If you manage to bring visitors to the site, it would be a shame if they end up leaving empty-handed. And one of the simplest yet most effective tools to help turn visitors into customers is reviews.
Once a visitor is intrigued by a product, he or she immediately starts to find out how it works in real life. This is where feedback from others plays a key role. Reviews make sure that someone has already tried the product and been satisfied with it - and that's what can make the difference in a purchase.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
So how to achieve better conversions?
Imagine a typical customer. He wants to buy something, browses the website and looks for the best offer. He comes across two similar products.
The first one looks very good. It has everything you could need, the price is reasonable... but it lacks any kind of review. Does that mean no one's bought it yet? Or is there something more to it? Why hasn't anyone written about it? Doubts begin to arise in the customer's mind.
The second product is almost identical. But this time he finds several reviews next to him. Some positive, others critical, others describe an average experience.
Which of the products do you think customers will reach for? If you guessed the latter, you made the right choice.
It turns out that for customers, reviews are one of the most important parameters when making a purchase. 99.9% read them and for 98% of them they are a major factor in their decision making. This means that if they have to decide between a product without a review and a product with a review, the product with a review will win.
Why do reviews carry so much weight?
Reviews are a trusted and often key source of information when making a purchasing decision. A reviewer is an unbiased user who has already had the opportunity to see the product for themselves and try it out. If he or she comes across a fault, a shortcoming or, on the contrary, an unexpectedly high quality, he or she will certainly mention it in his or her review.
If there is anyone on the site that the customer really trusts, it is the reviewer. Up to 86% of online shoppers won't buy until they've read at least a few reviews. For them, the reviewer's opinion is not a bonus, but a key part of the decision-making process.
And how much influence do reviews have on conversions?
Any customer interaction with product reviews or ratings has a direct impact on the conversion rate. And it can increase by up to 120.3%
Reviewshave surpassed even the price of the product in their importance . In the chart below you can see that while the price of a product influences consumers 91% of the time, reviews have a 3% edge!
The good news is that even a product that has no reviews yet can benefit from the halo effect. If other products on the same e-shop have enough positive reviews, their credibility is partly transferred to new or lesser-known items. A strong reputation within one brand or retailer thus helps the customer to believe that even a product without reviews will be a quality and reliable choice.
The more reviews the better?
The quality of the reviews is crucial, but the number of reviews is equally important. According to the data, the first five reviews already have the biggest impact on conversions. If a product has at least five reviews, it can increase conversion rates by up to 270%. And the higher the price of the product, the more difference reviews make - for luxury items, the increase in conversions can be as high as 380%, while for cheaper products it can be 190%.
In addition, customers are not satisfied with one or two reviews. More than half of them read at least four reviews before making a purchase decision. For more complex or expensive purchases, they naturally expect more reviews. This is confirmed by the average time spent reading, which is almost 14 minutes.
In short, one review will help. Five reviews will convince. And higher tens will create the confidence that sells.
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Source: Team, P. (2022, March 9). The Impact of Review Volume on Conversion: Is More Really Better? PowerReviews.
There is a direct linear relationship between the number of reviews a customer is exposed to on a product page and the increase in conversion rate.
How are the product categories doing?
In some places, a few reviews are enough to see the results skyrocket, in others it's more the number of reviews or the specific content that matters. Each segment has its own specifics, which we will now take a closer look at.
Electronics and computers
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The higher the price, the greater the need to make sure that what we are buying really works. It's no wonder, then, that decisions about buying electronics tend to be longer and more careful than in other categories. That's why reviews play a crucial role - 95% of customers rely on them, even when choosing mainstream electronics.
The quality of the reviews is always the most important, but even so, in this category, the more the better. As few as 1-10 reviews can increase conversion by over 100%, and with over 50 reviews it can rise to 378%. We see the biggest differences in computers and software, where reviews significantly speed up decision making.
And not only that. Until 35 % of regular shoppers in the electronics segment actively search for videos with product reviews or unboxing, which is 10% more than in other categories. That's why it pays to work with a combination of reviews and user-generated content in this category. Together, they can effectively break down barriers to decision-making and move customers closer to purchase.
Cosmetics
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There are countless creams, perfumes and mascaras on the market - and it's not easy to distinguish between them. The packaging looks similar, the labels promise the same. That's why reviews are a great opportunity to really differentiate yourself in this category and gain trust at first contact.
More than 83% of customers identify reviews as the most important source of information when buying cosmetics online. The experiences of others help to decide whether a product actually smells as the description promises, whether it has the desired effect or how it performs in everyday use. It is thanks to reviews that customers can get a better idea of how a product will work in practice
Even fewer than 10 reviews can increase conversion by 22% compared to a page with no reviews. And if more than 100 reviews are collected, the conversion rate can increase by up to 275%.
Clothing and accessories
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Choosing the right size, cut or material without being able to feel the product is always a bit of a blind bet. That's why reviews are so important in the fashion category - they tell you if the shirt fits according to the size chart, if the shoes are not squeezing or how the colour looks in real life.
75% of customers find reviews useful when buying clothes and 68% when buying shoes. And the impact on site performance is significant:
Even a couple of reviews (1-10) increases conversion by an average of 33.6% compared to a page without reviews. With each additional step, the effect grows - more than 100 reviews can increase the conversion rate by up to 162.8%.
Food and consumer packaged goods (FMCG)
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Even for everyday goods such as food, drinks or household items, reviews play a strong role. What is missing when shopping online is the opportunity to naturally 'explore' the goods - to read the ingredients, smell them, find out the consistency or taste. And it is the experiences of others that help to supplement this information.
Even a couple of reviews (1-10) can almost double the conversion for these products . As the number of reviews grows, so does trust and with it the performance of the site:
- 11-30 reviews: +286.2%
- 31-50 reviews:+474.4%
- 51-100 reviews: +579.5%
- 101+ reviews: up to +686.2%
Reviews are not to be underestimated for fast moving goods - their influence on conversions can be huge.
House and garden
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When it comes to home and garden products, customers are often concerned with practicality, quality and appearance - which is why reviews are one of the main factors in their decision-making process. 67% of shoppers look for them here, and their presence can significantly boost trust and conversions.
In the case of garden products, the effect of reviews is already fully visible around 30 reviews, when conversion can increase by up to 211%.
In the furniture category, however, it is different. Here, the number of reviews directly translates into page performance - 30 reviews means a 346% increase, 50 reviews means a 564% increase, and if there are more than 100 reviews, conversions can increase by up to 1,326%.
The not-so-good news, however, is that when 88% of customers will abandon their cart before completing their purchase. Photos and captions alone are often not enough. Reviews help in such a situation - they add confidence, bring the product closer to reality and remove the last hesitation.
Breeding supplies
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Customers who buy for their pets tend to be particularly careful. They want to make sure they are choosing quality, safe and proven products. And it is the reviews of others that play a crucial role in this decision. They help you get an idea of the real quality, durability and satisfaction of other customers - and their pets.
What's really valuable about reviews in this segment is their impact on organic traffic. There is a lot of competition in the pet supplies category, there are a lot of e-shops, so being visible is key. And reviews are a great tool to get to the top of the search engines. They help improve SEO, bring new and authentic content, and make products appear up to 140% more often in organic search results.
Health and dietary supplements
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Buying vitamins, supplements or over-the-counter medicines online is now common. But that doesn't mean that customers buy them indiscriminately. On the contrary, they often take the time to look for information, compare products and most importantly: read reviews.
Over 95% of patients reported that reviews play an important role in their choice of medicines or dietary supplements. Particularly in the area of health, trust in the product is essential. Ratings from others help them to navigate the range and choose an option they can rely on.
Availability, price, form of use, experience with the brand, as well as concerns about possible side effects or overall efficacy influence the decision. Reviews in such a situation provide reassurance and assurance that the customer is making the right choice.
Conclusion
The amount of reviews really matters and really, the more the better. While a product without reviews looks untrustworthy, a product page with even one review motivates consumers to buy. The numbers vary from category to category, but even in the least affected categories, reviews have the power to persuade shoppers.
Review marketing is essentially a safe bet. The numbers in this article only confirm this - reviews increase trust and often decide whether or not a purchase goes through. In short, customers prefer the opinions of other consumers to those of the person trying to sell the product.
And when a review is missing, even a great product can be left without a chance. Doing so little is enough to help customers make a confident decision.
Are you missing or not enough reviews on the e-shop yet? Book a free, no-obligation consultation with us and we'll help you get quality, authentic reviews directly from our community of testers.
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