Chasing Stars

Author

CPG MBA
September 19, 2023

Online reviews increase conversions by 270%.

Yep, you read that right.

In fact, 97% of customers report that customer reviews influence their buying decisions, and 92% of customers will hesitate to pull the trigger on a purchase if the product has no reviews available.

The point we’re trying to make with all of these stats is that reviews matter, especially if you’re a new(er) brand trying to find your place in the market. It’s even more important for those selling primarily DTC (or through an online marketplace like Amazon).

It’s simple—if you’re not collecting and distributing positive reviews, you’re losing out on potential sales.


Here are a few ways to leverage customer testimonials:

Implement a Review Request System

First and foremost, you shouldn’t wait for positive reviews to come in passively. Develop a proactive review request strategy to systematically gather feedback from your customers.

Send personalized follow-up emails after a purchase, offering a convenient platform for customers to share their thoughts. Make the process user-friendly and incentivize reviews.

Put Reviews on the Product Page

This is one of the simplest and most important things you can do as a business owner. When a customer visits your website, they are led down a sales funnel. But, getting them to actually buy the product can be difficult without any social proof.

Highlighting positive reviews on each product page can provide the reinforcement needed to make the sale.

Incorporate Testimonials into Marketing Campaigns

Integrating snippets of positive reviews into your email marketing, social media posts, and digital ads is a great way to easily create effective marketing materials.

For example, more and more people are turning to social media to research products before they buy, and sharing real customer experiences across your business’s social feeds can be a powerful tool in convincing potential buyers of your product's value.

Interact With Your Customers

When you acknowledge and thank customers for their positive feedback, it shows you value their input and creates a sense of community around your brand. This makes reviewers more likely to purchase in the future or (even better) share their experience with friends and family.


What to do about negative reviews…

No matter how good of a product you sell, you’re going to run into a malicious review at some point in your business’s life. Unfortunately, malicious reviews can hurt your brand far quicker than positive reviews can help it.

When you encounter a malicious reviewer intent on doing harm, make sure you reply quickly, kindly, and helpfully. Whether you please them or not, everyone else that comes to read your reviews will see that you care.

Once you’ve responded, it’s best practice to try and get the conversation “offline” as quickly as possible to prevent further damage. Get the customer’s contact info and continue the discussion over email, phone, or any other platform that isn’t the product reviews section.

However, don’t hide all negative reviews if they’re truthful and honest reviews. If the overwhelming majority of reviews are positive and there are a few negative reviews mixed in, it just makes your review section that much more authentic and believable. Customers will trust a company that allows feedback that’s both positive and negative.

Until next time,
— The CPG MBA Team

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