13 Effective Ways To Boost Sales With Review Marketing

Title

13 Effective Ways To Boost Sales With Review Marketing

Date

Nov 16, 2024

Description

Boost your sales with 13 powerful review marketing techniques that help build trust, drive conversions, and increase customer loyalty.

Status

Current Column

Person

Writer

Imagine you’re about to buy a smartphone. You’ve narrowed your choices down to a couple of options. The one with the decent reviews has a decent score of 3.5. The other with the stellar reviews has a score of 4.8. You’d go for the one with the stellar reviews, right? That’s how powerful customer reviews are. They can make or break a business. This is especially true for e-commerce stores, which don’t have the luxury of face-to-face interactions to build buyer trust. So, what can you do to boost your product ratings? One effective way is to leverage the Best Customer Feedback Tools and review marketing. This post will show you effective ways to boost sales with review marketing.

Testimonial's testimonial software can help you quickly and easily implement review marketing strategies to increase sales. With this customer feedback tool, you can automate the process of collecting, displaying, and sharing customer reviews, so you can focus on other important business tasks.

What is Review Marketing?

Review marketing is the strategic practice of leveraging customer reviews to:

Build trust

Enhance brand credibility

Drive sales

At its core, review marketing capitalizes on the timeless power of word-of-mouth recommendations, amplified by the internet's global reach. Reviews serve as a form of social proof, reassuring potential customers that your offerings are reliable and worth their investment.

How Positive Reviews Drive Revenue and Improve SEO: Insights from Harvard Business Review

Research highlights the significant impact of reviews on consumer behavior. For instance, a study by Harvard Business Review found that a one-star improvement on Yelp can boost a business's revenue by up to 9%. Positive reviews not only validate the quality of your product or service but also influence search engine rankings, making them an integral part of SEO strategies.

Review marketing involves actively soliciting feedback from satisfied customers and strategically showcasing this feedback across marketing channels. This could include featuring glowing reviews on product pages, weaving testimonials into email campaigns, and displaying them prominently on your homepage. Beyond improving conversion rates, this approach helps establish a brand's reputation and fosters long-term customer trust.

Turning Customer Feedback into Brand Advocacy: The Power of Engaging with Reviews

To maximize the benefits of review marketing, businesses should prioritize engaging with reviews, whether they are positive or negative. Acknowledging and addressing customer feedback signals that you value their input, further strengthening brand loyalty.

By actively managing and amplifying reviews, companies can turn happy customers into advocates, boosting growth and solidifying their presence in the marketplace.

What Makes A Good Review

How to Respond to A Negative Review

Why is Customer Feedback Important

Where to Put Testimonials on Website

Why Is Review Marketing Important For Online Businesses

Customer reviews matter because they impact how other customers perceive your business. Whether you use a Voice of the Customer strategy to collect feedback or follow up customer service interactions with a CSAT survey, explore the benefits of customer reviews below.

Build Trust

Client reviews are powerful because they come from real people. Even when posted by brand evangelists, reviews often feel more authentic to buyers than traditional marketing. About half of consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations from family and friends, demonstrating that word-of-mouth marketing online can significantly impact a business’s bottom line.

In our digital age, businesses can build customer trust when customers read honest reviews from people they know and other consumers with real experiences.

Provide Valuable Feedback

Reviews give insight into what you’re doing right and where there’s room for improvement—from your product quality to the effectiveness of your support team. Honest feedback also helps you know if you’re meeting customer expectations.

For example, Mailchimp used customer feedback to identify which features and functionalities were most important to customers. Using this information and a customer-centric strategy, the company built better products that helped more customers than ever.

Encourage Positive Engagement

Creating a platform where customers can exchange experiences enhances engagement and fosters a sense of community. For instance, encouraging interaction on your website or mobile app by allowing customers to post reviews and respond to others’ feedback can significantly increase customer engagement.

Provide Coaching to Agents

All feedback can be good, especially when it breaks down service flaws and helps strengthen support quality by identifying areas of improvement. Positive customer reviews encourage agents to continue performing as they are, while constructive or negative reviews can reveal where they might be missing the mark.

Managers can use all forms of customer feedback to create:

Transparent coaching sessions

Skills labs

Training programs

Improve the Bottom Line

Reviews can directly drive customer acquisition, as well as upsells and cross-sells. When prospects read client reviews about their customer experience or see a business interacting with customer reviews online, they form opinions about who to trust and interact with.

Good review etiquette and honest reviews from real customers can significantly increase a business’s revenue.

How Testimonial Software Can Boost Trust and Conversions with Authentic Customer Reviews

Testimonial simplifies the process of building trust and credibility for businesses. Our software allows easy collection and display of authentic client testimonials, featuring:

Video and text options

An embeddable wall of love widget

A clever Email Assistant

Third-party review imports.

Ideal for:

Content creators

Agencies

eCommerce

SaaS companies

Testimonial help boost your credibility and conversion rates by showcasing real customer experiences. Build a wall of love for free today with Testimonial.

13 Effective Ways To Use Reviews For Effective Marketing

1. Using Reviews on Key Page

It's no secret that consumers want to see what other people have experienced with a business before purchasing. According to a 2017 survey, 84% of consumers trust reviews just as much as personal recommendations. The same study found that people read up to 10 reviews before purchasing. Reviews help buyers feel more confident about purchasing your products.

So, how can you use social proof to create compelling experiences? Build consumer trust by showcasing your current customers’ experience with your company. Key pages include your homepage and other high-traffic pages:

Product

Pricing

Checkout

Landing pages

Reviews here show you’re being transparent and gives consumers the encouragement they need to complete a purchase.

2. Using Reviews in Search Ads

Search engines don’t just rank you based on how well you optimize your listing. They also monitor what other people have to say about you. Reviews can help show prospects how you measure up to your customers’ expectations.

Plus, collecting fresh, new content regularly can help you acquire Rich Snippets and Google Seller Ratings, thus improving your visibility on search engines. The orange stars, the rating, and the number of reviews show helpful feedback information to search users. This helps you stand out from every other listing and build trust earlier in the funnel before shoppers even visit your website.

Having your audience engage with other consumers can be a huge marketing win and can turn an undecided visitor into a loyal, paying customer. To research brands, consumers often turn to social channels and monitor what other customers say about the product and overall customer experience.

To that point, 1 out of 4 users followed brands on social media which they might buy from. So it’s safe to say that showcasing your customers’ feedback on social channels is necessary. Sharing third-party validation on social media helps increase your brand’s credibility, can boost engagement, and grow your company’s bottom line.

4. Using Reviews in Emails

Digital marketers recognize that email is the best channel for ROI since it generates $44 for every $1 spent. With that kind of positive return, highlighting feedback in email messages builds credibility off-site and is likely to boost your click-through and conversion rates.

Therefore, it is no surprise that reviews in emails are great for showcasing what others have experienced with you. They also let readers know what to expect if they become customers, too.

5. Using Reviews in Ads and Marketing Material

According to Trustpilot data, 88% of consumers believe ads are more trustworthy with online reviews. Other research shows that user-generated content-based ads get four times higher click-through rates and a 50% drop in cost-per-click than average. With those proof points, it’s easy to see how trust signals like:

Star ratings

Reviews

Testimonials fit in

6. Messenger Marketing

Messenger marketing is a more effective version of email marketing, simply because there are so many Facebook users. All you have to do to get leads on Messenger is create a decent call to action that a user can click on. From there, you can send them product advertisements with testimonials and reviews. Any extra push you can get through an email or Messenger advertisement is worthwhile.

When designing banner ads for websites, the placement of a simple average review score from Yelp can go a long way in differentiating your ads. Even a simple graphic, such as your average star rating, towards the bottom of the ad grabs attention and inspires confidence in a platform where those qualities are at a premium.

8. Embrace Negative Online Reviews

Reviews are an important way to learn more about your business. Pay attention to both positive and negative reviews for chances to improve. Seeing a bad review might give you a nasty jolt, but if you respond swiftly, helpfully and with empathy, you can turn a disgruntled customer into an ambassador. Managing online reviews can be tough and you don't know what your customer thinks.

The Importance of Responding to Reviews: How to Turn Negative Feedback into Positive Growth

Despite this, one thing you should always remember is never to ignore your reviews! How you respond to bad reviews is as important as how good they are. It's important to display reviews whenever you can. This will let your customers know that you're listening to and caring about them. At any rate, business owners should always have their finger to the pulse of their audience. If you know what your customers think, you can promote your product's good parts and adjust the bad parts to put out the best product possible.

9. Building Relationships with Reviewers

Turning reviewers into brand ambassadors is a powerful technique for building lasting relationships. Personalized responses to reviews show customers that their opinions are valued, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.

Here are some tips for creating personal connections:

Expressing Gratitude: Always express gratitude to customers who take the time to leave a review. This can foster long-term loyalty. When you thank a customer, be sure to do it from your business’s point of view. For example, if you own a dental practice, you could say, “Thanks for taking the time to review our services. We appreciate your feedback and are dedicated to providing you with the best dental care possible.”

Personalized Responses: When you respond to a review, personalize your response as much as possible. This will help establish a connection with the customer and show them that their feedback is important to you. Consider addressing the reviewer by name or referencing something specific about their experience. For example, if a customer praised your business for its quick response time, I could say, “Thank you so much for your kind words about our fast response time, Jane! We're glad that we were able to meet your needs.” Your review responses should be warm and friendly while genuinely thanking the customer.

Creating a Community: Engage with reviewers by initiating conversations, offering additional information, and fostering community. If the customer has a specific question, try to answer it as thoroughly as possible. If the review contains a compliment or suggestion, use that opportunity to start an open dialogue with the customer. Invite customers to share their experiences and provide feedback on your services. Showing appreciation for customers' comments will help you build relationships and increase brand loyalty.

10. Place Reviews Next to the CTA

We put a lot of emphasis on calls to action (CTAs) around here. That’s because we know they’re key to getting users to take the desired next step after clicking an ad. One way to reinforce your offer when someone gets to the CTA is to leverage a review.

By showing someone else’s positive opinion about your products or services, you’re one step closer to getting that visitor to click a button or fill out a contact form.

11. Turn Customer Reviews Into Success Stories

Out of ideas for your next piece of content? Look at your reviews. They can make appealing success stories. Not only that, but they can inspire you to write about a particular industry topic you haven’t touched on before.

You can also draw details from clients’ purchase histories and reviews to create a story others can relate to. This can be especially effective since studies show attaching names, faces, and job titles to testimonials can help gain readers’ trust.

12. Enhance Your Retargeting Campaigns with Customer Testimonials, Reviews, and Rating

Retargeting campaigns can straddle a range of platforms using paid ads to re-engage potential customers who have visited your website or social media profiles. No matter which platform you’re using to run a retargeting campaign, you can see a performance improvement if you include your reviews and ratings in the ad creative.

This can look like: Quoting an individual customer review and using your overall rating in your ad creative. Showing off how many customers have rated you highly. The best part? Highlighting your reviews in ad creative can be done without design skills (or even an in-house designer) with some help from Trustpilot’s social media image generator.

With retargeting, you’re putting ads in front of people with an existing relationship with your business. The extra social proof you add to your retargeting creative might be the deciding factor that nudges customers to purchase from you.

13. Abandoned Cart Emails Are More Effective with Customer Reviews

No matter how watertight your online shopping journey is, abandoned carts will happen. According to the experts at Klaviyo, the average cart abandonment rate is about 70% on desktop and a whopping 85% on mobile. So it’s not surprising that abandoned cart email flows have become so popular.

Boosting Abandoned Cart Recovery with Customer Reviews and Testimonials

Many retailers rely on special offers and promotions in these email campaigns to lure would-be customers back to their website, but adding a testimonial, review, or rating can be more than enough to bring them back without compromising your precious margins.

If you’re putting together an abandoned cart email flow, consider including a few reviews about your customer experience or best-selling products to reassure any hesitant shoppers out there that your business is not only safe to buy from — but that there’s plenty to love about your brand.

Customer Reviews On Website

Benefits of Online Reviews

Local Business Reviews

Importance of Customer Feedback

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

14 Effective Ways To Collect More Reviews From Your Customers

1. Use a Testimonial Management Tool to Collect Reviews

Testimonial management tools like Testimonial.to simplify the process of collecting reviews from customers. The software allows businesses to collect and display client testimonials for credibility and SEO easily.

2. Just Ask for Reviews

One of the simplest ways to collect more reviews is to ask for them. You can do this during the sales process, in person or online.

3. Respond to Negative Reviews

Once you have active review platform accounts, it’s crucial that you respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.

When you garner positive reviews, don’t be afraid to show them off.

5. Review Your Customers

Some successfully gain customer reviews by being proactive and reviewing their customers first.

6. Offer Incentives

Businesses can benefit from incentivizing reviews, but not in the way you might be thinking.

7. Train Your Customer Service Reps

Make sure everyone has been trained on how to treat customers right, as the best way to bring in positive reviews is to offer great customer service.

8. Host Events to Meet Customers

Putting a face to your name can be a valuable way to connect with your audience, especially for small businesses that depend on their local community for success.

Social media is an invaluable tool when it comes to building your business’s reputation, especially platforms like:

Facebook

TikTok

Instagram

Twitter

10. Do Your Job Right

It can sometimes speak for itself when you offer a great product or service.

11. Follow Up on Recent Purchases or Interactions

Don’t leave your customers to the wind after they purchase or interact with your business.

12. Simplify the Review Process

Show you appreciate your customers’ business and time by simplifying how and where they can leave reviews.

13. Include a Call-to-Action on Physical Materials in Each Order

If you include paper invoices or other marketing materials in your shipments, you can create and include a call-to-action with a QR code.

14. Be on Review Platforms

It can be difficult for customers to leave you reviews if your business doesn’t have an online presence.

Build a Wall of Love for Free Today with Testimonial

Testimonial simplifies the process of building trust and credibility for businesses. Our testimonial software allows easy collection and display of authentic client testimonials, featuring:

Video and text options

An embeddable wall of love widget

A clever Email Assistant

Third-party review imports

Ideal for:

Content creators

Agencies

eCommerce

SaaS companies

Testimonial helps boost your credibility and conversion rates by showcasing real customer experiences. Build a wall of love for free today with Testimonial.