Reviews, good or bad, are critical for the growth of any business, and more so for the promotion of an e-commerce product. Your e-commerce product won’t get cleared off those virtual shelves unless it’s being talked about. Even if a couple of people who purchased your product have a heated discussion about it in an online forum, it will sell more, just so that it satisfies a potential customer’s curiosity.
Imagine that in the initial stages, you have a steady stream of customers who simply purchase your product but don’t leave any testimonials nor discuss it anywhere. They may like it and come back for more, but they may remain your only customers for a long time, even if you market the product in myriad other ways.
That is because the first thing that any potential customer looks for in a product is its review. And the conspicuous lack of recommendations definitely won’t help in a sale.
But how to make a customer leave a review for a product? Here are five amazingly effective ways to attract more clients to the review section
Send Automated Emails
More often than not, customers simply tend to ignore the review section post-purchase and delivery; or they simply forget about it or don’t even notice it. Just send them a reminder email after purchase and another one after delivery. You may also follow it up a few days later with another friendly reminder.
However, take care not to flood their inbox with testimonial requests. They will simply add your email address to the spam section, making you lose any future collaboration. Also, don’t take an authoritative tone in your email. Be nice, state your reasons for asking it of them, and make the request only once throughout the draft.
Make Good Use of Pop-ups, Notifications, and Plugins
You may display a pop-up review dialog box after the purchase transaction is complete. Show it again once they log in to their account after the delivery has been made, but don’t overdo it. The customer might not log in again. Thereafter, you may send friendly notifications to their desktop a few times.
Still can’t get the steady number of customer reviews that you expected? It might be due to the placement of the review section on your WordPress website.
Also, you have several WP plugins at your disposal to adjust the position of the already submitted testimonials on your website. Keep those reviews in stark visibility on your homepage so that the future customers remember to chip in their own two cents.
Organize a Competition Related to your Product
Starting a contest is an amazing way to market your e-commerce product AND get a glowing review in turn. Organize a photo or writing competition featuring your product for your existing customers, and give fantastic prizes to the winners.
Request the participants to spread the word over social media and other offline platforms, and potential customers and their reviews will eventually start trickling in.
Offer Freebies for Submitting Reviews
Nobody likes to work any more than they have to free of cost. And the customer doesn’t profit from leaving a testimonial. Why not make it worth their while? If you have already created discount coupons for your e-commerce products, don’t just give them away.
State on your website or listing that customers will get a discount on their next purchase only if they write a review. You may also offer complementary products and/or collectibles.
Alternatively, you may completely avoid mentioning a freebie. For example, David Anderson, author of ihatewritingessays.com paper services reviews, says many writing companies send a discount coupon after customers leave feedback.
This element of surprise will certainly make long-standing customers out of them. Even a simple thank you email response will go a long way. They might just start recommending your products on related forums.
Interact with the Reviewers
Gathering reviews will only take you so far. You don’t want to make your customers feel left out like they are having a one-way conversation with a giant, utterly careless conglomerate.
Try to respond to every review within 24 hours. Thank those who have applauded your product but don’t start abusing a negative review. Handle it with care. Ask the person the reason behind his/her dissatisfaction. Assure him/her that the concern will be taken care of. And do take the necessary action to improve your product. Noticing your activity, more and more customers will start leaving reviews for your product.
Social media has made things much easier these days. You can directly interact with the concerned customers and expect a quick response in turn. A healthy debate may ensue over a Facebook page or a Twitter handle, which will eventually benefit your e-commerce business as a whole. Ignore your customers and you will never know when your enterprise starts crumbling around you.
Wrapping Up
Remember, reviews are not just a medium to convince more potential clients to purchase your product. They are for you to work out the kinks in your business, and also to make you feel better. David Anderson, a successful entrepreneur, says that one simply cannot emphasize the importance of customer reviews and testimonials enough.
If you were to forget about digital marketing to promote your e-commerce product, a few good reviews will be enough to take your business to the next stage. So just follow the aforementioned tips and wait for those blazing testimonials to stream in. Feel free to let us know any other suggestions in the comments section.