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Product reviews are an essential part of an online store’s branding and marketing. They help build trust and loyalty, and typically describe what sets your products apart from others.
Today we’re going to learn how reviews help your store increase sales, and how you can convince customers to leave more of them. Read on to get started.
Reviews help your store in a few big ways
Savvy shoppers almost never purchase a product without knowing how it’s going to work for them. They read the good, the not-so-good, and the downright ugly to make the all-important decision: should I pull out my wallet and take the plunge?
The immediate benefit of reviews is that they can make your future customers feel that much more confident. The more reviews you have, the more convinced a shopper will be that they’re making the right decision.
Reviews can help increase a store’s online presence, too. Since customer feedback appears on each product’s page, reviews can help pages be found on search engines via unique keywords.
Additionally, if customers share products they’ve reviewed across their social networks, it’s more exposure for those products and your brand
Reviews can also help you better understand your products. You can spend hours using a product, but chances are customers will notice things you never would. That means your customers can give you great feedback, ideas for improvements, or even incredible marketing ideas!
Having said all this, unless you currently sell a product that’s going viral or has been seen on Shark Tank, garnering customer reviews is not easy. There are, however, many simple and affordable ways to entice customers to tell the world what they think of the products they’ve bought.
Tips for writing product / service reviews
1. Use the product
Before you write your review, make sure that you’ve thoroughly familiarized yourself with the product you’re reviewing. It’s helpful to try it out a few times so that you can give a more well rounded opinion on things like quality and durability. Get to know the product well, so that you can give it the review it truly deserves.
2. Include pictures or videos
We’ve all heard the saying - a picture is worth a thousand words! Think about including a picture or video with your product review, to give readers an idea of what the product looks like in real life, and not just from the business’s website.
3. Share your opinion about the product
Share your opinion and experience with the product. And if your opinion happens to be a negative one, remember to be constructive with criticism. Try not to form opinions in the heat of the moment, which can lead to emotions taking precedence over facts. And while it’s fine to inject some personality into your review, be sure to keep it polite. Reviews that use offensive language may be removed.
4. Describe whether or not the product was what you expected
When you buy a product online, you’re usually judging it based on images and descriptions that the retailer has provided. Compare the expectations you had against the reality of what you received. Was the product accurately depicted, or is there anything off? Describe what they captured well, as well as any discrepancies.
5. List the product’s pros and cons
It’s important to give a comprehensive opinion, so share all the positives and negatives about the product. But don’t just say that something is “good” or “bad” - make sure to provide details about the pros and cons. These details are more useful for both shoppers and the business, and give people a better insight into your experience. Let the pros shine, and suggest ways that the cons can be improved.
6. Focus on the product
Keep your review focused on the product rather than other factors like shipping. If you had a positive or negative experience with shipping you can mention it, but it shouldn’t be the focus of the review.