Case Studies
How MAAP Cycling Apparel Use an Omnichannel Approach for Growth.
July 14, 2021
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4 mins read
When they teamed up with REVIEWS.io earlier this year their dedication instantly paid off, earning them nearly 400 glowing recommendations in just 24 hours - four times the amount needed to achieve a Google Seller Rating.
Back in 2008, Kick Push owner and founder, Darin Gersbach, turned his back on a series of unfulfilling occupations to start his own business.
Determined to provide for his new family with a career he was proud of, he worked from the ground up, selling action sports products on eBay before launching the Kick Push eCommerce store in 2012:
It’s a matter of doing what I love, which is creating a destination for consumers to get quality goods. I was trying to create a more diverse and user-friendly experience than what already existed online in the action sports category.
To achieve the seamless user experience he envisioned, Darin hosts the Kick Push store on the Maropost eCommerce platform. We came to his attention when we launched our Macropost integration and they featured us as ‘Maropost App of The Month’. We were thrilled when Kick Push came on board since it’s a company whose history and ethos we strongly identify with. What makes it even more rewarding is the overnight success they achieved with their reviews.
The true success story of the Kick Push review campaign is how quickly the feedback came pouring in. Once their account was set up, and a review invitaion email template was created, they were able to automatically sync all their previous purchase data to send review requests to past customers. As true testament to the quality of products and service, recipients gave an overwhelmingly positive response:
It’s humbling really that over 400 people took the time to review us on the first day of collection. We were not expecting it. It reinforces we are on the right track and we are growing an audience that likes what we do.
Not only did this incredible response cement their business approach, but it also gave their online reputation a solid boost. The rules behind Google Seller Ratings mean that you need to collect 100 verified reviews before your rating can be published in Ads. What takes many businesses months to achieve, Kick Push nailed in a single day.
Of course, they’ll need to maintain 100 reviews per year to keep their rating visible, but given how well they’ve performed so far, and their commitment to using review data to improve their service, we can’t see Kick Push having any problems on that front.
But why the move to start collecting reviews in the first place? And why REVIEWS.io?
We encourage businesses to collect reviews for a number of reasons, not least because authentic UGC is one of the most powerful trust signals. We also encourage them to take the good with the bad to work towards better customer experience. When Kick Push came to us, they already knew their goals, and Darin’s approach is spot-on:
People like to read reviews. It determines trust in a company. We are a really good company and it’s a disservice to our efforts if we don’t collect and share our customers' experience with us. It also highlights any areas we need to work on from not so favourable reviews.
Maropost (our ecommerce platform) recommended REVIEWS.io and we were at a point where we wanted to collect and share our customers' experience and also use it to get feedback on ways to improve our business. After checking out what they do and speaking to a rep it was an easy decision to give it a go.
We really love Darin’s approach to negative reviews and how, rather than being a setback, they can be used to enhance your business:
Weirdly I love negative reviews. It exposes things that you might not see day to day running a business and areas you need to work on.
So, what does the future hold for Kick Push, and how is the company adapting in the face of a pandemic that has so profoundly changed the world we live in?
This current situation has been scary and alarming for me personally though we saw an opportunity and we have actually grown our business significantly in the past 3 to 4 months. We are optimistic about the future though aware of supply issues and global uncertainty. Our goal is to continue to supply the very best goods in our industry.
You can read customer reviews for Kick Push on their REVIEWS.io profile page, or checkout their Maropost store at kickpush.com.au.
Darin worked hard for a long time to build a business with a strong focus on customer service and recognised an opportune moment to start collecting reviews. He was right in his decision, and it’s led to some fantastic results so far.
At REVIEWS.io, we share the Kick Push ethos of customer first. We won’t promise you the earth, tie you into lengthy contracts, or sell you something you don’t need. We look closely at where you are and what you want to achieve, and then we find the best solutions to get you there.
