There are many ways to leverage the benefits of a Shopify site. Shopify-specific agencies provide design, development, and marketing support to create customized, conversion-driven solutions.
Additionally, numerous third-party add-ons and extensions enhance your store's capabilities, covering sales, marketing, shipping, and inventory management. One of the most popular integrations is REVIEWS.io, offering significant value to customers.
While a relatable brand voice and an eye-catching brand aesthetic are essential, shoppers often need reassurance from an unbiased third party to validate your brand. This is where customer reviews become invaluable. By collecting and showcasing user-generated content, you can significantly amplify your marketing efforts.
So, how do you add product reviews to your Shopify store? In this guide, we'll explore the best strategies and tools for collecting reviews and provide a guide to choosing the best app for product reviews on Shopify.
The REVIEWS.io Shopify plugin is super easy to set up. It fully integrates with your ordering system and automatically sends review invitation emails to all your customers.
The added bonus is that we’re also an official Google Licensed review partner - this means we’re licensed to send verified reviews to Google for you. So as well as generating valuable content for your Shopify store, you’ll also get stars against your AdWords and Google Shopping campaigns, significantly increasing click-through rates. If you collect company reviews, you can boost your profile even further with Google Seller Ratings.
More good news is that REVIEWS.io offers a free version for all businesses to try, making it accessible for everyone to experience its benefits without any initial cost.
To get set up, follow these quick and simple steps:
Step 1: Sign up with REVIEWS.io, or if you are using Shopify to power your store, check out our Shopify app store listing page and click install
If you install REVIEWS.io from our website, head over to the Integration page to connect with your e-commerce platform. You can also find the guide to installing the Shopify plugin on your site here.
Step 2: Now, you can start customizing your review collection email. Use the Shopify plugin to create a fully aligned email for maximum impact. This ensures consistency and a professional appearance that resonates with your customers.
For this tutorial, we'll assume you have the REVIEW.io app. If you're using another one, the process will be similar but with unique steps to your app.
Adding product reviews to your Shopify storefront page is as straightforward as adding any other block or section.
Step 1: Navigate to the Shopify Theme Editor
First, access the theme editor to begin your customizations. Go to Online Store > Themes and click the Customize button on the theme you wish to edit.
Step 2: Enable the App Embeds
In the theme editor, you'll start at the homepage. Navigate the left-hand menu and choose the third option or App Embeds. Enable the toggle of your product review app.
Step 3: Customise Your Product Review Widgets
Before clicking Save to display the product review widgets on your storefront, you can click each of the app embeds to have more customisation settings.
With REVIEWS.io, we centralise most of the settings on a stand-alone dashboard. You can also quickly access your REVIEWS.io dashboard from the Shopify app embeds.
Check out this dedicated guide to learn all the customisation capabilities of REVIEWS.io's widgets.
Customer feedback is a highly trusted source of information. Good-quality reviews give shoppers insight into past customers' experiences, both in terms of the products they purchased and their interaction with the company in question.
According to a study by Spiegel Research Center, products with reviews are 270% more likely to be purchased than those without, and the likelihood of purchase increases even more for higher-priced items. This demonstrates the critical role that reviews play in influencing consumer decisions and boosting conversion rates.
In addition to increasing sales, product testimonials enhance customer trust and loyalty. A BrightLocal survey found that:
- 91% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision.
- 84% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. This level of trust can improve customer retention and encourage repeat business.
Moreover, customer opinions contribute to better search engine optimization (SEO) and increased online visibility. Reviews add fresh, user-generated content to your website, which search engines favor.
Review signals, such as quantity, velocity, and diversity of consumer opinions, account for approximately 15% of Google's local search ranking factors. They also bring a number of associated benefits:
Last but not least, business owners can gain valuable insights into customer preferences and potential product improvements from customers' feedback. This allows businesses to refine their offerings based on direct feedback from their audience.
Reviews give an unbiased opinion on what a brand has to offer, and are proven to be highly influential in purchase decisions. When your customers know how to write a good product review, and you encourage them to do so, you make use of the best sales tool at your disposal.
There are multiple options when it comes to review publishing, and a good strategy makes use of a number of different approaches.
The best place to showcase product reviews is on the relevant product page. If a customer arrives via a Google Shopping campaign, this is exactly where they’ll land, so it makes sense to give them the information they need right at the point where they’re ready to make a purchase. We have a range of widgets available to suit every Shopify site design.
Company reviews will be showcased on your REVIEWS.io profile, and you can also distribute them to other 3rd party collection sites. Add the REVIEWS.io Trust Badge to your home page or footer to further boost your reputation and show off your review count and average star rating.
When it comes to adding product reviews to your Shopify store, selecting the right app is essential for effective review management. Below are some of the most important criteria for you to consider.
A good product reviews app should be easy to install and configure, requiring minimal technical knowledge. Look for apps that provide comprehensive documentation, including detailed guides and tutorials, and offer robust customer support to assist with any setup issues.
Despite being a third-party app, it should always deliver your brand identity. Pick the one that allows for extensive customization to ensure the reviews section aligns with your store’s branding. This includes design flexibility and the ability to add custom fields, enabling you to capture specific information relevant to your products.
It's important for the app to support review importing from other platforms or previous stores, allowing you to maintain your review history seamlessly. Additionally, the ability to export reviews for backup or use in marketing efforts is a valuable feature.
Connection with other review management platforms using REVIEWS.io is a breeze.
Effective review moderation is crucial; the app should enable you to approve, reject, or edit reviews before they go live. Built-in spam protection features are also essential to prevent fake reviews from being posted and maintain the integrity of your feedback.
The app should facilitate automated review request emails to customers after purchase, encouraging them to leave feedback. Additionally, offering incentives like discounts or loyalty points for reviews can significantly increase customer participation.
Ensure the app can integrate with other tools you use, such as email marketing platforms, social media, and analytics tools. API access can be crucial for advanced customizations and integrations, providing flexibility and enhanced functionality.
At REVIEWS.io, we aim a an ecosystem where users can easily multiply the power of their tech stack. Therefore, integration capabilities of REVIEWS.io is boundless.
Today is the age of social proof and user-generated content. Supporting photo and video uploads with reviews can provide more authentic and detailed feedback. Additionally, the app should support rich snippets to enhance your product’s visibility in search engine results, contributing to better SEO performance.
The app should be SEO-friendly, ensuring that reviews are indexable by search engines to improve your site's ranking. Look for features like schema markup for reviews, which can enhance search engine visibility and drive more organic traffic to your store.
Review analytics are important for gaining insights into review trends, customer sentiment, and ratings distribution. The app should offer performance reports that show the impact of reviews on sales and customer behavior, helping you make data-driven decisions.
Reliable customer support is essential, so choose an app with a responsive support team available via multiple channels such as email, chat, and phone. Checking user reviews and community forums can provide insights into the quality of customer support provided.
Ensure the app complies with data protection regulations like GDPR and has robust security measures to protect customer data. This is crucial for maintaining customer trust and safeguarding sensitive information.
Based on these considerations, REVIEWS.io stands out as one of the best options, offering a comprehensive suite of features that meet all necessary criteria. Notably, Shopify has removed its product reviews app as of May 6, 2024, to streamline its platform and encourage merchants to use more advanced third-party solutions like REVIEWS.io.
Whatever it is you’re selling, product reviews on your Shopify store will drive conversion rates, whilst company reviews will elevate your presence and reputation. Only by working with a Google Licensed partner can you reap the benefits of maximum online exposure.
To see your Shopify store grow through word-of-mouth recommendations and stars in Google search results, sign up for a free REVIEWS.io trial today.
