There's a reason we offer loads of different ways to collect and publish customer feedback here at REVIEWS.io - no two businesses are the same.
Today we're focussing on some elements of the collection and publishing aspects of your Customer Review Strategy. We'll be breaking down the different types of reviews you may want to show on your website as well as the best places to feature them, depending on the type of industry you're in and the need your customers are likely to have.
Whilst each business is different, some general rules will help guide you in knowing what reviews to collect for your site.
Company Reviews provide an overview of your business performance. They usually contain comments on aspects such as customer care, delivery times, availability and more.
What businesses should collect Company Reviews?
We recommend every business collect Company Reviews and feature them on their website as they add instant authority and build trust from the get-go.
Where should you display Company Reviews?
Company Reviews should be placed front and centre on your website, ideally on the Homepage. You'll also then want to scatter them throughout the site at various customer touchpoints to repeatedly encourage and reassure customers.
They can be added to a variety of places in both subtle and bold ways, including as badges, in-full and in the footer, making them easy to integrate into any site.
For businesses where trust is essential, such as Lawyers, Travel Agents and Financial Advisors, or when the investment is high, we'd recommend dedicating a whole page to your Company Reviews where you can display them in full.
Unlike company reviews, Product Reviews give customers more specific information such as sizing, fit, durability, suitability and more. Product reviews are essential in creating informed customers. Reading insightful customer feedback that has come from first-hand experiences helps steer customers towards products that are perfect for them, leading to more customer happiness in the long run.
If you're selling products, it makes sense to collect individual Product Reviews. But product reviews don't just have to be for items such as tops and glasses - they can also be used for various services or experiences to provide more information. As a general rule, we say that if you offer a variety of things as standard, you should be collecting product reviews.
Product Reviews are best placed on the product pages themselves alongside the product description to complete the picture. It's important to display both the really positive and slightly less beaming reviews to give customers true insight into the products they're buying. Although it may move them away from a certain product, it will lead to more satisfaction in the long run, as customers will find it easier to find products that really fit their needs.
If you've got it, flaunt it! Photo Reviews enable you to turn every sale into marketing material for your brand. Photo Reviews show how your products look in real life and are much more authentic than professional images. They help further build trust amongst potential customers and may even help inspire them - they're social proof, amplified.
If you have pretty products, we'd strongly encourage you to display user-generated content featuring them across your site.
Photo Reviews should be placed on your Product Pages alongside written reviews, but you may also want to include something like a Shoppable Instagram Gallery on your homepage or category pages to increase engagement and draw customers in.
To further illustrate this, we've showcased how some of our very own clients showcase different reviews on their sites.
Appleyard London is a boutique London florist that specialises in having professionally-arranged flowers delivered. Reviews play a huge role in their online experience, with customer feedback featured in a variety of formats across the website.
On Appleyard London's homepage, we can see that they have chosen to showcase their overall star rating in numerous formats. This immediately helps customers know they are buying from a trusted source. The addition of the review count itself and the Reviews logo gives more authority to this star rating, showing it's from a genuine Review Site.
On the product pages themselves, Appleyard have again chosen to put their amazing customer feedback front and centre. The overall Product Rating is featured alongside the product description, with reviews in full below the product listing itself.
This combination works really well. The star rating shows this is a great product and the written reviews go on to give more in-depth information. It makes it easier than ever for customers to access all the information they might need in order to decide if it's the right product for them.
The final piece of the puzzle are Appleyard's Photo Reviews. Whilst the product images on the site themselves are wonderful, as these are professional stylised and shot, customers may find them less trustworthy than customer photos. Photo Reviews show products in the most authentic and realistic way possible.
Japan Ski Experience is a company offering a range of ski accommodation across Japan. They pride themselves on their local expertise and brilliant customer care.
It may come as a surprise, but just like Appleyard, Japan Ski Company also collect both Company and Product reviews. With travel and tourism companies, there are no set rules - what reviews you should collect will depend greatly on your offerings. If you have multiple options as standard - such as cruises or hotel rooms - we'd encourage you to consider collecting Product Reviews for each of these.
Japan Ski Experience have chosen to proudly display Company Reviews on their homepage. The Tourism industry is extremely competitive, and often there's a lot at stake for consumers. After all, we all like a nice holiday!
Company Reviews provide an instant trust signal and enable customers to go on to browse the site with confidence.
This means that when customers reach the individual accommodation pages, they already have a level of trust. Now the challenge is about finding the perfect holiday. This is where Product Reviews come in. The personal insights in these help customers to visualise their holiday as they read anecdotes from other people.
Load-Up is a junk removal company that deploys a large network of professional, insured removers. They pride themselves on offering upfront, transparent pricing and try to operate in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.
Load-Up concentrates its efforts on Company Reviews only, which is what we advise for most service-based businesses. They make the most of evey review collected by showcasing them across the site in various formats.
A compilation of their review ratings is featured on the homepage, along with a Reviews.io badge widget. Showcasing star ratings across multiple sites here highlights their consistent feedback - this is a company that has nothing to hide.
Another section of customer feedback is featured on the homepage and the About Us page, where reviews are shown in full. This gives more credibility to the aggregated star ratings, and allows customers to seek out all the information they need in order to get informed and assured.
Inspired Pharma Training is a company offering first-class pharmaceutical training courses both online and in the classroom.
They collect both Company and Product reviews which enables them to highlight both their overall business performance, as well as the individual value of each course they offer.
Although Inspired Pharma Training have only just begun collecting reviews, their strong accumulated rating so far shows them to be a reliable company. Similarly to Japan Ski Experience, the customer is then over the first hurdle, and can go on to finding the perfect course.
Product Reviews for each course are displayed on the individual course pages and provide more information about the teacher, intensity and content.
Although not all educational businesses collect both Product and Company reviews, if you're offering a range of course or training, we'd recommend collecting Product Reviews. They help give potential students much more insight into the specifics of the course. Remember: it's not just your company that will be compared to other businesses, but the course itself, so it's important to stand out here - customer feedback can make a real difference.
When it comes to deciding what reviews to collect and where to position them on your site, it's essential to think about the customer journey. What will your customers need where in order to answer their questions, reassure them and get them over the finish line?
At Reviews.io, our experts can find the perfect Review Collection strategy for your business. From Company Reviews to user-generated content, we have all the tools you need to enhance and enrich your customer's experience with reviews. Discover our publishing options here.
