As demonstrated above, ratings and reviews clearly have significant on-page conversion
As demonstrated above, product pages with zero reviews account for 60.18% of all product pages on the internet but only 11.59% of all page views. Conversely, those with more than 1,000 reviews account for 1.67% of all product pages but 10.64% of all page views.
And we see the same “the more the merrier” philosophy when it comes to on-page conversion.
Not every business will have the resources to collect 5000+ reviews. But there are significant lifts in each of the ranges so focusing on review collection should always be a priority.
Aside from the review count on a product, the average star rating is another key element consumers look for.
When it comes to the recency of reviews, consumers have high expectations. Brands and retailers must make it a priority to consistently generate a steady stream of reviews so shoppers can always find the fresh content they’ve come to expect.
Review quality – the depth of specific information and context included within a review – is a key consideration for many consumers.
This begs the question: why? And what information are they looking for? The answer to this is: a lot of different things.
The star rating a shopper assigns to a product, on a scale of one to five.
Later on, we’ll share some best practices for encouraging shoppers to provide longer, more detailed commentary in this field.
Worthy of note: PowerReviews enables you to change these headlines to be whatever you want. However, there is a balance to be struck: we are very careful to ensure the privacy of your customers and recommend not capturing a reviewer’s full name for this reason. With that being said, our sophisticated moderation techniques mean PII is extracted from a review before it’s published.
Location is another important, basic element to include in your review collection form. Again, this information helps convey to future shoppers that this is a real review written by a real person.
In addition, geographical location can be helpful for shoppers looking for relevant content. This is especially true for certain product categories. For example, consider a Chicago-based consumer shopping for winter boots. They’re likely to value reviews written by other Midwesterners, as they experience a similar winter climate.
Remember when we said longer, more detailed reviews are more helpful to shoppers? Well, it’s a claim backed by data. A survey found that just about all (97%) of consumers seek out longer, more detailed reviews at least sometimes. And 68% say they do so always or on the regular.
When reviewers provide a lot of keyword-rich details, future shoppers are more likely to find content that’s relevant to them. For example, a consumer with sensitive skin might seek out reviews for a cosmetic that specifically speaks to how it works for those with sensitive skin.
For example, the comments field of this review collection form for a skincare product asks the shopper to consider:
With PowerReviews, this can be completely customized. Maybe feedback from your customers highlights a desire for specific information about a specific feature of your product. With this text, you can capture more of this detail in your reviews.
Brands who prioritize user-generated imagery reap some big benefits. Site visitors who interact with user-generated imagery on a product page convert at a rate that’s more than 106% higher than average!
Displaying this feedback can help future shoppers better assess the product’s attributes. What’s more, this data provides businesses with insights about what shoppers like (and don’t like). Brands and retailers can use this data to fuel product improvements.
Typically, product reviews focus on the product itself. However, some brands and retailers also want to collect feedback on other aspects of the customer experience – including service and delivery. This makes sense, as the experiences a customer has with a brand can be just as important as the product. As such, optimizing experiences can increase both conversion and retention.
If you’re looking to collect feedback on service and delivery, consider adding a service/delivery comments field to your review collection form. But remember: only collect this data if you plan to act on the insights it yields.
Some brands and retailers build interactive review snapshots that provide an overview of all reviews written for a particular product. For example, consumers landing on this product page can quickly determine the product’s pros, cons, and best uses – among other things. Shoppers can then click on any of these elements to hone in on reviews that speak to these specific factors. And research tells us that visitors who filter by these “tags” convert at a rate that’s more than 78% higher than average.
There are certain tag-based questions – such as pros, cons, and best uses – that can be used in review collection forms across just about any product category. However, there may be other questions you may want to include in your review collection form that are specific to your brand.
For example, a skincare company might opt to include questions about the reviewer’s skin type and skin concerns. That way, the brand can add a feature to their display allowing shoppers to easily find content written by others with similar skin types and concerns.
How do you figure out which merchant-specific questions to ask in your review collection form? Consider what information would be most helpful to shoppers trying to decide if your product is the right fit for them.
There are some instances where it makes sense to collect data in your review collection form that won’t be included in your review display – but will be leveraged internally. For example, you may want to include a newsletter opt-in form to your review collection. It’s a great way to grow your email list, with little effort.
At PowerReviews, we make segmenting review collection forms by category like this straightforward.
The value of reviews is rooted in their authenticity. When consumers write reviews, they’re not doing so to sell products. They’re contributing content simply to share their genuine feedback – whether good, bad, or somewhere in between.
Let’s start with the most obvious benefit: understanding how your customers feel about your products. You can see the top words and phrases customers use when describing your product, and the associated sentiment. This information is crucial for understanding the voice of your consumer (which has applications throughout your marketing efforts). It can also help you discover the quirks of your products that create positive sentiment.
Speaking of customer complaints, negative sentiment can be a veritable “canary in the coal mine” for your brand. A good start: tracking changes in sentiment over time. If you notice dips in sentiment or an increase in negative sentiment, look into it. Did something change with your manufacturing process?
This may signal an area where you may need to make a change. You can investigate further to see whether the reviews that mention a negative experience with Product D are talking about your customer service, the installation experience, or an experience driving out on the road — and make improvements accordingly.
