From the psychological perspective of the user
Human nature is social creatures. We, mere mortals, have a desire and need to be accepted by the group, which is an essential part of our behavior. And for others to accept us in a group, we need to conform to similar behavior patterns. The concept of Social Validation shows that when a product is recommended by friends or relatives, consumers tend to trust that choice without needing to investigate further. This emphasizes the importance of reviews and comments in building customer trust. It can be said that this is a powerful marketing tool for your product to gain the trust of customers.
The impact of reviews on e-commerce
When users complete their order, we will send an email with order information along with a suggestion to review the quality of the product and service. Why should this be done?
Because it is not just a marketing strategy but also a valuable data collection tool for businesses. You can learn whether customers are satisfied with your product and what makes them feel satisfied. And if they are not satisfied, this gives you the opportunity to rectify issues to improve service, which is crucial for retaining loyal customers. Moreover, satisfied customers are not only likely to return but also tend to recommend products to their friends, creating a positive loop for the brand.
So what is the best way to improve the review and rating system? How can brands use its power to retain current customers and persuade potential customers? Let’s explore the following article!
1. Send reviews and ratings via Email after successful purchases
Instead of waiting for users to search for their order or purchased products, send a review request via email and guide users to your store to review. It is important to make your review request email stand out from the crowd. In today’s fast-changing world, our attention span is affected by many other marketing channels. Here are some considerations we apply to enhance the product review request email.
Email interface consistent with the brand: Brand consistency is crucial to the success of all marketing activities as it helps you build brand awareness and establish trust between customers and the brand.
Keep the layout simple: A simple design does not mean a shabby design — it’s how you optimize your design effectively, especially when you design content in a limited space like email. Try not to overwhelm customers with too many components in your email.
Keep the message concise, engaging, and personalized: A concise and engaging message contributes significantly to your marketing campaign's success. Start your email with a friendly greeting and go straight to the point of why your customer is receiving this email.
2. Encourage customers to review products
You value and consider customer reviews to create a positive impact for future new customers.
Provide your customers with some motivation to leave a review. But wait, there are some things that need to be clarified here, you should not bribe customers to receive good reviews. That is not good, it is unethical and can complicate everything away from the original intent. Instead, you simply create motivation for them to leave a review.
Let me remind you again to encourage customers to leave “Reviews”; not “Good Reviews”. You will hope that customers leave good reviews, but you should not manipulate customers when you encourage them.
In fact, you should also consider the possibility of your product receiving negative reviews. A rating system from 1 to 5 stars (commonly used in e-commerce) will help users easily leave their opinions about a specific item. Offering incentives can improve the product review experience; if customers feel satisfied, they will tend to leave more positive reviews.
3. Provide a summary interface for product reviews
Users rely on summary information to get an overall picture of the reviewed product. After checking, they may choose a few reviews to read in-depth.
Failing to provide a user interface that displays rating distribution can mislead users in two different ways:
If users only see overwhelmingly positive reviews on the first page of the reviews section, they sometimes speculate that those reviews are fake.
If users see most negative reviews displayed first, they assume that the product is well-rated, whereas the reality is the opposite.
In both cases, the end result is that users misunderstand product reviews, leading them to dismiss products they consider "non-transparent" and seek out more trustworthy products and services. Having a summary of reviews at the top of the review section can help users understand more about the product in a glance. This can include:
Focusing on service, quality, and product information,... or any other relevant features regarding the product.
The most common or helpful reviews and negative reviews. When accessing the reviews section, many will seek the most negative reviews to understand the product's shortcomings. Providing this information up front saves users time.
1–5 star rating system.
4. Allow users to filter and sort reviews
Allow users to filter and sort reviews. Ensure that these filters can be found and recognized on the page. Search filters, such as "Newest," "Most Favorite," or "Purchased," ensure that users can easily find relevant reviews.
Conclusion
Reviews and comments are important tools not only in building trust but also in providing valuable information for both customers and businesses. To make the most of this, ensure reviews are trustworthy and easily accessible and presented clearly. Designing a user-friendly interface will facilitate customers in making smarter shopping decisions. We hope this article helps you design a more effective review and comment system!
