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What You Need To Know About Customer Reviews
Social proof has been driving online retail decisions since the dawn of the internet, powered primarily by verified customer reviews. One of the few trends that hasn’t gone anywhere over the decades, the average shopper is, if anything, becoming more dependent on peer recommendations than ever before.
Social proof has been driving online retail decisions since the dawn of the internet, powered primarily by verified customer reviews. One of the few trends that hasn’t gone anywhere over the decades, the average shopper is, if anything, becoming more dependent on peer recommendations than ever before.
But what's so surprising is how even today, comparatively few businesses place enough emphasis on collecting and publishing real-life feedback. Most adopt a passive approach, perhaps not realising how a more proactive feedback collection strategy could benefit them.
To put the whole thing into perspective, a few facts and figures collated from the closing weeks of 2023:
1. Nearly every online shopper (99.9% to be exact) looks at reviews before buying. This clearly signals that before clicking "add to cart," most people want to see what others think about a product, which can make or break the subsequent sale.
2. More than half of shoppers (53%) expect a company to address their negative feedback within a week. This highlights how customers value businesses that listen and react quickly to their complaints, showing care for customer satisfaction with meaningful two-way communication.
3. Businesses that reply to at least a quarter of the reviews they get earn on average 35% more than those that don't. Responding promptly and personally is a sign of professionalism and respect, which can lead to more trust and significantly more sales.
4. In terms of where most people are sharing their opinions online, 85% of reviews are found on just four sites: Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor and Facebook. These platforms are the giants that matter most for businesses looking to build and manage their online reputations.
5. What's steering people's shopping choices has shifted. Today, ratings and reviews are more influential than how much something costs. This means the experiences of other buyers are often the deciding factor when choosing one product over another – not the price of the product or service in question.
6. One single negative review can have a big impact, potentially turning away up to 30 potential customers. This statistic underlines how a single bad experience shared online can dissuade a significant number of others from giving a business their money.
7. Nearly 8 out of 10 people (79%) sure preference to online businesses and websites that show product reviews. Further verification that online sellers really cannot afford to overlook the value of on-page reviews and recommendations, sourced from verified customers.
8. If a business takes the time to ask, research suggests that there is a 65% chance that the customer will write a review. This suggests that a simple request from a business can significantly increase the chances of gaining more feedback.
9. Bouncing back from a bad review isn't quick; it generally takes about 12 fresh positive reviews to make up for one negative one. An unhappy customer's words can weigh heavily on a brand’s image, calling for swift and decisive action to nip all such issues in the bud.
10. To feel confident in their purchase decisions, around 55% of shoppers will read at least four different reviews before buying. It’s no longer a case of taking a single recommendation at face value – people prefer to look for a pattern of good (or bad) experiences before they feel comfortable in making a purchase.