That’s exactly what we’ve been working out lately, engaging with our own customers to find out what reviews mean to them and how they’re used to harness maximum business potential.
Before we delve into a greater insight, let’s look at some of the fundamental benefits of collecting authentic customer reviews.
Third party sites like REVIEWS.io are the most conspicuous platforms for both positive and negative customer experiences. They’re a go to destination for shoppers that want to evaluate a business, its products and service before giving it their custom.
An example of a positive customer experience:
And here is an example of a negative customer experience which has then been dealt with by the business:
Successful brands use these platforms to their advantage, not only to build their reputation, but to encourage customer loyalty, boost SEO and improve business performance.
In a nutshell, they’re a great marketing tool that can be used to build both reputation and revenue.
Over the past few months, we’ve been working on a series of video Q&A’s to get real insight into how REVIEWS.io clients use our platform, the benefits they’ve taken from it so far, and how together, we can develop new ways to further drive success with authentic review content.
Here’s a few key takeaways from our interviews:
A hot tub company that saw exponential growth in 2020, Wave Spas’ view on reviews is that customer feedback is essential to building trust with your audience. It attributes around 50% of its recent sales increase to the credibility gained from reviews:
When we started growing our business I knew from day one that to give the business integrity, reviews were essential. People need that confidence. As soon as we started getting user generated content - pictures, videos, things like that – we definitely saw a sharp increase in sales
Tom Jeffery, Managing Director
Wave Spas
REVIEWS.io agency partner Morphsites specialising in bespoke custom websites, who work with top organic food producers Coombe Farms, firmly believe that reviews are no longer a ‘nice to have’, but are vital for any business that wants to make its mark in the increasingly competitive online marketplace:
It’s getting harder to catch up with those that have got 50,000 reviews, so if you’re not using a review system, you need to be using one right now to be relevant. I think video reviews are definitely the way forward.
Dan Drummond, Head of Digital Marketing
Morphsites
Pennybooks is an online accountancy firmfounded just over two years ago, review content has been on the radar from the outset. With a unique take on marketing for its industry, Pennybooks users customer feedback to engage its target audience through Instagram:
It’s important to get it out there, what people are saying. I think for us reviews were always going to be a part of the content strategy
James Watson, Co-founder
Pennybooks
Our interview with luxury eCommerce brand Abbott Lyon revealed the role reviews play in expansion, and how important credibility is for establishing and existing business in a new market:
We have a harder time collecting reviews from the German market, they’re less transparent and less likely to share. But I think that goes to show reviews are perhaps more important in that market - we need real reviews there to make an impact. It’s something we’re working on.
James Bertram, Digital marketing manager
Abbott Lyon
Add a quote including the strike-throughs“Roads Reviews ?! Where we're going We don't need Roads Reviews!!
Both the nature of reviews and the way they’re used are evolving all the time. As well as changes in consumer behaviour, there’s also a change in expectations.
Customers look for new ways to interact and want a genuine experience with a brand before they convert.
Listening to our customers, it’s also clear that, in response to this shift, their communication has changed. They now have a greater need to combine all their marketing and service channels to connect with customers in a meaningful way.
It’s for that reason we continue to push the boundaries with new features and new partnerships, exploring the benefits of reviews way beyond the basics.
Our goal is to provide a service that’s not just about review collection, but about connecting with your customers. And using those connections to promote your brand through increased productivity and increased potential.
If you’re not yet a REVIEWS.io client, it’s never too late to build your reputation. We’ve seen brands reach incredible milestones in quick time, like KickPush who, through backdating its collection to past customers, received over 400 reviews and earnt Google Seller Ratings in just 24 hours.
