The Shopify app store is flooded with applications that allow store owners to get the most out of customer reviews and user-generated content (UGC). The tools come with similar features, such as adding video and photo reviews, import and export functionality, various syndications, and automatic review request features.
Although we won’t focus on highlighting top Shopify apps for the job (www.gowebtex.com has compiled an impressive list of top-notch, free and paid Shopify apps you can refer to), the grand question is how beneficial such functionality is for an online store and what you as a store owner can gain by advancing Shopify product reviews.
Let’s get dive right into figuring it out.
What are the benefits of advancing product reviews on Shopify?
Naturally, to introduce such functionality in a Shopify-based store, you’ll need to opt for a third-party app. But why do so? What benefits does showcasing customer testimonials bring to a business? Here are the primary reasons behind wanting to get more user-generated content:
Influence on the purchasing decision
According to the Search Engine Journal, 91% of millennials trust customer reviews and rely on them as if recommended by friends or family. A prevailing number of negative testimonials or insights that share specifics about a product can literally make or break a sale.
Thus, after consulting other shoppers’ feedback, the potential customers gain more confidence in their purchasing decisions as testimonials reduce doubts and ensure the consumers do not postpone their purchasing decisions.
Building social proof
How often do you book a room or visit a new restaurant before checking out their reviews on Yelp or Tripadvisor? Shoppers rarely purchase products with no feedback. If the first buyers had negative experiences, decreasing prices would not save the situation either.
Testimonials are social proof in action.
They are an essential part of a product’s research process. As people are social beings, we turn to trust other consumers’ choices and incline to have (or desire) what other people opt for.
Improved SEO
How feedback improves SEO could be a separate topic as there is certainly much to say. As potential shoppers use search to find your product reviews, they are likely to navigate to your site to read them.
Besides, reviews generate long-tail keyword traffic. They are three to four keyword phrases that shoppers use to find your offerings and are likely to use when writing a review. What does it mean for your business? When new shoppers search for your goods using a similar description, they will likely land on your page, not the competition.
Access to the audience’s insights
Businesses instantly search for means to improve their products. We run market research and analysis and use a wide range of marketing shticks to improve how we are doing.
Reviews are probably one of the simplest ways to achieve that, as they showcase your strengths and weaknesses and help you choose the right direction for development.
Growing your community
We are living in a community-driven world. The shoppers love being a part of a group, and reviews can assist in motivating new shoppers to stick with your brand, become active members, and likely brand advocates.
Establishing brand loyalty
Whether happy or disappointed, the buyers will likely choose to take a moment and share their experiences. And no matter how successful their experience was, it’s a must for you to take a moment and thank them for investing their time to write a review.
In case of negative experiences, it is an excellent chance for you to investigate the matter, improve your business’s weaknesses and rehabilitate the situation for your benefit.
What benefits can a Shopify product reviews app bring?
Any quality solution is built to let the users achieve a goal. Concurrently, all product review apps will introduce the functionality that helps make the best use of the benefits described above.
For your customer, such features are as follows:
- The ability to quickly access other shoppers’ testimonials across various site pages
- Leaving feedback in a couple of mouse clicks using multiple handy means
- Attaching videos and photos to testimonials
- Asking questions and receiving answers
- Overview of other shopper’s real-life visuals
- Interacting with reviews (liking or disliking them)
- Sharing their take on how helpful a vendible can be to others
For you as a store owner, the functionality could include but is not limited to:
- Flexibility in showcasing product reviews so that they match your site’s style
- Customizable emails to send automatic review requests
- Dashboard to analyze how shoppers engage with your emails and how encouraged they are to share the testimonials
- The ability to let the customers attach videos and images
- Import and export functionality, especially from the significant marketplaces
- Rich snippets to make your reviews look catchy in search results
- Syndications with the critical for your business services
- Loyalty points to incentivize engagement
Conclusion
As you can see, the significant benefits of collecting and presenting UGC in the most eye-candy manner are that they allow for building brand credibility, gaining customer trust, boosting reach, and even improving SEO. These all translate into an increase in revenue.
Now that you know that investing your time and money into advancing the product review functionality pays off indeed and what you should pay attention to when opting for a third-party application, it’s time to make your choice, test, and tweak the app of your choice as required.
