When you prepare to purchase something online what’s the first thing you do? If you are like me you head right over to Amazon, search for a product and dive into the customer reviews. The Wall Street Journal today had a great article on customer reviews, some of the highlights:
- Amazon is tightening up who can leave reviews by requiring an account to have spent at least $50 on a credit card prior to creating a review.
- 5 star ratings aren’t necessary, the most purchased items typically fall into a 4.2 to 4.5 star range
- Negative reviews are expected by shoppers, it’s ok to have them with all the positive reviews as it conveys legitimacy
- Creating customer loyalty programs is a great way to encourage reviews (both positive and negative)
Adding customer reviews to your store is pretty straightforward in Shopify or Woocommerce. A popular app that we have installed on Shopify is Yotpo Reviews, they also have a plugin for Woocommerce.
Consider offering gift cards for reviews post purchase. We have setup automated emails for customers that go out 20-30 days after the order is placed and ask the customer for a review. You can mail out a gift card to Amazon, Starbucks etc, and encourage your customers to leave reviews on your site.