Reviews make the difference in every step of the customer journey. See how they influence all 5 stages of the buying decision - from first impression to recommendation!
What is the customer journey?
Customer journey, most commonly referred to as "customer journey", describes the entire process a person goes through from the first thought of making a purchase to the moment when they share their experience with others. It is an invaluable concept for companies to understand the mindset of their customers and then directly apply the insight gained to their sales strategy.
Customers typically go through 5 stages in their shopping journey
Originally there were only three, namely Awareness, Consideration and Conversion. However, with the advent of the digital marketplace, two more have been added, namely Retention and Recommendation.
There are a lot of different factors that play a role in every stage of the decision-making process - and as a brand, it's good to have them under control. When we dug deeper into the topic of the customer journey, it became clear that one of the strongest influences is good review work. Why is that? We'll discuss that in the following chapters.
Phase One: Awareness
The customer encounters a problem and starts looking for a solution. Maybe their computer is broken, they want to start eating healthier or save on insurance. He opens a browser, types a query into Google, scrolls through blogs, videos, networking posts, or asks someone he trusts. He gathers information and finds out what his options are.
At this stage, it's essential to be seen. That's why brands are investing in SEO, blog articles, videos, PPC campaigns or collaborations with influencers. The potential customer should be clear: this topic is your domain and you are trustworthy in it.
But there's a lot of competition online - and reviews can set you apart.
- With a high rating you will see. Reviews and UGC make up up to 50% of the selection method Google uses to decide who to rank highest in search.
- Quality reviews mean rich word of mouth. This is evidenced by the fact that 25% of search results for the top 20 brands in the world are links to customer-generated content.
- With a good reputation, you can be sure that your name will be heard when it comes to personal recommendations. When you buy, he'll put up 92 % of customers!
- Reviews don't just contain text - photos, videos and social media posts are additional touchpoints that help the brand get attention at the right moment.
Phase Two: Consideration
After an initial feel around, customers find a few brands that they decide to explore further. Are you among them? If you're among them, you're in a good position - but you're not yet a winner.
In the consideration phase, customers will look under the hood of your products. They start asking questions like: How good is the product? Does the price match the value? Can I trust the brand? And what do I get in addition - fast delivery, friendly support, extra benefits?
Most brands try to deliver answers through marketing - texts, videos, campaigns. But traditional advertising doesn't work so well anymore. According to 4A's research, up to 96% of respondentsdon't trust it. And no wonder - there are too many promises and not enough real experiences.
But reviews can solve this problem too.
- Even when customers stop trusting traditional marketing, they still give personal recommendations. Even in the form of online reviews - 84% of them see it the same way as advice from a friend.
- Positive reviews increase trust even with brands that the customer is unfamiliar with. For the younger target group, this is true for up to 91%.
- Thanks to authenticity, reviews have up to twelve times more credibility than traditional marketing.
- Critical comments are not a bad thing. They help set expectations and show that the product has its strengths and weaknesses - just like everything else.
Phase 3: Conversion
Now it's getting tough. The customer is on the verge of making a purchase, considering the last details - like the colour, the packaging option or the delivery method. And they may also be wondering if they should delay the purchase for a while. This is your last chance to convince them that it makes sense to complete the order.
At this stage, brands often try to deploy the most powerful things - discount codes, bargain packages, catchy CTAs, strong stories or compelling numbers. But if trust is lacking, even the best arguments may not be enough.
That is why reviews are so important at this stage.
Customers trust the experience of others rather than advertising messages. Reviews act as the final confirmation that they are on the right track.
The following statistics prove this:
- 87 % customers actively search for reviews before each purchase, for 93 % are the deciding factor.
- Retrieved from 5 positive reviews triples the chances of a customer making a purchase. Just one review can kick conversions up by as much as 76.7%.
- Reviews are an effective part of targeted advertising. The case study of Blenders Eyewear is proof. The company added star reviews to its Facebook ads and in no time at all, received a twofold increase in click-through rates. CPA dropped 38%, while ROAS jumped 68%. In short, the numbers you want to see.
- The simple presence of a rating on the product page, perhaps in the form of stars, enhances conversions by almost 9%.
- If the customer interacts with them in some way (for example, clicks through to the full text), the conversion rate increases by 100%.
Phase Four: Retention
In the retention phase, it is essential to keep customers coming back. The purchase has already been made, but that's not the end of your work. Repeat orders are the most valuable thing in terms of business.
- Loyal customers spend up to 31% more than new customers.
- The chances of selling something to an existing buyer are up to 14 times greater than getting a new buyer.
- It costs up to 50% more to acquire new clients than to retain existing ones.
In this respect, reviews can be a great way to foster a long-term relationship between brand and customer. They build trust, create a sense of stability and help build a community that keeps coming back to the brand. Moreover, current reviews confirm that everything works in the long term - not just by chance.
They make it easier to decide to make a repeat purchase without unnecessary hesitation. In addition, when reviews are analysed regularly, weaknesses can be identified early and new opportunities discovered. The feedback collected can then serve as a valuable basis for improving products, marketing content and the overall customer experience.
Last stage: recommendations
What does a satisfied customer who has been buying from you for a long time do? They will recommend you!
At the moment, this will most often be through reviews - and we probably don't need to remind you how important this is because of the crisis of confidence.
But how to make sure that as many reviews as possible are written and that they are not just short phrases like "works" or "satisfied"? A recent survey of 9,000 buyers addressed exactly this issue:
- The biggest motivation is a strong experience - whether it's the product, the packaging or the communication. If you get it right, 92% of customers will write you a review.
- The most effective incentives include free product (86%) or a discount or points for a loyalty programme
- 67% of people want to help others make decisions with reviews. 51% also feel part of the brand - as testers.
- 65% write a review because they want to help the brand improve the product.
- And 25% do it mainly so that other readers can see their opinion.
Conclusion: reviews are not just icing on the cake
Reviews don't just play a role when a customer is making a purchase decision. They influence the entire customer journey - from first contact with a brand to repeat purchases and recommendations to others.
However, getting a quality review may not be easy. Especially if the product is new and has no reviews yet. That's where we can help.
Just send us your products - we'll pass them on to our testers who will try them out in a real-world environment and write authentic reviews based on their own experience. No embellishments, just an honest look through the eyes of an everyday user.
Would you like to know more? Book a no-obligation consultation and we'll be happy to show you how.
