Reviews = Trust Building for Your Business | Vicinus.ai
First things first, in business, your reputation or image is everything! A study by Trustpilot shows that a staggering 90% of online shoppers have ditched purchasing from a brand simply because they lost trust due to its poor reputation. So, what can help trust building for your business? Positive reviews, of course!
Why Customers Read Online Reviews Before Selecting a Brand?
Shoppers read reviews online to influence their purchase decisions. Indeed, they trust the experiences shared by fellow buyers.
Statistics say:
Conversely, just over:
The primary reason behind this is the fear of fake reviews.
Source: https://reviewmonitoring.com/why-do-shoppers-read-online-product-reviews-insight-series-part-3-of-3/>
How Online Reviews Help Prospects Trust a Brand?
Do you know that customers trust online reviews even more than celebrity endorsements? But, what makes them so trustworthy? Here’s what!
1. Prospects Receive Information About Your Brand’s Performance
Unlike advertisements that talk about a business offering holistically, reviews inform customers on specific aspects of your brand. Say you want to buy something online but are unsure of the delivery timelines, sizing, or after-sales support, you will end up finding a genuine review that talks about these aspects.
Sure, the brand does provide shipping and sizing details on their website, but they only offer broad ranges. Simply put, through reviews, prospects gain reliable information about your brand on outside-the-normal parameters.
2. Reviews Show Customer Engagement Levels
Firstly, reviews prove that you have customers who engage with you. They don’t shy away from letting you know their opinions on your offerings. This is especially helpful if you are a new company or a relatively small business that has been reviewed, as it helps you gain the initial trust of new prospects.
3. Reviews Depict Brand Transparency
Only when you allow your customers to express all types of opinions can you be considered transparent and trustworthy. If you continually weed out negative reviews, your prospects will become suspicious as not a single negative review for a brand is irregular. Therefore, as a company, promote transparency by making reviews as genuine as possible.
How can you do it? One way is by encouraging your customers to leave a review, rather than getting a celebrity to endorse it or Tweet about it. A recent study shows that:
84% of shoppers trust online reviews from authentic buyers instead of experts and celebrities.
Source: https://reviewmonitoring.com/why-do-shoppers-read-online-product-reviews-insight-series-part-3-of-3/>
4. Only When You Have Customers, You Get Reviewed
Reviews imply that your customers care – even if the review is negative. You can always save face and get in your prospects’ good books by acknowledging your mistake and replying to the negative remark.
The more you engage over both positive and negative reviews, the more prospects can see you care. Also, don’t wait too long to reply to negative reviews – get it right, and a review reply can bump trust in your brand. Also, make sure to acknowledge customers who leave a good review or testimonial.
What Causes Lack of Trust in Online Reviews?
As mentioned before, the lack of trust in online reviews stems from fake or planted reviews. You would be surprised to know that nine in ten shoppers believe such a thing (fake, planted reviews) happens sometimes. What’s more, individuals across various age groups – millennials, boomers, and seniors know this. This is a key challenge that retailers and marketers need to address.
Source: https://reviewmonitoring.com/why-do-shoppers-read-online-product-reviews-insight-series-part-3-of-3/>
The Upside to Negative Reviews!
Believe it or not! Shoppers who seek negative reviews are, in fact, more inclined to purchase a business offering than one who is not. It was also found that negative review seekers consume more content about a particular product or brand online.
So, in a way, negative reviews go a long way in converting surfers into paying customers. Here is a statistic for you – shoppers actively seeking negative reviews are 85% more likely to purchase than those who don’t.
Seeking negative reviews shows that shoppers are looking for a transparent and balanced opinion after reading online reviews. Having said this, you must ensure that your brand is not garnering more negative reviews than positive ones.
Source: https://reviewmonitoring.com/why-do-shoppers-read-online-product-reviews-insight-series-part-3-of-3/
Parting Thoughts
Only credible reviews can build customer trust – ones that inform prospects about various aspects of a brand and are organically listed. Another vital factor for trust-building through reviews is replying to them. Proactively responding to both positive and negative reviews shows that you are willing to engage with your patrons and are also ready to learn from feedback.
Lastly, remember that your brand’s online activity is setting an example for countless silent spectators who are possible leads. So, make sure you expand on your media presence, allow an organic flow of reviews to ensue, and keep the channel for negative reviews open.