Reviews and the e-Commerce Customer Journey

Around 70 percent of customers abandon their shopping carts. If you’re an e-commerce business owner trying to increase conversions, this number can feel disheartening. 

However, there are things you can do to help. Have you taken a look at your customer reviews lately? If not, it’s time, 72 percent of customers won’t take action until they read reviews. 

Are the reviews on your products building trust? 

Keep reading to learn more about why reviews are so important to the e-commerce customer journey and how a freelancer can help you increase and improve yours. 

How Reviews Impact the e-Commerce Customer Journey  

Yes, 72 percent of your customers won’t take action until they’ve read your reviews. However, even more important is the fact that 99.9 percent of your customers read reviews when they shop online and 96 percent are looking for negative reviews. 

In other words, they’re looking for anything that could deter them from buying your product. On platforms like Amazon where you can organize reviews by the number of stars, this is super simple to do. 

Those numbers are enough, but there are still more reasons you should care about your reviews. 

Reviews Help Build Authenticity and Trust

We live in a time where authenticity and trust are huge. Consumers are more likely to move towards brands that they trust. Influencer advertising has taken off because customers want to hear from real people about products, not advertisements. 

A great way to help build trust is through real reviews. This gives customers insight into a product from the people actually using it, not just the people trying to sell it. 

It’s a Chance to Show Customers You Care

Have you ever met Bob? Bob bought your product that everyone raved about and then found a million things to complain about. We’ve all met a Bob at some point in our lives. 

You’re going to run into reviews that don’t sing your praises. And, sometimes it could be something as small as your product just wasn’t the right fit for that customer. 

However, this is where you get an opportunity to shine. How you respond to reviews is just as important as the reviews themselves. 

This could be as simple as asking the customer to contact you so you can figure out a solution together (and then follow through). It could also involve thanking the customer for their feedback and letting them know how you’ll implement it to improve. 

You have an opportunity to turn negative feedback into positive feedback when you respond the correct way. Customers reading the review also see that you care when you do that. 

Your Reviews Influence Your SEO 

Before your customers can buy your product, they need to find it. If you want to make it to the top of the page, your reviews play a role. Good ratings help improve your ranking and should be part of a comprehensive e-commerce SEO plan. 

Increase Your Conversion Rates

Are you getting views, but still not selling? Reviews act as social proof and can help increase conversions. On average reviews will cause an 18 percent increase in sales. 

How to Increase and Improve Your Reviews With the Help of a Freelancer 

Understanding why it matters is one thing, now you need to know how to use this information. There are many strategies you can use to improve and increase your reviews. We’re going to discuss a few and how freelancers can help with these strategies. 

Hire an Expert

One of the first things you can do is hire an expert-level freelancer. Expert freelancers can help create strategies and build processes. 

They have the knowledge needed to look at your business and create a plan that’s tailored to you. 

Consider Your Web Design

Are reviews visible on your website? Or do your customers need to go on a scavenger hunt to find them? Your reviews should be visible and easy to find. 

Depending on your setup that could mean they’re on your homepage, product pages, or they have a page of their own with an easy-to-use navigation bar button. 

A freelance web designer familiar with e-commerce websites can help you set up your reviews so they shine. You want to make it easy for your customers to find reviews and leave reviews and your design will play a pivotal role in that. 

Follow Up With Your Customers

You want to capture your customers when they’re thinking about their new purchase. Consider sending an email that asks customers to go back and leave a review of your product. 

While not everyone will respond, some customers will. The process for this does not need to be complicated. You can automate this process with the help of a knowledgeable freelancer and the right software. 

Contact People Who Leave You Great Reviews and Negative Reviews

Take the time to respond to positive and negative reviews. Acknowledge them both privately and publicly. Sometimes you can even turn some of those negative reviews into positive ones when you respond appropriately. 

When you follow up with reviews it shows your customers that you care. However, we get it, you’re busy. 

A customer service freelancer can help you with responding to reviews and emails about your products. They’ll take the busywork off your plate so that you can focus on the higher level tasks. 

Give Your Customers a Reason to Leave a Review

Why do your customers want to leave you a review? For some customers, they’ll never say a word outside of a negative experience. Other customers are just looking for a reason. 

How did you go above and beyond in your interactions with them? This could be as simple as sending a thank you for their purchase and letting them know you’re available if they need any support. 

A freelance virtual assistant or customer service freelancer can help with these tasks. 

Hire the Right Freelancer for Your e-Commerce Business

Reviews impact the e-commerce customer journey, there’s no way around that fact. However, there are steps you can take to increase and improve your reviews. 

Are you ready to hire a freelancer to help with your e-commerce business? Schedule a call with one of our account managers to get started.