What Is Social Proof In Ecommerce? 18 Types & Ways To Use It

What is social proof in eCommerce? Find out the 18 key types and strategies you can use to inspire trust and grow your online business.

What Is Social Proof In Ecommerce? 18 Types & Ways To Use It
Title
What Is Social Proof In Ecommerce? 18 Types & Ways To Use It
Date
Jan 12, 2025
Description
What is social proof in eCommerce? Find out the 18 key types and strategies you can use to inspire trust and grow your online business.
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Current Column
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Writer
Imagine you're shopping for a new pair of shoes online. You're scrolling through the options, and one pair stands out. It’s got a slick design and fits your style perfectly. But as you read the product description, you see a review that says, “These shoes looked great, but they ripped after one use!” Suddenly, those shoes aren’t so appealing anymore. This scenario illustrates the significance of social proof, including strategies like a Social Proof Pop Up, in ecommerce. Consumers are naturally suspicious of brands and their marketing claims, but they trust the opinions of other shoppers like them. Social proof ecommerce refers to using this consumer behavior to increase sales.
This article will discuss how social proof pop-ups can help your store with the help of testimonial software. These pop-ups collect reviews and testimonials from customers to showcase on your site. Then, we'll explore how to implement them to boost your conversion rates.  First, let's discuss why social proof is crucial for online stores.

What Is Social Proof In Ecommerce?

Social Proof Ecommerce
Social Proof Ecommerce
Social proof is the result of what psychologists call the herd mentality. If everyone is standing in line at a restaurant, that proves the food must be good, right? Such reasoning has served humankind well since the days of the caveman and played a big part in the survival of our species. Humans have a natural attraction (psychologists call it a cognitive bias) toward products and services that others like.
Over millions of years of evolution, we have found safety in numbers. 68% of people say they will pay more for certain products if the company has a good reputation. Social proof enforces a bandwagon effect, a social psychology chain effect that ripples throughout the masses. If others have enjoyed using the product, chances are, you will.

How Social Proof Builds Trust, Authority, and Credibility in eCommerce

People want validation, and social proof helps justify their purchases and allays their apprehension. Trust, which is key to the success of any eCommerce business, can be cultivated via social proof. Since many customers are happy and satisfied with the online store, this conveys trust and convinces them that your store is legitimate and can be trusted.
Social proof conveys authority when a buyer reads reviews from experts in the field or sees logos of reputable clients under the portfolio. Hence, social proof helps build authority, trust, and credibility, which helps break through the barriers to purchasing online and increase conversions. eCommerce trends show that you cannot remain stagnant and should improve with time. So, take full advantage of using social proof to grow your eCommerce store.

Why is Social Proof So Effective In Ecommerce

Social Proof Ecommerce
Social Proof Ecommerce
Social proof is adequate in e-commerce because it helps buyers feel more secure about purchasing decisions. In online shopping, customers can’t physically interact with products before buying.
Social proof alleviates this concern by demonstrating the product’s value and trustworthiness. Positive reviews and high ratings show that others have bought the item and had a good experience.

Social Proof Builds Trust and Credibility

In e-commerce, trust is hard-earned. Buyers must feel comfortable purchasing from your brand, especially if they’ve never shopped with you. Social proof helps establish that trust.
Positive reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content act as endorsements from real people. They foster trust amongst potential customers who might be unfamiliar with your brand.

Social Proof Reduces Risk Perception

Online shoppers can’t physically interact with products before buying. Social proof through positive reviews and high ratings is the answer. It alleviates this concern by demonstrating the product’s value and trustworthiness.

Social Proof Boosts Conversions

Social proof convinces hesitant buyers to buy. Through reviews and social shares, they see others make a purchase or endorse a product, which helps improve conversion rates.

Social Proof Informs Decision-Making

Reviews and ratings offer valuable insights into a product’s:
  • Functionality
  • Performance
  • User experience
This empowers customers to make informed decisions based on real-world experiences.

Social Proof Creates a Sense of Community

User-generated content, social media mentions, and brand advocacy foster a sense of community around your brand. This emotional connection can lead to increased customer loyalty and brand enthusiasm.

Social Proof Improves Brand Image

By strategically showcasing positive social proof, you can cultivate a brand image of:
  • Reliability
  • Quality
  • Customer satisfaction
This can set you apart from competitors and attract new customers.

Leveraging Testimonials to Drive Trust and Conversions in eCommerce

The aim of using social proof strategies in e-commerce is to encourage the customers to take positive action, i.e., buying from your e-store.
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 smart Email Assistant
  • Third-party review imports
Ideal for:
  • Content creators
  • Agencies
  • E-commerce
  • SaaS companies
Testimonials help boost your credibility and conversion rates by showcasing real customer experiences. Build a wall of love for free today with Testimonial.

9 Types Of Social Proof In Ecommerce

Social Proof Ecommerce
Social Proof Ecommerce

1. Referrals: The Power of Personal Recommendations

When making purchasing decisions, we tend to trust the opinions of people we know more than anyone else. Referrals work best when a customer is considering a large-ticket item or when service is a key component of the product offering, so if that describes your business, consider offering them to your customers.

2. Third-Party Research: Objective Information to Help Customers Decide

By this, we mean studies or product rankings conducted by independent sources, such as Consumer Reports, CNET, or Wirecutter. These companies test and compare hundreds of products and rank them by criteria that may be hard to find on the product’s web page, such as:
  • Quality
  • Durability
  • Value
The best product ratings are conducted by groups with nothing to gain by ranking your product or service. Many product rating sites that appear to be independent take money from advertisers or accept free products. This should be revealed in the rating or review if that’s the case.

3. Customer Testimonials: Build Trust with Prospective Buyers

With a large purchase or service, customer testimonials can be highly effective. They usually give context about how your product or service solved a problem that future customers find relatable. They’re also more trustworthy because they’re generally not anonymous (like many reviews are), and the facts can be verified.
If you use testimonials, make sure they’re legit. That is, make sure the customer purchased the product and you have their permission to use their name and/or business in the testimonial.

4. Reviews: Leverage Prior Customers to Help You Sell

Generally, good reviews are highly effective at drawing new customers toward your product and are one of the easiest forms of social proof to implement. They fall further down the trustworthiness scale because they can be:
  • Faked by bots
  • Skewed by a few disgruntled customers
  • An unscrupulous competitor
While 93% of consumers say that online reviews influence their purchase decisions, they are getting better at spotting fake reviews: 54% are confident they’ve seen fake reviews on Amazon, 50% on Google, and 42% on Facebook. Remember that posting phony reviews or paying people to write positive reviews is illegal.

5. Case Studies: Showcase the Value of Your Offerings

A case study is an in-depth reveal of how your product or service was implemented, with quantifiable results that show how it improved a customer’s situation. It might be a personal story demonstrating your product’s quality, a series of before/after photos, or a client success story that wouldn’t have happened without your help.
Case studies are critical in the service industry but can also be effective when product quality or effectiveness is questioned.

6. Awards: Highlight Your Business Achievements

If your business receives an award or is recognized for service or excellence, by all means, publish the news.

7. Social Media Stats: Show How Well You Perform on Social

An impressive number of followers is not necessarily a sign of success in social media. Engagement (the number of likes, clicks, or purchases you get on your posts) is a far better metric for determining the value of that sales channel. The younger your audience, the more likely you are to generate new customers on social channels.

8. Influencers: Leverage the Reach of Industry Voices

Influencers can effectively send new customers your way because their followers like and trust them. Ironically, they are among the least trustworthy sources of information because most of them get paid for posting sponsored content and engaging in brand partnerships.
According to Brandwatch, 21% of social media users aged 18-54 made a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation in the last 3 months of 2022. The good news for brands is that the smallest influencers (those with 1,000-4,999 followers) are more effective at creating trust and generating engagement and also the least expensive to partner with. Skepticism is growing within the influencer category.

9. Celebrity Endorsements: Get the Stars to Help You Sell

Unlike influencers, celebrities have earned their popularity for something other than product endorsements, whether it be:
  • Acting chops
  • Athletic ability
  • Artistic talent
They have millions of followers, but this has nothing to do with the products they use. Since the early days of television, brands have fallen over each other to get celebrity endorsements. Then, as now, the more popular they are, the more money they can demand for their endorsement.
The problem with this type of social proof is that everybody knows celebrities get paid to endorse products. It should come as no surprise that celebrity endorsements have the lowest engagement rates. That said, if you happen to land a mention on Oprah’s annual list of favorite things, well, that’s priceless.

9 Ways To Use Social Proof On Your Ecommerce Website

Social Proof Ecommerce
Social Proof Ecommerce

1. Display User Reviews and Ratings

More than 70% of online buyers check out customer reviews before purchasing. People naturally trust such written reviews and ratings more than any business’ marketing effort. No wonder more websites are displaying online reviews and ratings as social proof!
You offer prospective customers the social proof they seek by including a review and rating section in your online store. You can also motivate your previous buyers to leave reviews by offering free gifts or discount codes.

How to Balance Positive and Negative Reviews to Build Authenticity in eCommerce

Show off your positive reviews—but be careful not to omit the negative ones, as doing so only raises doubts about review authenticity in your readers’ minds. Additionally, negative reviews direct your brand’s team to areas of growth opportunity! Consider compiling positive reviews and sharing them via social media, in your ads, email or SMS campaigns, and other marketing channels.

2. Get Active on Social Media and Leverage Your Online Presence

The number of social media users will reach almost six billion in 2027. You would be missing an opportunity not to leverage this powerful media platform to generate social proof! A solid social media presence creates an online audience that naturally talking about your brand and products in real-time. Whenever someone mentions you and posts something about your brand or product, this creates user-generated content (UGC).
UGC is a wildly impactful form of social proof. The more people talk about you, the more publicity you get and the broader your brand awareness. When customers share pictures or videos with/using your product via social media, save those and implement them on your website! The presence of “real people” using your products will increase the trust of your site visitors.

Using Social Media Contests to Boost Engagement and Drive Conversions in eCommerce

Running contests via social media is another way to generate brand buzz. Ask participants to share a selfie using your products and post something about themselves for a chance to win. Make your giveaways attractive enough to entice more participants and increase social engagement. Then, use those excellent assets on your website and in your marketing campaigns!
Your goal is to have your brand and its products mentioned positively on social media. People who view these posts will form a more positive view of your business and products, thus increasing conversions.

3. Highlight Expert Reviews

User reviews are excellent, but expert reviews are outstanding at the next level! Featuring expert reviews is a highly effective method for influencing consumers to buy from you, especially when the highlighted rave reviews come from those well-recognized as the best and brightest in the industry.
For example, a brand may select a top-rated dentist to endorse toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth or a celebrity dermatologist to review an anti-aging topical cream. Such recommendations deeply impact a consumer’s perception and can help remove the purchase hesitation holding a customer back from converting.

Building Credibility Through Expert Recommendations in eCommerce

So, reach out to the relevant professionals for your product and gather recommendations from them. Doing so can help you and your products garner more credibility and give prospective buyers the needed validation.

4. Show Off Customer Testimonials

Testimonials are in-depth customer reviews that are typically more persuasive and detailed than a 5-star rating or short line of positive feedback. Testimonials help validate your business and brand by featuring a happy customer experience through a more extended review or video asset. These are especially effective for pricier products or products that offer a long-term impact rather than a short-term result. Videos are typically the most influential format for testimonials, as they genuinely humanize the customer experience to convince prospective buyers better.

Creating and Showcasing High-Quality Testimonial Videos for Maximum Impact

Frankly, there is no point in embedding testimonial videos into your website if they cannot run smoothly. Potential buyers will tire of waiting for the site to load and close the page. When it comes to sourcing testimonials, quality is always better than quantity. Narrow a short list of your favorite happy customers and contact them.
Seek permission to interview them and create your testimonials, or encourage them to film a short video sharing their story themselves. Then, use these powerful pieces of social proof across your marketing channels!

5. Disclose Your Number of Sales

Displaying the number of buyers of a particular product or the total number sold is a powerful piece of social proof! As prospective consumers browse your website, just seeing the “300,000 pillows sold!” will help them feel more confident in their purchasing decisions.
Consumers are also more likely to purchase products that appear to be in high demand. When used wisely, sales numbers build trust and create a sense of urgency for purchase.

6. Label Top-Selling Products to Draw Attention

In addition to displaying sales numbers, adding product labels such as “Best Seller,” “Hot Product,” or “Almost Sold Out” further drives demand.
These labels push customers to buy highly desirable products quickly so they don’t risk missing out, all while presenting social proof. Of course, highlighting and displaying your best-selling products prominently on your store site will further drive conversions.

7. Recommend Similar Products

It is good practice to include recommended products similar to a buyer’s interests on your website, as this introduces your buyers to more options in the market. This feature can be padded with social proof by including copy such as “Other ___Lovers Have Also Bought ___.”  This is a great way to upsell existing customers, increase average order value/cart value, and encourage website visitors to buy multiple products from the first time they encounter your brand.
To test this quickly, add a section on each product page with “Others have also bought,” followed by a list of recommended products. Review your customers’ website behaviors and purchases to see if they explored the additional products and were motivated to buy more!

8. Engage Influencers and Brand Ambassadors

Engaging relevant influencers is another compelling social proof tactic to grow your e-commerce store while influencing a massive audience. Influencers and celebrities have solidified reputations with loyal followings online. Their followers and fans are very likely to purchase the products they recommend.
When selecting an influencer to work with, be careful to choose a partner relevant to your industry, respected by your target market, has a high engagement rate online, and doesn’t constantly promote a variety of different/competitive products. You can consider building a brand ambassador program.

Leveraging Brand Ambassadors for Authentic and Long-Term eCommerce Growth

Unlike influencers, brand ambassadors might not have massive followings but still have highly loyal followings and are more likely to engage in a long-term relationship with your brand. Rather than paying an influencer for a one-off promotional product post, a brand ambassador could be committed to:
  • Regularly promote your product/brand for payment
  • Free product
  • A commission on sales generated
Brand ambassadors are also more likely to regularly engage with prospective customers, answer questions, and authentically share more about their experience with the product.

9. Implement Trust Badges

Trust badges may seem like tiny emblems on your e-commerce store, but these little symbols are powerful visual reminders of your online store’s legitimacy and credibility! Each badge is a recognizable form of social proof that can profoundly impact website visitors, assuring them they can safely shop in your store.
For e-commerce stores that face cart abandonment issues—folks adding to their cart but leaving the webpage before checking out—this can be a key sign of a consumer trust issue. Implementing a Mastercard or Visa logo at checkout helps increase conversion rate and improve consumer confidence.

Using Trust Badges and Third-Party Endorsements to Enhance Buyer Confidence

Many types of badges are available that can help with the uncertainties of purchasing online, such as:
  • Money-back guarantee icons
  • Satisfaction guarantee symbols
  • Free return logos and more
Third-party endorsements also sway consumer trust. Explore options through the Better Business Bureau or Google Customer Reviews for additional trust-based social proof.

4 Best Practices For Implementing Social Proof In Your Ecommerce Business

Social Proof Ecommerce
Social Proof Ecommerce

1. Choosing the Right Type of Social Proof

Identifying the social proof that best fits your audience and business is essential for success. Different forms of social proof can affect different industries, products, and target audiences. For instance, if you sell beauty products, a testimonial from a popular influencer in the beauty niche will likely carry more weight with potential customers than an average customer review.
On the other hand, if you sell niche tech products, customers may prefer to read reviews or testimonials from other buyers rather than an influencer. Consider your target audience and what types of social proof are most likely to resonate with them. If your audience is primarily millennials, user-generated social media content may be more effective than traditional customer reviews.

2. Integrating Social Proof into Your Website

Your website is a great place to showcase social proof. Add customer reviews, testimonials, or case studies to your homepage or product pages. These can help potential customers see the value of your products or services and build trust in your brand. Use Testimonial.to to quickly make a wall of love that showcases all my social on a dedicated page on your website.
You can also display trust seals or certifications to build credibility and trust with your audience. For example, if your website is secured with SSL encryption, displaying a trust seal from a reputable security company can help ease potential customers’ concerns about sharing their personal information with your site.

3. Leveraging Social Proof in Email Marketing

Email marketing is another excellent way to leverage social proof. Consider including customer testimonials or reviews in your email campaigns to build trust and credibility with your audience. You can also use social proof to encourage subscribers to take action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter.
Another effective strategy is to include social proof in your email subject lines. For example, "See why our customers love us!" or "Join thousands of satisfied customers today!" can help increase open and click-through rates.

4. Incorporating Social Proof in Social Media Campaigns

Social media is another powerful channel for leveraging social proof. Consider sharing customer photos or reviews on social media to build buzz and credibility. You can also run social media contests or promotions encouraging users to create and share user-generated content.
Another effective strategy is to partner with influencers in your industry. Influencers have large social media followings and can help increase brand awareness and credibility. When choosing influencers to work with, ensure they align with your brand values and have a genuine connection with their followers.

Build a Wall of Love for Free Today with Testimonial

Testimonials are a form of social proof that helps businesses build trust and credibility. When potential customers land on your site, they want to know what to expect from your products and services. Instead of hearing from you, they’d much rather learn from your past customers.
Testimonials, no matter their format, help buyers understand the quality of your offerings with no bias.
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Written by

Damon Chen
Damon Chen

Founder of Testimonial