The Role of Customer Reviews in Online Shopping

Introduction

Online shopping is a great convenience and something we all do on a regular basis. But with so many options to choose from, how can you be sure that you’re getting the best deal? The answer is user reviews!

Review rating is an important metric

The review rating is a crucial metric for customers, as it tells you how many people have reviewed a product and their overall impression.

A product with an average rating of three stars or higher is more likely to convert than one with a lower average rating.

However, as we’ll see in the next section, it’s important not to rely on just one review statistic when deciding whether or not to buy something online:

What do customers look for in reviews?

There are five things that customers look for when reading reviews:

• Is it a good product? Customers want to know if the product is worth their hard-earned money and time, or whether they should pass on it.
• Is it a good deal? The more affordable something is, the better chance consumers have of buying it. If they see a product listed at 5x its actual value, they’re going to pass right by without giving it any thought (unless they’re interested in being scammed).
• Does anyone else like this? Your friends and family might love your new purchase—but what do others think about them? Seeing positive feedback from other people can be helpful when deciding which products are worth purchasing online; reading those negative comments can be equally important as well!

Customer reviews play a major role in conversions

• We’ve already established that customer reviews are a significant factor in the decision-making process for online shoppers. But just how important are they?
• The answer: very. In fact, this influence is so strong that some customers will bounce from a site if there aren’t enough reviews for them to make an informed purchase decision.
• Reviews help buyers overcome “buyer’s remorse,” which occurs when people are faced with the decision between buying an item and not buying it—and then regretting either choice after the fact. By reading what other people have written about their experiences with various products, you’ll be able to determine whether or not you’re making the right choice before you actually make it (no buyer’s remorse here).
• When shopping online, customers want to see ratings alongside product images on ecommerce sites so they can get a feel for what other buyers think of that specific item before making their own purchasing decisions.

Reviews give customers confidence in their purchase

When you’re shopping online, there are few things more valuable than customer reviews. Reviews can give customers confidence in their purchase and help them make an informed choice. They also provide a wealth of information about the product and its features—information that might be hidden or difficult to find otherwise.

There are plenty of reasons why you should take time to read user reviews before making a purchase:

• You want to know what other people think about the product.
• You want to see how other people have used the product.
• You want to see how other people have rated the product’s quality (and whether they were satisfied with it).

Reviews should be written by real customers

When you’re shopping online, who can you trust? If a product seems too good to be true—if the description is too perfect or the price sounds too good to be true—you may want to think twice before buying. One way to avoid falling for these scams is by reading customer reviews from real customers who have actually used the products.

Reviews from real customers are more trustworthy than those written by people with an interest in selling something. Asking for a review on your own website isn’t going to cut it; it just looks like advertising. In order for someone’s opinion about your product or service as a whole (not just individual features) and whether they would recommend it or not, they need to experience first-hand what it offers them before giving feedback. The only way this can happen is if they buy and use your product or service themselves!

Customer reviews can be a make-or-break factor in online shopping decisions

Online, it’s often difficult for customers to get a sense of what they’re buying. The lack of tactile experience means that reviews become an invaluable part of the shopping process because they offer unbiased information about everything from product quality to customer service—and can even help you avoid buyer’s remorse when you don’t like what you ordered.

In a nutshell: customer reviews are important and can be the make-or-break factor in your online shopping decisions.

Customers want to see ratings alongside product images

In an ideal world, customers would be able to scan an online store for a specific item, find it, and then make their purchase. Then they would receive the item and be satisfied with their purchase. Unfortunately, this isn’t always how things work out in the real world.

Instead of searching for a product by name or model number, customers usually want to know what other people think of a particular item before they commit themselves to buying it. They want to know if other customers like the product enough to give it five stars and write glowing reviews about it or if others hate it enough that they gave one star out of five possible points on average (or worse).

Customer reviews are trusted

When a shopper is deciding whether or not to buy your product, what do they trust more: the information on your website? The brand name of your product? Or the opinions of other shoppers?

When it comes to online shopping, customers trust customer reviews more than any other source of information.

That’s because customer reviews are authentic and honest—they’re written by people who have actually used the product in real life. And since no one wants to read about products that don’t work well or are difficult to use, these reviews help shoppers decide which products are worth purchasing.

Reviews help customers get past “buyer’s remorse”

You may find yourself in a situation where you’re unsure about whether or not to buy something, but with reviews at your fingertips, you get the chance to read what other people think about it. This can help you make a more informed decision and get past “buyer’s remorse.”

Even if you’re in love with an item and know without any reservation that it will be perfect for you, there’s still a chance that when faced with actually purchasing it, your mind starts playing tricks on you. Maybe some voice deep inside tells you that maybe this isn’t as good an idea after all and maybe there will be consequences later on down the line (this is also known as “buyer’s remorse”). If this happens often enough for one reason or another (and let’s face it—it does), then reading reviews becomes even more important than normal because now they can help convince yourself that everything will work out just fine!

How many reviews are enough?

The more reviews you have, the better. It’s true that more than 20 reviews is overkill—the average number of reviews for a product is between 10 and 20. However, if you have fewer than 10 it could be difficult to convince potential customers that your product is worth purchasing. If you want them to feel confident about buying from you, then get at least one or two people to write about their experience with the thing in question.

Negative reviews are important too

Negative reviews are just as important to consider when making a purchase. While you might be loyal to your brand, customers will feel more comfortable with a product if other people agree with them about the pros and cons of it. If you’re on the fence about buying something, reading negative reviews can help you make up your mind. After all, if everyone else thinks that product is bad, maybe it is!

Negative reviews also show how much customers care about their purchases and how committed they are to helping others make informed decisions when shopping online. You may think that having more positive than negative reviews would be best for business—but keep in mind that having some negative ones allows for transparency in customer service (if there are issues) while still providing enough guidance through content and ratings based on other buyers who have used the same item before.

Reviews are contagious

Reviews are a form of social proof. Customers trust reviews written by other customers because they believe those people have similar tastes and preferences as themselves. This means that if you’re selling a product with a low rating, it may be easier to convince customers to purchase your product than if you had a high rating.

In general, customers are more likely to buy products with higher ratings than products with lower ratings. An average customer is more likely to trust someone else’s opinion over their own. It’s like how we tend not to trust our own instincts when we feel uncertain about something – instead, we tend to seek outside sources of information (like what other people say).

Customers don’t have time to read lengthy reviews

People don’t have time to read long reviews. Customers want to know if a product is worth the money they’re paying for it and they want to know if it will work well for them.

Customers want information that’s relevant to them—not just general information about a product or brand, but details about how well something works for other customers who have similar needs and tastes as them.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to improve your customer reviews, focus on the basics: ask for feedback, respond to complaints, and give your customers some space to share their thoughts. But don’t forget that the most important thing is to listen. Customers want to be heard, and they want their voices heard by other potential customers as well. With our tips on how to build a review culture in your company and how best to interact with reviews online (and off), we hope this article helps guide you toward more positive customer experiences!