot has various, automatic and manual functions, which can even be integrated with an email marketing tool and which are presented transparently to the end customer.
Negative reviews
Not everything always runs perfectly and to the full satisfaction of your customers. Sometimes it's not even due to your own service, but to external factors, e.g. shipping service providers, suppliers, undetected errors in the store or similar. Our experience shows that customers who read reviews understand this. Harvard Business Review (HBR) found out in a study that the quick, direct reaction to negative comments can even help to increase sales because:
● Customers want to feel heard and understood.
● Quick response to a comment and attempts at problem solving are perceived favourably.
● Customers realise that they can count on responsive communication even in the event of future problems, and loyalty to the brand increases.
Therefore, a balanced rating profile is definitely an asset for your Shopify shop! Current figures show: 68% of customers surveyed say they trust webshops more that have both positive and less positive reviews (reevoo) - this percentage is even higher among 18-29 year olds: 91% (Neil Patel)!
Our partner Trustpilot has recognised this trend and offers shop operators the opportunity to respond to all reviews in real time and to enter into a public and transparent exchange with customers. In addition, there is the possibility to have suspected harmful reviews, which are sometimes written by the competition or by bots, checked by the platform in order to guarantee the highest level of trustworthy, genuine reviews.
Conclusion
There are many ways to increase your social trust, the confidence of your customers in your store, your products and services, and choosing a strong rating system is definitely one of them! Almost all of Greenblut's customers already use rating systems and tell us about their consistently positive experiences. As a Trustpilot partner, we are up to date with the latest developments in review marketing. And know how important the focus on authenticity, service quality and customer communication is, from first-hand and personal experience.
Indication of sources
Nielsen Global Trust in Advertising - 2015 - Nielsen Testimonial Engine How Reviews Affect Purchasing Decisions and SEO - Testimonial Engine (mytestimonialengine.com) Trustpilot I Trustpilot - How Reviews Work KPMG The truth about customer loyalty (assets.kpmg) Trustpilot II Reviews and Google: How do they work together? - Trustpilot Business Blog Reviews.io 6 Ways Reviews Can Benefit SEO - Reviews Blog BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey: How Customer Reviews Affect Behavior (brightlocal.com) HBR How Customer Service Can Turn Angry Customers into Loyal Ones (hbr.org) REEVOO EBOOK: Bad reviews are good for business - Reevoo Neil Patel Your Business Needs More Negative Reviews. Here's Why (neilpatel.com)
