Photo by Customer reviews make an important addition to any website because they help guide your audience towards a purchasing decision and let new customers know what to expect when they invest in your items or services.
It’s crucial that you take the time to ask your customers for feedback and place the resulting social proof on your website where everyone will spot it. Without this, your website will appear less credible and potential customers won’t feel as comfortable purchasing from your site.
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits customer feedback can have on your business and how you can leverage it to increase web traffic, boost sales, and grow your online business.
They can have a positive impact on your search engine rankings
SEO can have a huge impact on the overall health of your business, and displaying reviews on your website can help to boost your rankings. This is because positive reviews will show Google that your business is reputable and trustworthy, so the search engine feels more comfortable promoting your business. Reviews can also include keywords to provide more context and make it easier for search engines to work out what you sell.
Once you have collected feedback that you want to share, display it in places where your visitors can’t miss it. For instance, you could consider embedding a carousel of your favorite reviews, highlighting one or two a week in your header, or placing reviews next to specific products to show customers the value of making a purchase.
Let’s look at a company that does a great job of using reviews to boost its SEO.
ThriftBooks, an online bookseller, shares recent reviews right on their homepage, along with a timestamp to show how new the reviews were. They also include some eye-catching statistics that show they are a reputable company.
Notice how they have also included a link to read the full reviews so users can go to a dedicated testimonial page. Each review includes keywords and the benefits of the products, all of which will help search engines better understand what the company sells. This can then boost the website’s rankings for relevant queries.
You can use the same strategy on your website by showcasing reviews that include keywords and links to your products. These tactics can help people and search engines get a more positive view of your products and services, increasing the chances of prospective customers shopping with you.
It will improve your customers’ satisfaction
Reading the reviews of past customers will give website visitors a good idea of what to expect when their item arrives or when they start using your services. This will help to manage the expectations that often lead to dissatisfaction. Displaying reviews on your website is a big part of ensuring your customers’ satisfaction for a variety of reasons, including that:
- They provide more context so potential customers understand the value of their purchases.
- They help people make more informed purchasing decisions so potential customers choose the right products or services for their needs.
- They build trusting relationships between customers and your business.
For inspiration, let’s look at a company that uses customer reviews to improve the satisfaction of their customers.
Old Navy, an online clothing store, provides customer reviews for each product. These customer reviews provide helpful information that potential customers can use when choosing a piece of clothing, which can improve their satisfaction with their purchase. For instance, their reviews include star ratings and feedback on the fit of the clothing. This allows previous customers to comment on whether or not the item met the sizing, fabric, or color expectations so new shoppers are prepared.
You can use the same approach by displaying reviews to give customers more in-depth information so they can make intelligent purchasing decisions. If they truly understand what they are buying, they will be more satisfied with their purchase.
They’ll help you make more sales
Reviews offer a great way to boost your conversion rate and ensure those sales keep rolling in because they will build trust with your audience. You can display reviews across your site in a number of ways to boost your customers’ confidence and drive more sales on your site.
For example, you could showcase the average star rating along with the number of reviews you’ve received on the related product or service page to show just how many consumers have enjoyed what you have to offer. You can also provide video testimonials and user-generated content that feature your clients singing your praises to drive more sales.
To provide you with some inspiration, let’s look at a company that uses reviews to help guide people towards making a purchasing decision on their homepage.
Emotive, an SMS marketing service provider, features a testimonial video from a high-profile client on their homepage. They’ve also made sure to mention that this review comes from just one of more than 1,000 clients they’ve served.
In this testimonial, you see staff from Eat Well Nashville, one of Emotive’s existing customers, talk about the problems they were previously facing before partnering with the company. They then go on to outline some of the service’s features they love, such as the segmentation options provided, and the convenience of using the platform. They even mention that Emotive is much better than the company they previously worked with on their SMS marketing.
There’s also copy beside the video testimonial that states the company saw a 69x ROI after hiring Emotive to help them. All of this will work together to help website visitors imagine how their business could grow with the service provider’s help.
Using a similar tactic on your website will go a long way towards helping you make more sales. Ask your happiest clients for their opinions about your services, and use concrete facts and figures to back them up. New customers will start to wish that they had heard of you sooner and invest in your services as soon as possible so they don’t have to miss out on the benefits you offer for any longer!
Positive reviews will show customers they can trust you
Before people invest in your products or services, they will need to trust your business. Reviews can help with this because they’ll demonstrate that you are a legitimate company with past customers who have enjoyed what you offer.
Showcase user-generated images showing customers enjoying your products, or testimonials about how your services have changed their lives. You can display these on your product and service pages, as well as any landing pages you use to promote your business. It can also be helpful to display reviews that acknowledge concerns past customers had before hiring you, and how you helped to put these to rest by providing a fantastic service.
To give you an idea of what building trust with customer reviews can look like, here’s an example from the background search provider Instant Checkmate.
The company relieves any doubts or concerns that might be in the minds of potential customers by showing they have thousands of 5-star reviews. This establishes Instant Checkmate as a trustworthy and effective tool for people looking to conduct background searches. After all, if thousands of people have gotten the results they’ve needed from this tool, the reader will feel more confident about giving it a try.
Another great example comes from Babcock Injury Lawyers. Their homepage includes several customer testimonials to show potential clients that their law firm knows how to get results for their clients. Each customer review goes into depth about how the firm helped them and what the outcome of their cases were, so people can get an idea of what to expect from their own experiences.
They also include a photo of each person who has provided a testimonial, which will make their stories feel more real and their experiences seem more relatable. This, again, can help to earn the trust of prospective clients, as it gives your reviews more credibility.
You can use the same approach by adding trust-building customer reviews across your site. In addition, you can use customer reviews that highlight how your company helped the customer, the result, and what the customer loved most while doing business with you.
They can help customers make more suitable purchases
Sometimes customers need a little guidance when making purchases online. Displaying customer reviews on your website can help users compare the products you offer and decide which item is right for them. On the other hand, longer testimonials will give more insight into whether or not what you offer will suit their needs.
Simple star ratings can help people identify particularly well-liked items, while written testimonials can offer more information about how items fit, what applications they are perfect for, and how items function in real life.
Let’s look at a company that does a great job of using customer reviews to help potential customers make better purchasing decisions.
Famoid, a social media management provider, combines the power of raw statistics with customer testimonials to help visitors see the value in what they offer right on their homepage. There’s a ticker that counts the number of happy customers, likes delivered, and issues resolved to show just how many success stories they have had. And, below that, they highlight various written testimonials that detail their customers’ experiences with Famoid’s services.
Each review offers a different piece of information that will help customers build a more informed picture of what they will receive by partnering with this company. This is a great way to help customers make informed decisions and determine whether or not the brand will fulfill their needs.
You can use the same approach by showcasing star reviews to allow visitors to identify your more successful products at a glance. You may also wish to display testimonials that give your customers more details about a particular product or service. When combined, these two types of customer reviews will provide customers with the information they need to make a smart purchase. This will enhance your customer satisfaction levels, leading to more repeat purchases and fewer refunds.
Summary
Collecting and displaying customer reviews will benefit your business by providing website visitors with the social proof they need to make an informed purchase. It can also help improve your SEO and guide shoppers on the next steps to take with your company.
Take the time to collect and share your customer feedback to make your business more credible and increase your conversions.
Author bio & headshot:
Aaron Haynes is an entrepreneur, digital marketing enthusiast, and occasional SEO writer. With more than a decade of experience in business development, Aaron helps businesses and agencies develop and grow a data-driven yet nimble approach to search engine control. You can find more from Aaron on Twitter and LinkedIn.
