Consumer reviews, a must-have for brands

Digital technology has completely changed consumer habits. Today, it is possible to buy any item from your sofa and consult the opinions of previous customers to confirm your choice on the Internet. Consumer reviews are a major asset in the act of buying. They reassure potential buyers and provide authentic information about the product. 

The customer experience is reflected in consumer reviews, so don’t hesitate to build a special relationship with your customers. They are your best ambassadors and share the brand values.

To better understand consumer behavior, we conducted a survey of 3,833 consumers on our platform in January 2021: 52% of respondents found written reviews to be the most relevant, and 82% consulted between 1 and 10 online reviews before being convinced to buy a new product.

Study methodology: This survey was conducted in January 2021 among 3,833 consumers and users of the Lucette platform. The objective of this survey was to better understand the consumer’s buying journey as well as to gain information regarding online reviews. Hivency Infographic.

As you can see from this infographic, the 4 most consulted sectors for consumer reviews are Beauty (92%), Fashion (52%), Restaurants (47%), and Tourism (39%).

Boost your online sales thanks to consumer reviews

What is a consumer review on an e-commerce website?

Writing a review is a voluntary act of expressing one’s opinion and judging a good or service purchased online. It can be a rating (often expressed by stars), a written text, a photo, or a video.

Photo credits: Consumer reviews on L’Occitane website and layout by Hivency

As you know, the Covid-19 health crisis resulted in several lockdowns as well as the shutdown of non-essential businesses in most countries around the world. Consumers had to get used to ordering online and for some, it was the first time. The perfect moment to change your interior design, but how do you plan to buy a new sofa or a bookcase?

Well, to feel confident and confirm their choice before an online purchase, consumers read consumer reviews. Unlike a traditional purchase, it is not possible to see, test, or benefit from the expertise of a sales consultant.

Consumer reviews fill this gap and enrich your product sheets. In fact, according to a Bright Local study, 87% of consumers say they read an online review before making a purchase, and 94% of consumers indicate that a positive review encourages them to buy.

Consumer reviews and ratings are a shared experience that directly impacts your sales. As ambassadors of your image, reviews highlight several points:

•   the brand ;
•   the product and its characteristics ;
•   the use ;
•   the advantages and results observed.

Discover the power of a multimedia review

Imagine a cosmetics brand launching a foundation that promises 24-hour coverage. The product sheet highlights its characteristics, advice for use, and the different tints available. How can the consumer be sure of the product’s efficiency without trying it? As explained above, he will go directly to the reviews of previous consumers to find an authentic word.

Some of the nano-influencers, users of the review and influence platform Hivency, have the habit of adding one or more photos as well as videos in their reviews to support their claims. Reassuring your potential customers allows you to better imagine what the product will look like. For example, the color of lipstick can differ between a photo on a white background and a photo applied to the skin. A photo of lipstick applied directly on the lips allows a consumer to identify himself and encourages him to buy it.

Photo credits: An example of a review on the Bobbi Brown website. Layout by Hivency.

These feedbacks will give you synergy by generating traffic and optimizing your SEO strategy using keywords from customer reviews on your website and merchant sites.

How to launch your review campaigns and generate quality reviews?

Don’t wait any longer to increase your sales, launch your campaigns to generate quality and sincere customer reviews on your products.

First, determine the products you want to send before creating your campaign. It can be a product that needs updated testimonials, a bestseller, or a product launch that does not have any consumer reviews yet. Then define your target through different criteria: age, environment, gender, country…

Encourage consumers and nano-influencers to discover your brand and apply it to your consumer review campaigns. Promote your brand’s DNA, the expected benefits, and the specific components of your products. Your product is patented and contains a technological innovation? Make it known!

During the creation of your campaign, you will have to add indications on the expected opinions in the brief. It is about guiding the consumer to get a personal and authentic opinion. You are a beauty brand and want to communicate on the launch of a new cream for dry skin? We advise you to invite consumers to personalize their reviews according to their skin problems such as “I have dry skin…”, “My skin suffers from acne…”, “I’m 35 years old…”, “I’m not sure if I’d like to use a cream… “, “I am 35 years old and my skin is dull… “. As you know, it is easier for a potential customer to identify with a person who looks like him. 

With our review platform, you can launch campaigns to generate consumer reviews on various websites (up to three at a time). Your products will be shown to many consumers and nano-influencers who are used to generating quality reviews and multimedia content. Follow the evolution of ratings and reviews at any time on the platform.

The power of nano influencers

Find nano influencers and let them discover your products. But who are they? They are content creators with a community of no more than 5,000 followers on social networks.

Their audiences are aware of their opinions and follow them for their authenticity. They share the same interests and interact easily to express their point of view. We can talk about word-of-mouth 2.0.

Used to post on social networks, they have an appetence for media content creation. They can add value to your product page by posting photos and/or videos in their reviews to support their claims.

Let’s say you are a brand that sells mascara: in order to prove the efficiency of this product, ask the nano-influencers to publish a before and after photo in their review. The generated review is personal, authentic, and useful, allowing consumers to identify with it and trust the creator’s recommendation more easily.

These UGC (user-generated content) will be published by some nano-influencers on their social networks. Beyond catching the attention of your potential customers, it can also reach the audiences of these content creators and bring visibility to your brand.

Following our study conducted in January 2021 and presented above, we found that 85% of consumers have already made a purchase after seeing an influencer’s publication. Don’t wait any longer, contact our experts to launch your first consumer review generation campaigns.

Photo credits: Brooke Cagle via Unsplash