Making an online purchase can feel like a risky business. Will the product be exactly as you expected? Will it fit? Will it be delivered on time, or even delivered at all?
As an online retailer, it's your job to ensure that your store instils, and then builds upon, trust in every customer that comes your way.
While certain elements of your store, such as superlative data privacy and a well-written policy page, will form the bedrock of this trust, plenty of other tactics can be used to help you scale and grow that all-important faith in your brand.
So what’s the secret?
One word: Okendo.
Suppose you want to mitigate your customers' fears, help them discover products they love and ensure that their relationship with your brand is built upon a rock-solid foundation. In that case, Okendo is the answer to your prayers.
Let’s explore how this powerful tool can help you exceed customer expectations.
The power of social proof
There's no easy way of saying this. Consumer trust in brands is bottoming out. From sales (or breaches) of personal data to claims of false advertising, it's never been more challenging for a brand to come across as genuine and trustworthy.
But all is not lost—enter social proof. This is the core concept that underpins the success of review apps. We trust our peers' opinions and experiences, and we're hardwired to follow where others have already stepped.
Simply displaying reviews can skyrocket your conversion rate by as much as 270%. They do more than reassure a potential customer about your product's quality or your service's reliability. Reviews can also give customers more context and information about the items they're considering.
Beyond reviews, apps can also encourage user-generated content (product photos, demonstrations, videos etc.), which also packs a powerful punch in the social proof stakes.
Reassurance within search listings
The magic of social proof has the potential to extend far beyond the realm of your online store. If you’re working with a reputable review app, you’ll be able to ensure that star ratings can carry over into your SERP product listings and Google Shopping ads. Showing seller ratings on your text ads can boost your ads’ click-through rate by as much as 10%, and the benefits don’t end there, as Okendo’s Rachel Tyers pointed out –
“Don’t limit the opportunity to convert shoppers with social proof only to your website. Muir Way saw a staggering 59% increase in conversion rate after social-proofing their Google Shopping ads with Okendo star ratings.”
With so many eCommerce purchase journeys now being search-led, brands simply cannot afford to sleep on the considerable boost on brand trust these star ratings can bring. The huge improvement that Okendo can create and how a brand is represented across results pages and within the Google Shopping tab should not be underestimated.
Better personalisation and segmentation
When shopping online, recognition is increasingly reassuring. With the rise (and rise) of personalisation within eCommerce, those brands looking to build consumer trust should not overlook consumer desire for a more tailored and “made to measure” experience.
91% of consumers say they are likelier to shop with brands that provide offers and relevant recommendations. As personalisation becomes less of an elevated customer experience and more of an expected baseline, the smartest brands turn to their review app data to help build out customised messaging and marketing campaigns. These have huge potential to help their customers feel recognised, understood and valued.
Okendo can capture valuable attribute data, as customers provide feedback that incorporates a host of powerful, personal information. This should, of course, be wielded responsibly. Still, a savvy marketing team can see incredibly impressive results and a massive boost to perceived brand trust if they dig into their data and work with smart segmentation.
Keeping things transparent
Finally, Okendo presents brands with a valuable opportunity to keep things real. Although it may seem counterproductive, no review should be seen as a bad review – including a full spectrum of customer opinion (the good, the bad, and the ugly!) can do wonders for consumer trust. A sea of perfect five-star reviews can feel too good to be true – having the opposite of the intended effect on trust. 85% of consumers will actively look for negative reviews to make informed purchase decisions.
By working with a specialist reviews platform, brands can respond in a timely, human and crucially transparent fashion to their customers. These public interactions can fly the flag for your brand personality and values – the way you deal with a customer who had a bad experience can say just as much about your brand as a glowing five-star review.
Grow brand trust with the reassurance of reviews
As eCommerce continues to boom, the marketplace becomes ever more competitive. With so many other retailers to pick from, consumer trust has never been more critical.
Review apps like our partner, Okendo, give online stores the capacity to double down on the faith their audience feels in them.
From the power of social proof and those all-important ad star ratings through laser-focused personalisation and more transparent customer communication, Okendo helps grow trust on many fronts. It’s never been more essential for a brand’s continued growth and success, and our team knows just how to make that happen for your online store. Get in touch with us today to harness the true power of reviews.
