The impact of customer reviews on consumers is no longer to be proven. In fact, according to an IFOP study, more than 88% of consumers consult online reviews before making a purchase. They are essential if you want to develop your online sales. Did you know that in addition to acting on your e-reputation, customer reviews offer many advantages to companies that know how to take advantage of them? You should know that collecting opinions, the first step in any e-reputation strategy, will only be really profitable when it is used optimally.

This is the subject of the new white paper published by Trustpilot , the leader in customer reviews. This complete guide explains how to take advantage of online reviews in e-commerce, to convert visitors into buyers , through 14 concrete and easily applicable examples.

How to integrate customer reviews into your digital marketing strategy?

Over time, consumer reviews have shown that their proper use undoubtedly improves the marketing actions implemented. Whether it's email marketing, SEO, social networks, or Facebook Ads campaigns, customer reviews can boost your audience acquisition strategy. They represent a serious asset which will arouse the confidence of your prospects and in addition will improve your marketing performance for brand development, increasing your clickthrough rates (CTR), and improving your conversion rates. Indeed, the power of customer reviews will extend to your AdWords campaigns (now Google Ads), increasing the clickthrough rate of your ads thanks to the display of stars. They will also contribute to the content of your pages, because the consumer reviews posted on your site represent unique and authentic content highly valued by Google from an SEO perspective. And the benefits are many.

Social proof: a powerful lever to increase sales

Businesses should take into account that the experience of their customers can influence the purchasing decision of a potential buyer. And this is where social proof takes on its full meaning. If this term is unknown to you, know that it is a concept introduced by Robert Cialdini, a researcher in psychology and author of the book “ The psychology of persuasion ” published in 1984. In a few words, social proof is influencing the behavior of your potential customers, by showing them that your product or service gives full satisfaction to many existing customers.

For example, if a commercial site markets a specific model of vacuum cleaner, and manages to convince its potential customers that many buyers have purchased this same vacuum cleaner, and that they are very satisfied with it, there are they are likely to order because their purchase decision will be supported by social proof. This is why internet users are more inclined to buy a product if it is accompanied by relevant customer reviews, to remove the brakes on the purchase.

This comprehensive guide to customer reviews will teach you how to use social proof, represented by customer reviews, to make it a powerful lever to convince consumers.

Customer reviews and e-commerce site: from trust to conversion

The e-commerce customer journey is also a key point in optimizing its conversion rate. Many studies have analyzed the reasons which push a consumer to abandon his shopping basket, and one of the criteria is the lack of confidence. Customer reviews integrated into key points in the purchasing journey will help to reduce drop-outs, and even influence the amount of the shopping basket upwards by creating a climate of trust. This guide will allow you to identify these key points, in order to fully exploit social proof to increase your e-commerce sales.