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Banner - New Consumer Insights: 7 Must-knows for this holiday season

### New Consumer Insights: 7 Must-knows for this holiday season

[Read the report now](/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/7-must-knows-for-the-2021-holiday-season?cta=banner)

Get more out of your customer reviews with our case studies, webinars and videos. Find the latest trends to promote your company in search and manage your online reputation.

Turn Browsers into Buyers - Trustpilot Blog

Reviews - Turn Browsers into Buyers

black friday sales leveraging trustpilot reviews

In this article, we discuss how customer feedback can increase your conversions, just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

However, while the promise of low prices is strong, pricing is a delicate balance: too high and no one will buy, too low and everyone could go. So while your offers might be good, your customers might think they are too good to be true. That's why you need something else to assure your customers that the deals are real. 

Here's how to build trust through customer feedback to increase your conversions just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

## How to build online trust for a successful Black Friday sale

### 1. Make key pages stand out with customer feedback

Persuasive product descriptions, low prices, or a cool looking site are nothing without assurance you're worth spending money on. For that, customers turn to what other people have experienced. 

The thing is this: the average eCommerce conversion rate is pretty depressing at just [1.2%](https://www.noisylittlemonkey.com/blog/average-website-conversion-rate-uk). This means that almost all of your website's visitors give up on your customer journey.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Today, [89% of global consumers check online reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) as part of their online buying journey, and 49% of global consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.

The majority of your visitors are looking for validation when comparing your products and services, so use your customers' reviews in the places you need them most. 

__Want visitors to know your amazing Black Friday sales is *that* special?__ 

- Place reviews on the page where previous customers can vouch for your commitment to quality and low prices. 

__Want visitors to feel reassured the second they find you?__

- Add reviews to your homepage or to key sections of your site, so visitors know they've come to the right place.

__Afraid customers might back out on the checkout page? __

- Sprinkle your checkout page with trust signals to give customers that last little bit of encouragement. 

Trustpilot social proof on Dusk's website

Dusk leverages trustpilot reviews

Reviews homepage Dusk.com

Dusk.com showcase Trustpilot reviews throughout their website

Dusk uses Trustpilot reviews directly on-site

Reviews homepage 2 Dusk.com

It's all about leveraging customer advocacy. Do it right, and customer advocacy can increase marketing effectiveness by as much as [54%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important). 

### 2. Take time to socialise

Search engines like Google (we'll get to them in a minute) and social media networks like Facebook have become the go-to 'link' between companies and customers.

With more and more customers owning social media profiles, having a solid social presence is more important than ever. Research by Dell found [75%](https://www.vividfish.co.uk/blog/75-of-customers-say-they-use-social-media-as-part-of-the-buying-process) of customers are influenced in their choices by what they find on social media. 

So don't just use your social media channels to post pictures of attractive price reductions, witty jokes or company retreats. Instead, see your social media presence as an extension of your brand.

1. __Get involved__. Respond to customer comments and feedback, and show there are humans behind the company walls.
2. __Promote customer feedback__ in your social media posts and ads. That quick mention that you're rated highly by your customers will not go unnoticed.
3. __Embed your customer reviews__ on your company's social media pages. You can also go one step further and add a customer picture, case study or video to add further credibility. 

Flowers.ie have embedded Trustpilot reviews on their Facebook Page

Ultimately, it's about improving customer service and interaction. One U.S. study found that [66%](http://uk.businessinsider.com/customer-service-experiences-are-more-important-than-ever-in-the-age-of-e-commerce-2016-3?r=US&IR=T) of customers will pay more to companies who have great customer service, and [71%](https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics/) of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family.

### 3. Stand out in Google with Seller Ratings

This year, we observed an [11% decline in trust globally](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-critical-role-of-reviews-in-internet-trust?cta=report_home_banner_canvas8), with only 71% of people admitting they trust consumer brands.

With this trust deficit in mind, your advertising needs to count, right from when people Google you.

Example of ads with Google seller ratings

google seller ratings trustpilot

Google Seller Ratings example

With [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions), you're able to include your review ratings in your Google Ads.

This helps show potential customers that they're right to go to you from the outset.

### 4. Use reviews in offline marketing

Even with thriving eCommerce, offline marketing still packs a punch. After all, [word of mouth](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews/) is still the best sales driver – and with 80% of people trusting reviews as much as personal recommendations, validation from other customers is certainly what puts you ahead of the competition. 

Show off social proof when you can to stay top of mind:

1. __Add snippets of reviews, or your overall star rating,__ to your print ads. It gives reassurance.
2. __When packing a product, slip in a flyer or card__ showing your reputation and asking for feedback at the same time? It shows openness and willingness to improve.
3. __Advertising on TV, podcasts, or radio? Mention how trusted you are__ with a quick line in your script. It personalises your business, and adds a little extra social proof.

## Finally, get ready for a sales rush

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is an intense few weeks for retail – but you can get through it, and in a better position than ever before.

The key to increasing conversions is to inject as much trust as possible throughout the customer journey. 

With more sales come more satisfied customers, and more customer feedback to encourage people to shop with you again. 

That's a benefit you'll not only gain just for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but long in the future too.

If you'd like to give reviews a go this Black Friday, why not create a free Trustpilot profile? It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

How to use reviews to boost sales this Black Friday

Personalised emails to boost sales in q4

Personalisation is a hot topic in eCommerce. And as consumers' expectations continue to get higher every year, we've rounded up 3 email campaigns that leverage personalisation and social proof to help you convert more shoppers this Q4.

As the eCommerce space continues to become oversaturated with buying options for shoppers, you might be wondering what you can do stand out against your competition.

Since most eCommerce traffic will not convert on its first visit (traffic that you likely paid for in some way through PPC, SEO efforts, social media marketing, and other traffic driving strategies), you will need to leverage that traffic and turn as much of it as possible into conversions...somehow.

In this article, we'll cover:

- The secret to using data-driven personalisation strategies used by large online retailers like Amazon for example
- The key to unlocking higher click-through rates and conversions in your email campaigns
- 3 personalised email campaigns you can send to your shoppers this Q4
- Proven strategies to personalise the shopping experience on your site and convert more window shoppers into paying customers.

Sounds interesting? Let's dive in.


## Why personalised content is the answer

You might already know that email consistently comes out as a top converting marketing channel for online retailers, which makes sense, given its exceptionally high ROI and the fact that online shoppers tend to prefer receiving personalised email campaigns over any other marketing and engagement attempts.

So how can you better harness the power of email marketing to convert more of that traffic for your eCommerce business?

Enter personalisation.

Way back when, in the early 2000s, Amazon changed the way we shop online by providing us with a highly personalised experience – both on-site and off-site – through email.

At one point or another, we’ve all received that Amazon email with personalised product recommendations. Do you remember the first time you saw that? Did you think to yourself, “How did they do that?”, I know I did.

Amazon personalised emails

Did you know that Amazon reportedly generates around one-third of their revenue through personalisation efforts alone?

Now, 20 years later, Amazon isn’t the only company that can wow their shoppers with data-driven personalisation. It’s also been proven that social proof is effective at winning over window shoppers, converting them into paying customers quicker.

You can use [social proof](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing), just like product recommendations, in various ways both on-site and off-site to gain the trust of your shoppers. If you want to send highly personalised email campaigns just like Amazon does, there’s no reason not to take advantage of social proof to improve your campaign’s performance and generate more online revenue.

Firstly, we'll look into why personalised email campaigns convert better, and then we'll discuss 3 types of personalised email campaigns you can send to your shoppers this Q4.

## How to master the art of personalised email campaigns

When you send smart email campaigns to your potential shoppers, you can potentially generate new streams of revenue. Make those campaigns utilise data-driven, personalised content for each individual shopper, and you just might even recapture lost traffic.

The key to bringing shoppers back to your site with email is nailing a high click-through rate. And the only way to do that is by populating your email campaigns with relevant, personalised content that makes shoppers want to come back.

When you’re creating email campaigns, here are some questions to ask yourself:

- “Is this email message relevant to each individual shopper?”
- “Is this email covering a broad audience or a specific audience based on data-driven segmentation?”
- “Do my emails match the behaviour of shoppers?”
- “Does the content in my emails provide shoppers with multiple opportunities that entice them to click back to my site?”

## Personalised email campaigns containing product recommendations outperform every other marketing channel

__Example #1: Increase in click-through rate__


product rec data.png 2086×374 (1)

Here, this merchant’s product browse abandonment emails had a 17% click-through rate when they displayed no product recommendations. The addition of personalised recommendations to the email increased the click-through rate by 29%.

__Example #2: Increase in revenue__

download (26)

Here, personalised emails significantly outperformed the more generic email campaigns. Indeed, the email containing 12 personalised recommendations generated the most revenue.

## The secret to increasing sales through sending personalised emails

While there are so many email marketing best practices to keep in mind for your business’s campaign strategy, the secret to sending emails that actually convert is in the way you personalise them. Personalisation is not just about populating the shopper’s name into the subject line and salutation, it’s about giving your shoppers interesting and relevant options to come back to your site that simultaneously building trust on a one to one level. The email campaigns that do this best are browse abandonment emails.

To compliment your personalisation efforts, leverage the social proof you already have on your site and populate your emails with trust signals like ratings and reviews to really seal the deal.

Here are 3 types of emails that you can send to shoppers on your site to bring them back and increase conversions. Each email can be personalised to where each shopper dropped off in the shopping funnel, pushing shoppers back to where they left off.

### Personalised Email #1: Category browse campaign

__Send these emails to__: The shoppers that click on and view a specific category, brand, or department but never actually view specific, individual products.

__Display product recommendations containing__: Products from category the shopper was browsing, taking into account the best sellers within that category.

__Use trust signals including__: General site rating and a support and/or general product-related testimonial.

__Campaign Best Practices:__

- Push shoppers back to the category they viewed on your site and best-selling products within that category and related categories.
- Use straight-forward messaging with little text and more images.
- Encourage shoppers to come back with a call-to-action that leads them to the next step in the shopping funnel.

__Subject Line Examples:__

- “View our (category title) selection”
- “Our latest products in (category title)”
- “Our (category title) are selling fast”

__Average open rate: 42%__

__Average CTR: 27%__


Personalised email number 1

### Personalised Email #2: Product browse campaign

__Send these emails to__: The shoppers who have viewed specific, individual products on your site but did not actually add any of those products to their carts.

__Display product recommendations containing__: The exact product that the shopper viewed and a mix of product-related best sellers     and category-related best sellers.

__Use trust signals including__: General site rating and a support and/or product-specific testimonial.

__Campaign Best Practices__:

- Use a large image for the product that was viewed and make it front and center.
- Copy should be brief with a soft call-to-action.
- Customer service-related messaging.
- Include large, high quality images and titles.

__Subject Line Examples:__

- “A quick reminder…”
- “Hurry, this item is nearly sold out”
- “Take another look…”

__Average open rate: 52%__

__Average CTR: 26%__

personalised email number 2

### Personalised Email #3: Homepage abandonment campaign

__Send these emails to__: Shoppers who scanned your homepage but didn’t get any further onto your site.

__Display product recommendations containing__: Site-wide top sellers.

__Use trust signals including__: General site rating and the number of site reviews.

__Campaign Best Practices:__

- Point shoppers back to homepage and various options including top sellers.
- Messaging should be customer service-oriented and friendly.

__Subject Line Examples: __

- “Thanks for stopping by”
- “This week’s top 15 sellers”
- “We picked these items just for you!”

__Average open rate: 22%__

__Average CTR: 16%__

personalised email number 3

## Best practice checklist for sending personalised emails to your shoppers

- Make sure product recommendations are responsive, mobile-friendly, and optimised for all devices.
- When inserting product recommendations into your emails, make sure that they display properly for both desktop and mobile versions (i.e. horizontal display for desktop and vertical display for mobile rendering).
- Include large, high quality images for each product to get shoppers to come back for another view.
- By using a different algorithm for each user segment based on where shoppers get up to in the funnel, your product recommendations will remain relevant to your shoppers.
- Use multiple recommendation algorithms inside one email for increased click-through rate (i.e. display a row of top sellers + a row of related products).
- Implement suppression logic and frequency caps to ensure that you send only one email to each shopper matching the furthest point they reached in the shopping funnel.

## Boost your online sales with personalised email campaigns that leverage social proof

Advanced personalisation isn’t just for the big players like Amazon. You can also send highly personalised email campaigns to your shoppers to increase sales for your online store all-year-round. Make Q4 the most profitable time of year with these strategies and you’ll be sure to win.

If you'd like to learn more about implementing reviews and ratings in your personalised email campaigns, check out our Ultimate Guide To Conversions below:


3 Personalised email campaigns to increase conversions in December

Propel your store forward this christmas

Let’s take a look at 4 strategic ways to make your mark in the eCommerce world, and propel your store forward and build trust at every touchpoint.

It’s tough out there precisely because eCommerce is such a big deal. [More people than ever are shopping online this holiday season](https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/coronavirus-impact-online-retail/), and more and more online stores are struggling to meet the demand. 

There’s a lot of money to be made if you get this right, but there’s a real risk of failure too. Indeed, [8 out of 10 eCommerce stores will fail](https://www.metrilo.com/blog/examples-of-ecommerce-fails-on-the-verge-of-reason) with a lack of strategy and vision. This means that a lot of stores won’t get a slice of that money pie.

The good news is that, despite such fierce competition from rival stores and foreboding odds, it’s still possible to stand out from the crowd and take the lion’s share of customers in your target market over the long-term. If you can put in place a well-thought out strategy that works, there’s no reason why your store can’t survive, thrive – and scale.

Let’s take a look at 4 strategic ways to make your mark in the eCommerce world, and propel your store forward this holiday season. 

## 1. Add customer reviews

According to research, shoppers take [online reviews](https://econsultancy.com/blog/9765-consumers-now-pay-more-attention-to-online-reviews-than-word-of-mouth) to heart more than word of mouth these days. In fact, as many as [89% of us](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) will check online reviews as part of their online buying journey, and half of consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.

What do online reviews do that’s so important to customers? 

Online reviews give your store credibility and act as [social proof and third-party validation](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing). These are very powerful things in the digital world as they help to build a customer and consumer trust.

Let’s imagine that a shopper who’s never heard of your store before sees it advertised on Instagram. A bit curious, they click a link and enter your store. They’re miles away from the end of the buying process at this stage. Without any hint that anyone before them has bought from your store and been thoroughly satisfied with both the product and the customer service, it's unlikely they will buy from you.  

Below is an example of how to showcase both service and product reviews at key stages of the buying journey. Here, [Dusk.com](https://dusk.com/?utm_source=dailymail&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=top10-may) offer product reviews on every single product page, as well as service reviews on every page of the wesite. This means shoppers can read through as many reviews as they like, until they reach their final decision.


Dusk.com product and service reviews

There’s actually another reason why you should be leveraging customer reviews. [Research](https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/key-ranking-factors-for-local-seo/#:~:text=Reviews%20have%20grown%20a%20little,to%2012%25%20back%20in%202018.) found that search engines use online reviews as a ranking factor. In other words, positive reviews will help you climb the Google rankings, which in turn, will make your site more visible to buyers. 

With more visibility on search engines, comes an increase in traffic, and, with reviews displayed on-site, it'ls likely your conversion rate will increase too.

## 2. Implement a strong content marketing campaign 

One of the biggest shifts in consumer behaviour we’ve witnessed over the last few years is a desire to be marketed to – and a real aversion to be sold to. In fact, we recently observed an 11% decline in trust globally, with only 71% of people admitting [they trust consumer brands](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews).

Millennials dominate the economy. They’ve grown up in this digital world of ours that’s rich with content, so they happen to like it (they create a lot of it themselves), and [they want brands to engage them with content](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/how-to-use-user-generated-content-marketing-to-reach-and-convert-millennials), too. 

Really not sure what an online store can stand to gain from producing content? 

The stats speak for themselves on this one: Conversion rates are nearly [6 times higher for content marketing adopters](https://neilpatel.com/blog/38-content-marketing-stats-that-every-marketer-needs-to-know/). On the other hand, those who didn’t create the right content saw only a meager conversion rate increase of 0.5%.

Why is this? What makes content marketing so effective? 

It all comes down to trust once again. To get shoppers to buy from you in Q4 (and all-year-round), you have to build consumer trust. You can do this via content that educates, informs, engages and even entertains.

Content – be it video, blogs, podcasts and so on – breaks down barriers, and opens up opportunities for dialogue and interaction.

Below is a great example of content marketing on the Coggles website. Their [Life section](http://www.coggles.com/life/) contains lots of editorial content that focuses on building a relationship with readers, rather than being pushy and constantly selling to them.


Coggles website content marketing

There’s more. Content gets shared on social media. It can even go viral, and in the meantime create a real buzz about your store. Content reaches customers where they are. 

The best thing? It doesn’t even need to cost you much money at all. 

Here are some tips for your next content marketing campaign: 

1. Create as much content as possible. 
2. Share curated content (content not created by you) that’s relevant to your store and its values.
3. Circulate – add your content to the right channels.
4. Include powerful CTAs - content is your best chance to get people to take an action. Want them to visit your store? Engage and lead them with content, and end with the money shot.

## 3. Work on your customer service

[If your customer service is amazing](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/6-types-of-online-customer-service-you-can-implement-today), customers will come back. Even better, they’ll probably tell their friends all about you. One-time customers will turn into loyal ones, and this is exactly what you want. 

Top-notch customer service should be near the top of your list of priorities. But what do you need to do? 

For one thing, it’s time to add chatbots to your site if you haven’t already done so. Chatbots do the things you can’t - they respond to customer questions instantly, no matter what time of day it is, resolve problems and provide satisfactory answers. The best thing? [Customers actually like them](https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/chatbot-statistics/#gref)!

Don’t forget to add an FAQ section to your website too, and to be active on social media. Customers will check social media and reach out to you through Instagram, Twitter or even Facebook, so you need to invest time in those too.

And when people leave those reviews we mentioned earlier? Always reply to them – even the negative ones. 

82% of UK consumers have a [positive view towards companies that respond to reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews), and 64% of global consumers would prefer to buy from a responsive company over one that appears perfect.

If you're wondering how your industry does when it comes to responding to reviews, check out our latest data:

responses to reviews TP data

Our data found that the industry with the highest percentage of reviews with replies is the Finance and Insurance industry (29%), and the industry with the lowest percentage of reviews with replies is the Events and Entertainment industry (15%).

Many brands overlook negative reviews. But responding to all feedback is crucial.

Negative reviews can be a blessing in disguise, and taking the time to reply could help you turn a customer's negative experience into a positive one. 

Indeed, in our [Bad Reviews report](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect), we found that when customers feel their reviews have been responded to appropriately, more than half would shop at the same location again. 

More than 2 in 5 customers would even go so far as to reverse their overall rating of the company and edit their review into a more positive critique. 

And for 25 percent of people, how well companies respond to criticism can even help transition them from detractors to overall promoters of that brand.

Negative reviews help you collect [valuable consumer insights](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/what-are-consumer-insights-and-how-do-i-use-them), which can, in return, help you improve your customer service in the long run.

## 4. Strengthen your brand’s aesthetic

Lastly, if you want to form trusted relationships with your customers, you need a brand that people recognise. 

Your brand's awesthetic is a part of your brand's identity, and it should be one of your top priorities. 

Indeed, [brand aesthetics has a strong impact on brand trust](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17543266.2017.1378732), so it's important to get it right.

Start by creating or [identify your brand's personality](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-personality-behind-the-most-reputable-brands) and your brand's values, before deciding on a visual identity.

Below is a fun and youthful example from Bliss. This eCommerce store sells beauty products, and stays true to their value and product feel with their branding and website design.

Bliss home page

Bliss visual identity example

When designing your brand's visual identity, make sure you keep it simple. 

Having to much going on with the design will distract your customer from the purpose of your website. In contrast, a stripped down format will make your logo (and therefore, your brand) easy to remember for your first-time visitors. Using a signature colour can also [increase your brand's recognition by 80%](https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/branding-statistics)!

It takes [0.05 seconds for people to form an opinion about your brand](https://www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/branding-statistics), when they land on your website. Your brand's visual identity plays a huge part when it comes to building trust with consumers. The better the branding, the easier it should be to build credibility, and boost your conversions. 

### Conclusion

These are 4 strategic ways to make your mark in the eCommerce world. Remember that in 2020, it’s all about trust and building better relationships between you and your customers. Get that right and you should be just fine. 

Get ready for the holiday season today, read our latest consumer insights report!

Read Trustpilot's 2020 Holiday Readiness Guide

4 Ways to propel your eCommerce store forward this holiday season

9 ways to use reviews to smash all sales records this Q4 and beyond

Find out how to use customer reviews to boost your conversions and grow your company's sales all-year-round.

The list of data points heralding the impact of social proof on sales could span the length of several books but a quick set of statistics is all you need to realize how vital digital word of mouth is in today’s online marketplace:

- A product with just [5 reviews](https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/online-reviews/) has 270% higher chances of being purchased than a similar one with no reviews
- [89% of global consumers check online reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) as part of their online buying journey
- 49% of global consumers put positive reviews among the [top 3 purchase influencers](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews)
- 93% of consumers say [online reviews influence their purchases](http://learn.podium.com/rs/841-BRM-380/images/2017-SOOR-Infographic.jpg)
- 82% of consumers [read reviews for local businesses](https://www.brightlocal.com/insights/research/) and that number spikes to 93% for the 35-54 demographic
- It takes [10 online reviews](https://www.brightlocal.com/insights/research/) on average before consumers feel able to trust a local business

Because of social proof’s ability to influence consumer behavior, everything about it has already been written. What this article does is give the available information an easy-to-follow, 9-step, comprehensive structure. Think of it as an unfair advantage, compressing weeks of online research and reading into a 10-minute booster.

__9 Ways to turn social proof into sales this Q4 and beyond__

1. Leveraging third-party social proof
2. Using data-driven social proof
3. Showcasing customer-generated social proof
4. Boosting SEO
5. Making businesses feel alive
6. Investing in the best kind of market research
7. Building your strategy for tons of social proof
8. Getting the most out of it
9. Growing sales with scarcity, urgency & social proof

Let's dig in!

## Get the right mindset

The first step to spike your sales to unprecedented levels by using the power of social proof is to ingrain its importance in every cell of your organization.

That is because everything your company does goes into receiving a great review. From R&D to production, sales, and ultimately client service, they all matter towards a positive client experience that they’ll be happy to share with the rest of the world. And nothing convinces prospective buyers better to spend their money with you than reading about how other people have enjoyed your products.

76% of consumers trust online reviews, second only to friends and family (81%), but miles ahead of traditional paid advertising (47%) or marketing materials like direct mail (55%), according to a study by [ReviewMonitoring](https://www.scribd.com/document/308630291/The-State-Of-Online-Reviews-Among-U-S-Shoppers).

Those numbers are echoed by a study from [BrightLocal](https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/) which states that 85% of consumers trust online reviews written by strangers just as much as they do personal recommendations from people they know.

But that’s nothing new. Word of mouth has been with us for millennia and scientists studied its effects on sales as early as 1966 when [Katz and Lazarsfeld](https://books.google.ro/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rElW8D0D8gYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR1&ots=OFrX-TcVhE&sig=9aIWVw3GoQObPldY1FMdjx1GvXA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false) defined word-of-mouth as the exchange of marketing information between consumers to an extent that it's able to fundamentally impact their behavior and change their attitude toward products and services.

People trust their peers over companies pushing their products and services. 

The only difference today is the scale at which social proof influences our buying decisions. [9 out of 10 global consumers read online reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-critical-role-of-reviews-in-internet-trust) before making an online purchase according to a Canvas8 and Trustpilot study.

And even with all that evidence proving the weight consumers place on social proof, hardly any company considers it as their main sales channel. That’s where you can take advantage to boost your sales.

__How to act:__ As things inevitably slow down at the end of Q4 and you have a brand-new start ahead come January, make sure that great customer experience is a top priority for everyone in your organization. From engineers to sales reps, they all must get a thorough understanding of how consumers choose their products and services in the 21st century, and the role each of them plays in that process.

## There’s more to social proof than customer reviews and testimonials

A lot of business owners miss a huge opportunity by limiting their strategy to target only customer reviews. In fact, there are three main types of [social proof](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing) that you can use to boost your sales - third party, data-driven, and customer-generated – each with a distinct advantage.

### 1. Third-party social proof

Third-party is the most versatile and it refers to votes of confidence given by people or organizations that hold no interest in your company’s success or failure. Since their opinion is unbiased, consumers naturally assume it to be truthful. More so, many third-party entities benefit from being completely honest as that will strengthen their perceived value as truth-tellers, something they capitalize on.

Let’s look at a few examples.

Sites like Trustpilot provide excellent third-party social proof. Open review platforms offer full transparency and ensure consumers access only the best products and services on the market.

Google is the world's biggest search engine by far because it provides relevant information and highlights good-rated businesses on every search. 

Trustpilot is the world’s most powerful review platform. With over 100 million reviews, [Trustpilot is an open review platform](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software) where consumers and businesses can connect and learn from each other.

Remember the “4 out of 5 dentists recommend Colgate”? That’s another great example of third-party social proof, with experts backing a product. 

Actually, most endorsements are theoretically third-party social proof.

jordan-nike

jordan-spike lee-nike

lebron-nike

taylor-coke

britney-spears-pepsi

beyonce-britney-pink--pepsi

Jeff Goldblum restaurant owner

Clooney 

More examples:

- __Media mentions.__ The stars given by critics that are displayed on new movie releases together with an excerpt from their review. On books, you have the coveted “NYT bestseller” seal of approval
- __Outlets you’ve been featured on.__ This one works for both personal branding and businesses alike, the famous “as seen on NBC, CNN, etc.”
- __Trust seals, certifications, and badges.__ Something many business owners forget about but highly convincing for prospective buyers - a seal of approval from well-regarded institutions
- __Test scores.__ Again often overlooked but just think of the car industry where cars advertise their NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings to instantly attract interest
- __Famous companies that use your product.__ Service providers will often say “trusted by companies such as Microsoft, GM, Tesla”
- __Integration partners.__ One of the easiest ways to associate yourself with trusted brands is to display your integration partners if you have any.

### 2. Data-driven social proof

Moving on to data-driven social proof, we have the “people also bought…” and “best-seller” stamps of approval. Amazon makes excellent use of them with the former being a mix between cross-selling and data-driven social proof while the ladder is pure, certified social proof in action.

How many times have you considered buying a product on Amazon just from seeing the “best-seller” stamp?

Every blogging or news platform out there, Trustpilot included, uses data-driven social proof when they compile the list of “popular posts” you see displayed to the right of their website. People are extremely interested in reading what others have read.

The simple mechanism behind that is “if so many people saw value in this product/service/article, then it must hold value. This many people can’t be wrong.” And they usually aren’t. Except when bands like Nickelback become famous, but that’s another story altogether.

Displaying the actual number of successfully completed transactions between you and your clients or the numbers of shares an article received is another form of data-driven social proof.

DHL data social proof

ups data social proof

### 3. Customer-generated social proof

Last but definitely not least is customer-generated social proof. Often referred to as user-generated content or UGC, it’s the treasure cove of modern-day marketing. 

Simply put, it’s any form of content created by your customers, not the marketing department. You can [read more about it here](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/how-to-use-user-generated-content-marketing-to-reach-and-convert-millennials) but keep in mind that it can be as easy as using photos next to reviews and testimonials, so prospective buyers can associate a face to what they’re reading, grounding the endorsement in reality. Or it can be something like handing over your Instagram account to your customer base for one day. They get the spotlight while they showcase your product or service. Huge win-win with great results and almost no associated cost.

__How to act:__ Hunting for customer reviews is great, but don’t forget to expand your social proof palette to include its many shapes and sizes. Your sales will benefit greatly if you:

1. Get an expert to back your product
2. Associate with a well-perceived brand that you don’t compete with – maybe a huge client or an association you’re a member of
3. Display any awards or badges you won as well as certifications and great product test results
4. Try to get a mention in main-stream media and display it on your website
5. List all integration partners
6. Get the “best-seller” stamp of approval on your most popular items
7. Upsell by helping consumers pick relevant products with “people also bought…” recommendations
8. Boast about the number of successfully completed transactions between you and your clients
9. Let your customers do the work for you by putting the social media spotlight on them as they showcase your products and services in action.

## Understand all benefits associated with social proof

Apart from the obvious, generating sales by increasing the value prospective buyers perceive in your business, social proof has plenty of other benefits in today’s online driven world.

The three most important ones are boosting SEO, making your business feel alive and grounded in reality instead of a distant, abstract concept, and you can use social proof as market research.

### 4. Boosting SEO

Product reviews, especially if they’re hosted on your website, can influence your search engine ranking. 

Google also displays product reviews both for their local pack – the top three results you see displayed alongside a few details when conducting a local search – as well as directly in their SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) in the Rich Snippet format.


An example of Review Snippets for Product Reviews

rich snippets product reviews 

review snippets product reviews 

You want good product reviews for your business to pop up when customers are conducting searches with a “buy” intent. They have their wallets out, they're looking for a place to spend their money and Google makes sure they have plenty of relevant options to choose from. You want to appear as high on their screen as possible and with great reviews next to your name. That will inevitably boost your click-through rate (CTR).

Better rankings translate into more clicks, which in turn translate into more leads that will inevitably convert to more sales.

Reviews are also used to reinforce your geographic listing so they directly impact your placement in local searches.

That’s when Google Review Partners come in. [Collecting reviews through a Google partner such as Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-does-google-care-if-your-business-has-online-reviews-in-2019) will give you greater visibility online, and help you acquire Review Snippets for product reviews, and [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions) for your paid ads or [Google Shopping listings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/what-the-new-google-shopping-updates-mean-for-reviews).

How to act: A lot of products and services see spikes in search queries in Q4. It’s best for your business to take full advantage of this seasonality. Host reviews on your website in addition to third-party platforms, and pick a Google Review Partner to collect reviews with. Make sure all the product reviews you host have the right format and make good use of SEO tactics such as optimizing HTML review markup into easily-crawlable content and using meta descriptions with review links.


Learn more about reviews & SEO: watch our Google & Trustpilot webinar

### 5. Business feels alive

Social proof makes your brand seem real. What brick-and-mortar shops have over online retail is tangibility. You go in, you see the products, or you can find someone to speak to about the services. Brick-and-mortar shops are as real as it comes, so our minds perceive them as more trustworthy, to begin with. It's also quite an advantage to see AND touch before you buy, something online retail can't provide. But social proof will help you ground your brand in the eyes of online shoppers. The more “they are a real business” cues you can provide to your clients, the better. A company with absolutely no social proof to their name – no reviews, no mentions on third-party websites, no testimonials, and no endorsements – looks shady in 2020.

One thing’s for sure, if no social proof is business suicide, there’s no such thing as too much social proof. On the contrary. If everything else is comparable, shoppers will most often go for the service or product that has considerably more positive reviews than its competitors.

__How to act:__ Make sure you’re ready for this Q4 with fresh reviews and testimonials. If you plan on launching a seasonal offer, have clients review these unique products and services as soon as they hit the market so when the bulk of shoppers take to online research, they’ll find real people and real businesses talking about them. That’s why it’s a great idea to launch your Q4 products a little ahead of time. Start as early as possible to gain traction and build up those vital reviews.

### 6. Best kind of market research

“So you’re telling me that I don’t have to spend a dime and clients from all over the world, from all walks of life, and of all ages will willingly let me know exactly what they think about my products or services? How they helped them, the ways in which they could be improved, and what about them they liked most? Hundreds even thousands of them? On top of that, I’ll get access to a free database that will sort and categorize the massive amount of feedback I receive?”

Don Draper’s mind would have been blown by today’s online world. When only a few decades ago companies were forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to get direct consumer feedback, making it impossible for small businesses to gain these valuable insights, today, [everyone can do it](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/introducing-trustpilots-new-machine-learning-tool-review-insights). By dedicating a little time and putting in a little effort, companies of all sizes can be in direct and constant contact with their customers.

On that note, the dreaded negative review most businesses shy away from is actually [a huge blessing in disguise](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect). It will cost nothing more than a little attention from your client service team to fix all the while offering valuable answers into how you can improve your products forever. All positive reviews are also a treasure chest for copywriters and marketers.

__How to act:__ [Reviews offer a unique insight](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/what-are-consumer-insights-and-how-do-i-use-them) into the minds of your customers and can provide invaluable information about how to improve your products and how to best market them. From this Q4 forward, start studying your reviews to mine for nuggets of gold straight from your customers’ minds. Your clients are literally telling you how to sell to other people like them and how to make your products so good that they won’t need to look anywhere else.

## Putting everything together

Fully aware of the importance and broad spectrum of social proof, let’s put together a winning strategy for this Q4.

### 7. At scale strategy for tons of social proof

First of all, before we get into it, you need to understand the importance of a review-generating strategy from yet another vital point of view: people naturally post negative reviews more often than they do positive ones. That’s because the emotion behind the average bad experience is far stronger than the emotion behind the average good experience.

Most times, when you see a company with an average rating of 2 or 3 stars, it isn’t because they’re so below average in real life, but it’s a consequence of not having a strategy to generate a complete set of reviews, both good and bad. They’ve let the social proof game play out by itself and they’ll pay a terrible price for it.

Let’s make sure you won’t.

__A. Pick the right moment__

A huge influence on the number and quality of your reviews is when you ask for them. Too soon, and customers won't bother leaving one because they haven't formed an opinion yet. Too late and they have forgotten all about your product, so they won’t be as excited to share their view.

[Q4 is an excellent time to ask for reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/browsers-to-buyers/trustpilot-consumer-insights-2020-holiday-readiness-guide) because it has both a great background vibe, that holiday spirit, plus it’s the coronation of a successful year of serving your clients. Consumers should be much more inclined during this period to dedicate some of their time to provide feedback.

Come November, and you can pretty much ask for a review anytime until the end of the year. 

__B. Start with your repeat customers__

Chances are if someone is a repeated customer, they love what you’re selling. And they can offer some valuable feedback as well.

In Q4, you can easily ask for a review from your customers by acknowledging their importance before making the request. Simply say something along the lines of:

“Dear {name goes here},

Thank you for yet another year of being our customer. We greatly value your loyalty, and we’re always looking to serve your needs better.

That’s why we’d love to hear your thoughts about our product/service.

Your feedback helps us improve, and it takes just 3 minutes to complete."

It's thoughtful, it doesn't feel like a review request, and has that end-of-the-year good spirit sprinkled all over. There’s no better time to bulk up on great reviews than in the last quarter, and no better way to start doing that than by asking your most loyal customers.

__C. Make it exceptionally easy__

If you ask your clients for help, it’s best you make it as easy for them as possible to do so. So, claim your business on every third-party platform and provide direct links to them. If you allow customers to choose the platform they’re most comfortable with and reach it with a single click, your review rate will go through the roof.

There’s an old anecdote that goes “The first thing the old Jewish merchant did before opening his new store was to demolish the only stair at the entrance and level the ground so people won’t need it.” Tear down all obstacles between your clients and them leaving new reviews for your business. Make the process as frictionless as possible, and you'll up your review count. 

__D. Shamelessly milk moments of customer success__

Have you recently had a breakthrough with one of your customers? Ask for a review.

Have you solved a great problem for them? Ask for a review.

Have you received verbal praise for your work? Ask for a review.

Ride the positive emotions train and put customers in front of a review-writing process as soon as they’re happy with your products or services.

Again, there’s no better time to do this at scale than in Q4 when “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… eeevery single day”.

__E. Be thankful towards your customers__

Receiving feedback is the best thing your customers can do to help your business improve. What you can do to thank them, is respond to their reviews with a thoughtful note. People tend to respond in kin - by being open and showing them you care, your customers are more inclined to care enough back to leave a review. 

“Thank you for your business and we hope to see you again this coming year. We’d love to be there for you, better than ever before, if you do decide to shop with us again.

That’s why we’d really appreciate your thoughts on our product/service. A new year is a great opportunity to improve upon what’s missing and give more of what’s great about our product/service. Your feedback is greatly valued.”

Being validated like that, and showing that you care about their needs, will make many dedicate some time to send you their thoughts.

__F. Always use prompts and leading questions__

You don’t want your customers to ramble on about insignificant benefits.

Ideally, all of them would highlight your product’s best features and how it helped them solve one of the worst problems they faced. So, make sure you choose a third-party review platform who asks exactly that, with leading questions whose answers will bring forward the best features of your product or with prompts that will help your customers get started in the right direction.

Apply this strategy in Q4 and beyond, and you will massively improve the quality of your reviews.

__G. Aim for the sweet spot__

When it comes to the number of reviews, size does matter. And not just with reviews, stop telling yourself otherwise…

According to [BigCommerce](https://www.bigcommerce.com/blog/customer-testimonials/), pushing above the 50-review mark can generate an increase of 4.6% in your conversion rates. So don’t pat yourself on the back when you see 20 or 30 reviews to your name. 

It’s also a terrible idea to have exclusively positive reviews. Consumers will instantly assume they’re fake.

“Purchase likelihood peaks when the average star rating of a product is between 4.2 and 4.5 stars and starts to drop as the star rating approaches a perfect 5”, according to a whitepaper published by the [Northwest University](https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/_pdf/Online%20Reviews%20Whitepaper.pdf). Figures have fluctuated slightly depending on product type, but the conclusion remained true throughout – a perfect 5 out of 5 hurts sales.

It’s good to be vulnerable as long as you handle the situation wisely. A bad review is not the nightmare most of us imagine it to be but a vital part of gaining your customers’ trust. In its absence, your sales will be negatively affected. You can use tools such as [Socialboards](https://socialboards.com/en/) to stay on top of your customer service game and there’s absolutely nothing to fear about.

One thing to note about negative reviews is that they’re a matter of emotional, not logical alignment. When customers are furious enough to take to a public setting and voice their emotions, don’t explain why they’re in the wrong, even if they obviously are. First, quench the thirst for “payback” by simply acknowledging their message and indicating how sorry you are for what they feel.

You don’t have to admit to any wrongdoing on your part, but you must say you’re sorry for what the disgruntled customer is going through (regardless if the situation is created by the customers themselves or by your company). 
Make them calm and only after try to make the situation better.

The sweet spot then appears to be at 50 reviews or more that average between a 4.2 and 4.5 rating. Aim for that and you will reach maximum sales potential.

__H. Look out for fake reviews__

Before you set sail, make sure you have a security system in place that will deter your competitors from writing erroneous, badly-intended reviews.

Something as simple as asking for an email address or to connect to a social media platform to verify their identity will go a long way in keeping your reviews enemy-proof.

Even better, if you choose to collect feedback with a review platform such as Trustpilot, you won’t have to worry about receiving any fake reviews! Any dodgy-looking review with no proof of purchase will be investigated straight away.

__I. Don’t forget to reach the full social proof spectrum__

Reviews are great. They're vital actually, and they work well with other types of social proof.

But you shouldn’t stop there. Reach out to experts and influencers in your field to endorse your product. Use data-driven social proof to highlight the choices of the many. Get accredited by third-party, respected companies. Highlight your best clients and talk about the big brands you associate with. Then get some main-stream mentions and use that to your advantage.

Social proof comes in many ways, and leaving just one of them unexploited is leaving money on the table. Make it a goal for 2021 to check every social proof box and see how your next Q4 closes way above your expectations.

### 8. Get the most out of it

Finally, armed with all this social proof, let’s look at three ways to maximize its impact.

__A. Display it wisely__

Don’t keep social proof locked away on a product page, deep inside your website where only a handful of leads reach. Instead, display it on your packaging, your social media, your home page, in your email signature, and on product pages. There’s an optimal place for every type of social proof, though, so keep to the following format:

- Data-driven social proof – product pages, home page, landing page, social media
- Certificates, badges of merit, great test scores, accreditation – email signature, home and landing pages, product pages, packaging
- Customer reviews – home and landing pages, product pages, stand-alone pages dedicated to customer reviews only, social media posts, product packaging, television, radio, organic or paid search engine results
- Expert endorsement – marketing materials, social media, product pages, packaging
- Case studies – home and landing pages

Remember, most third-party websites also offer a highlighting feature that lets you display your reviews throughout the customer journey!

__B. Claim your business profile on a trusted third-party platform__

Today, [49% of consumers believe many dishonest brands are guilty of manipulating customer reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) to improve their reputation. Claiming your business on a trusted, open third-party review platform is a great way to make sure those positive reviews reach you and your audience, and you have a way to handle negative reviews as they come in. 

An open review platform means all of your reviews are honest and authentic, and your brand is being as transparent as possible. And customers appreciate that. Did you know that, in 2020, 55% of consumers would [prefer to use an open and transparent review platform](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews)? And 56% of consumers think it’s very important to know exactly how review websites choose to publish reviews, and whether or not they choose to cherry-pick.

__C. Respond to everyone__

When customers address your brand, be it directly or not, the best thing you can do is to acknowledge their voice, regardless of what the message is. It doesn't matter if it's a positive review or a negative one, acknowledging your customers is the only professional and healthy thing to do. Ignore their pleas or praises, and you risk paying a heavy toll.

[A negative review is an opportunity to show you care](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/how-to-respond-to-negative-reviews) and win a customer for life. All that powerful negative emotion that compelled them to take to a public forum and voice their disappointment can be transformed into gratitude if you fix what's troubling them. It also can be harnessed to win other clients over, people, and businesses that look at how you treat your customers.

Now for the final piece in winning the Q4 sales craze. A bullet-proof strategy that no consumer can resist is to create an intoxicating mix between FOMO and social proof.

How?

### 9. Scarcity + Urgency + Social Proof = Max Sales

You begin by creating limited edition, premium packages – that’s scarcity. You then take to social media to announce the limited offer (limited by time or available units), and you keep the countdown updated every week, making sure to highlight the limited time/quantity still available – that’s urgency. Lastly, you ask all of your customers for an honest review – that’s social proof. If you can send a few products to experts or influencers in your field, that’s even better. And don’t forget about data-driven social proof as you highlight not only the number of units left in stock but also the number of units sold.

Once you get started, make sure to gather more and more social proof through the system we detailed earlier. It will help with Q4 sales and it will carry the good social proof juices well into 2021.

## Conclusion

The very best salespeople can elicit trust from their customers and are very compelling in their pitch without being glib.

Social proof is one of the most trusted sources of product information by consumers and also one of the most compelling.

On top of that, social proof comes with added bonuses like better rankings for your business and a bundle of customer feedback to analyze. It also breathes life into your brand, making consumers more at ease with choosing you.

Social proof never sleeps. The perfect salesperson on steroids, relentless in spreading the word about your business, and winning new customers over more efficiently than anything else. 24/7.

Who wouldn’t want that for their business? In Q4 and beyond.

### Author Bio

__Calin Bucur__ is a freelance writer with a major in Statistics and a background in sales. He knows how to make data look sexy, draw attention to your brand, plus a thing or two about SEO. His cat keeps him from traveling full time, but he doesn’t mind. Reach him at calin@socialboards.com

### Feeling inspired? 

__Share this article and infographic with your colleagues!__

9 ways to use reviews to smash all sales records

50 Shades of Consumer

9 Proven ways to use reviews to smash all sales records this Q4 and beyond

building and retaining trust 

As eCommerce continues to get bigger and bigger each year, Trustpilot's put together 6 simple tips to help you acquire and retain customers all-year-round.

Boasting some great benefits for customers like convenience, flexibility and efficiency, it’s no surprise that there are subscription boxes for almost every product or niche out there. Plus, they’re fun! Who doesn’t love getting a gift in the mail?
Along with great perks for customers, [subscriptions](http://bit.ly/2qn06oW) also have a ton of benefits for your business. [Recurring revenue](https://blog.boldcommerce.com/create-consistent-revenue-with-recurring-billing), higher conversions, and creating loyal brand advocates are just the beginning.

Managing current affairs and planning for your company’s future is easier with foreseeable revenue, which allows you to allocate your expenses and revenue accordingly. Want to increase your marketing spend but don’t know if you can afford it? Estimating profits is easier than ever!

Not to mention, order predictability allows you to properly control your inventory. You’ll know exactly how many orders are coming in this month, and where they’re being sent.
Ready to get subscriptions up and running for your business?! Great!

But, keep in mind that acquiring and keeping valued subscription customers is not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of deal. You have to create and maintain trust throughout the buyer journey and long after they’ve subscribed.

The good news? Building and maintaining trust is easier than you think if you follow these valuable tips...

## 1. Have a great return policy (and make sure it’s clearly communicated)

While shopping online has become a preferred method for many customers, there’s often some hesitation when clicking the checkout button. The ability to hold or try on items like in a brick-and-mortar store is lost with online purchases, as is the ability to sense whether a store is well-run and trustworthy.

Ease your shoppers’ hesitations by clearly communicating your great [returns policy](https://blog.boldcommerce.com/problem-solved-launching-a-solid-returns-process-on-shopify).

Over *half* of online shoppers check a company’s return policy before committing to buying. But, that’s not all; a whopping [92% of consumers](https://www.business2community.com/infographics/e-commerce-product-return-statistics-trends-infographic-01505394) will buy again from a company if the return process was easy. 

The result? Your customers will keep their subscription active if they feel comfortable with returning products if they need to.

A great rule of thumb is to have a page in your support or FAQ centre dedicated to explaining your returns policy.


Fabletics easy returns

We recommend including the link to the returns page right on your navigation bar, or where it’s easiest to find based on your site layout.

Just make sure the message is clear and the small print doesn’t change the overall policy, but rather adds to it. It should be clear and concise so your customers feel much more secure about their purchase.

Not sure where to start? Shopify has a great [returns policy template](https://www.shopify.ca/tools/policy-generator/refund#ToolContent) that you can use as your starting point, allowing you to add in details unique to your store to make sure you’re covering all the bases.

## 2. Leverage reviews

There’s no better social proof than hearing other customers say they enjoyed their purchase.

When your customers are spreading the word about their purchases, it not only makes your company look good, but it will attract new customers as well who rely on reviews to feel comfortable purchasing from an online store.

Did it come on time? Was it great quality? Exactly as pictured?


leveraging reviews on-site

[97% of people](https://moneyish.com/ish/this-is-exactly-how-many-reviews-it-takes-to-get-someone-to-buy-something/) say that reviews influence their purchasing decisions, and potential customers find shoppers’ reviews more trustworthy than the company’s message.

So, before you place reviews in your ‘nice-to-have’ column, notice how much purchasing power they have over your potential customers. If almost every single visitor to your store wanted to look at reviews before purchasing, wouldn’t they be better placed in the ‘must-have’ column?

When shoppers are signing up for a subscription of products, not just a one-off purchase, the importance of reviews is even more vital to your business.

Reviews live on your site, but will show up on other channels such as social media and search engines as well. The more reviews you have on Google, the greater visibility your business will have.

rich snippets with trustpilot

Review Snippets

If you have those coveted 5-star reviews, don’t be afraid to show them off! Highlight a few on your homepage, Instagram feeds, and advertisements. As long as you’re mixing good reviews with valued content (such as UGC we mention below), you’re creating a diverse picture of your company.

Leverage reviews from a company like Trustpilot who have over 500,000 businesses using their software. Both the number of reviews and star ratings can have an effect on the overall perception of a company’s reputation, but studies have found that the number of reviews was slightly more effective to speak to trustworthiness of a company. Luckily, with Trustpilot you can have the best of both worlds.

## 3. Get social

A great way to capture, and keep, the attention of your subscription customers is to maintain a great social media presence.

One of the best things about social media is that it’s an easy way to foster relationships with your customers through consistent communication and great content.

[71% of consumers](https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics/) who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family.

Shoppers may share how much they loved a product, or if there were any issues. It’s impossible for every single customer to love a product so if there are negative comments, it’s your responses that will make or break customers’ opinions of your business.

Interacting with your audience can be time-consuming, but it’s definitely worth it. We live in the age of quick communication and consumers are increasingly using social media as an avenue of communication with businesses. Timely and genuine responses bridge the gap between customer and business, and showcases the human element of your company which people can relate to.

Create a unique hashtag for your customers to share on social and watch all the great user-generated content (UGC) roll in. Featuring customers on your feed not only allows them to engage with your brand, but it builds trust seeing other customers loving your subscriptions. Plus, it will help fill your feed with content that you don’t have to create. Bonus!


user generated content

User-generated content

There’s something about seeing real-life people (not models hired by the company) with products that raises that trust level.

If a company has an active social presence filled with relatable customers showing off products, chances are I’m more likely to subscribe too- wouldn’t you?

## 4. Keep shoppers engaged

I’m sure you’ve heard this before - it costs five to twenty five percent more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one.

But, subscription customers are in a league of their own. Because we realize that they’re so important to our businesses, we will offer free trials, discounts, and other incentives to get customers to sign up.

However, keeping these customers interested in your subscriptions is just as important as acquiring them! You’re not going to reap all the great benefits of subscription customers if they unsubscribe after their free trial.

The best way to keep your customers engaged is to maintain consistent communication!
If customers are subscribing to your products - they want to hear from you! Email customers at key moments in their buying journey to make the subscription process easy and fun.

When customers first sign up, be upfront and let them know exactly what to expect with your company. And make sure you’re clearly outlining the benefits to the customer - don’t be shy! [Fabfitfun](https://fabfitfun.com/welcome/) gives subscription customers $200 worth of goodies for $49.99 a month. That’s a great deal!


fabfitfun example

email example

If their credit cards are about to expire, set up an automatic email to notify them. This will prevent any headaches with future orders for both the merchant and your staff.

If you offer subscription boxes, tease customers with what’s coming up in the next box after they’ve received the current one. This not only reminds customers that they have goodies coming, it creates anticipation and excitement for what’s to come.

Never be afraid to re-engage! If subscription customers have cancelled, ask them why and use their answer to try to solve the problems they’re facing. E.g. If it’s too expensive; offer them a coupon code, if they have too many products currently; offer to pause their subscription, or if they don’t like the product, send them a survey to find out what they would like.

Employees in brick and mortar stores ask this all the time when a customer returns a product to help find the best solution for their customers.

Even if customers don’t end up subscribing with you again, you’ll still gain valuable feedback as to why they left, which you can use to your advantage to prevent more subscribers from leaving for the same reason(s).

## 5. Allow shoppers to customize their subscription

A little flexibility goes a long way, and as personalized shopping experiences become the standard way to shop online, consumers are expecting more customized solutions every time they open their browser.

By allowing subscription customers to pause, skip, and change up their subscriptions, you’re putting the power in their hands. They’ll feel much more comfortable signing up for the long term if they know they have control.

A great way to gain the trust of new shoppers is to offer a discount or trial sized version of a product for their first subscription. This is an easy sell for customers since they get to try a product before committing.

[With Bold’s convertible subscription feature](http://bit.ly/2qn06oW), this trial sized product can automatically convert to a full-sized, regular-priced product subscription on the second order. That means if your customers love the product, they’ll be automatically subscribed without having to lift a finger and you won’t have to manually adjust their order.

If your subscription business offers different products to your customers every month, like a [sock of the month club](https://johnscrazysocks.com/), make sure they’re actually receiving different products!

With Bold Product Shuffle, you can offer your customers different goodies each month, two months, or whenever you choose to ship your subscriptions.

Normally, it’s very difficult to ensure that customers won’t receive repeat products without a lot of manual work. [Product Shuffle](http://bit.ly/2RoGsED) allows you to set your products on autopilot and keep customers happy with new products.

## 6. Keep it consistent

If you’re consistently delivering quality products and experiences to your clients, they’re going to continue to be a loyal customer and receive your subscriptions time and time again.

If you included a handwritten note in your boxes when you first started, continue offering that same personal touch even when you’re a multi-million dollar company.

Personalised marketing note from Fabfitfun

fabfitfun personalised marketing

Personal touches

This is especially true for your products. If you deliver quality products, customers are going to notice if the integrity changes should you choose to try a cheaper route. Cutting corners can be tempting, but it’s often the little above and beyond things you do as a company that thrills your customers.

The same goes for your message, marketing materials, and brand guidelines. Yes, these things can change with time if you undergo a brand update, but if you’re a quirky company with a certain language and style, keep that the same across all facets of your business.

*There you have it!*

Your customers are the key driving force behind your subscription business. They come with a lot of great benefits (hello recurring revenue!) and can influence the purchasing decisions of others. The key to earning their trust and keep them coming back for more is not a single action you take; it’s all the individual steps mentioned above that really drive home what kind of company you are, and will continue to be in the future.

__This is a guest post from Amy Polowy, Partner Marketing Manager at [Bold Commerce](https://boldcommerce.com/).__


How to build trust to acquire (and retain) subscription customers

5 Ways to Instill Trust on Your Landing Pages  to Increase Conversions 

In this article, we discuss the importance of trust when it comes to landing page conversions, and we explore ways you can build credibility to convert more browsers into buyers.

- The headline gives them a peek into what your offer.
- The copy educates them and lets them know how you can help.
- The image adds visual appeal and sometimes shows the product or service in action.
- The form collects the visitor’s information. 
- The CTA button tells visitors how to redeem the offer and what to expect next.

While all this is great for optimisation, one aspect is often overlooked – trust. Without trust, a compelling headline, copy, attractive images, an optimised form, or a contrasting CTA button won’t generate conversions. 

If your page lacks trust and credibility, nothing else will be able to increase the conversion rate, and your bounce rate will probably skyrocket.

So, how do you establish trust and keep people engaged on your landing pages? Here are five great tips to get you started this holiday season.

### How to create trustworthy landing pages to increase conversions

If your landing page doesn’t look credible to visitors, they will most likely exit the page straight away. To avoid that and increase your chances of converting, give our recommendations a read...

__1. Ensure message match __

Message match refers to the process of matching an ad’s primary message with that of the post-ad click page. Doing this provides reassurance to the visitor, and lets them know they have landed on the right page. 

When we talk about message match, we’re not only referring to the headline, but to the imagery and primary branding colours as well (in the case of display ads). 

When a prospects clicks your ad, they have certain expectations in their mind about what happens next. If the post-click landing page successfully fulfills those expectations, trust is established and any anxiety in their mind will disappear. You will then see an increase in conversion rate as a result.

Message match should be established between:

1. PPC ad and post-click landing page 
2. Social media ad and post-click landing page 
3. Email and post-click landing page

Here's how Optimove matches messaging:

landing-page-conversion-rate-facebook-ad

Optimove ad

landing-page-conversion-rate-optimove

Optimove landing page

- The ad and landing page headline both talk about building a customer model.
- The imagery is designed in the same style throughout.
- The landing page offer matches the ad. 

When your ad and landing page match, user expectations are satisfied and trust is instilled to increase your [landing page conversion rate](https://instapage.com/blog/landing-page-conversion-rate-optimization). 

__2. Customer testimonials __

Featuring customer testimonials on your landing page [adds credibility because they establish third-party social proof](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews). 

The [concept of social proof](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing) dictates that people rely on the feedback and actions of others to determine their next course of action. For landing pages, this means showing prospects how your product or service has benefited others in a variety of ways. 

Customer testimonials help you do just that. Indeed, today, 89% of global consumers check online reviews as part of their online buying journey, and 49% of global consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.

When adding customer testimonials, make sure the examples detail how your product or service solved their problem. 

Dusk social proof landing page

__3. Logos __

There's a good reason why so many web pages and landing pages display partner, press or company logos – the logos act as bragging rights for the host company. 

Similarly to testimonials, adding logos provides additional proof that your service is legitimate and trustworthy. By seeing other companies' logos, prospects can’t help but think that your business is credible.

Here, Sand & Sky feature newspapers and magazine logos.

__4. Security badges __

Requesting prospects to enter their name and email address is one thing, but asking for credit card information is a much bigger ask. To make people feel comfortable entering financial details, you’ll want to provide certain security measures to keep their information safe. This is especially true on [eCommerce pages](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/15-ecommerce-tips-to-drastically-increase-your-conversion-rate) where purchases take place. 

Security badges or [trust signals](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/why-and-how-social-proof-influences-consumers) ensure visitors that it is safe to make a transaction on the page. An Actual Insights study found that security badges increased the perceived trustworthiness of a brand for 75% of respondents, and 61% of participants chose not to complete a transaction because security badges were absent.

This [Salesforce landing page](https://www.salesforce.com/form/signup/freetrial-elf-v2/?d=70130000000EqoP) features two security badges under the lead capture form:


Salesforce security badges

__5. Privacy policy link __

This final tip may not be as recognisable as the others. However, it is just as important because it demonstrates transparency in how you collect and use data. Including your privacy policy link can direct visitors off the page and explain what will happen to their data if they convert. 

They may not click the link, but having it accessible can reassure them and persuade them to move to the next step.

### Trustworthy landing pages help you increase conversion rates

With just seconds to capture a prospect’s attention, especially during the holiday season, you must optimise your landing pages and make visitors feel comfortable converting. 

Adding some elements to establish trust can do just that and help increase your conversion rate – for mobile conversions, too. Your prospects will appreciate it and your bottom line will thank you.

If you'd like to learn more about reviews and conversions, why not give our guide to CRO a read?


Scopri i consigli di Trustpilot per aumentare il tuo tasso di conversione (parte 2 di 3)

5 Ways to instill trust on your landing pages  to increase conversions 

user-generated content and conversions

Brands can no longer ignore millennials. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the demographic cohort that follows Generation X. Millennials - born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s - are the largest living generation and buy more than any other groups of people.

## 1. Millennials, explained

Millennials grew up with technology - the internet, social media, smartphones. And today, they spend, on average, 18 hours per day with media, and over [71%](https://www.business2community.com/infographics/millennials-love-user-generated-content-infographic-01497502) of them check social networking sites at least once a day.

For this reason, they don’t respond to traditional media like any other groups of individuals, and they trust and produce user-generated content (UGC) more than anyone else. Millennials are also the biggest content drivers, [contributing to over 70% of all UGC](https://stackla.com/resources/blog/42-statistics-about-user-generated-content-you-need-to-know/).

User-generated content can be anything from photos and videos to customer reviews and discussions created by customers, and publicly available to other consumers.

Millennials [trust UGC 50% more than original branded content](https://medium.com/@lexywright/the-50-user-generated-content-stats-you-need-to-know-8ffbeebf8552), which is why user-generated content also has a major impact on millennial spending, with 84% of individuals claiming that they use UGC to make purchasing decisions. For this reason, savvy companies whose audience are millennial consumers have started encouraging the creation and promotion of user-generated content on their marketing channels.

## 2. Creating an engaging user journey

Creating a perfect and seamless user experience that carries millennials through a purchase from the very beginning is what every company aspires to. But not many businesses know how to achieve this successfully.

The key to a successful customer journey is knowing how to implement trust throughout the different stages of the process. UGC encourages millennials to learn more about your business, your products and your service, and understand how your customers feel about you in a trusted way.

For example, instead of stock photos, choose authentic pictures like photos of your customers using your own products. Or maybe you'd prefer showing how much consumers have enjoyed your products by displaying online reviews?

Placing user-generated content on your website's key pages can significantly improve your conversion rate and help you decrease your cart abandonment rate.

Dusk displays product reviews on site

Fabletics displays their customers' photos as well as online reviews on their homepage

Fabletics displays some customers' photos as well as online reviews on their website's homepage

When consumers come across trust signals such as user-generated content, they're more likely to continue to engage with your brand, and less likely to continue their research elsewhere.

Did you know that 65% of millennials admit they [evaluate information that is shared on social media before buying](https://www.pixlee.com/blog/the-50-user-generated-content-stats-you-need-to-know/)? 

Indeed, sharing user-generated content on social media can be a great opportunity to reach and engage with your audience as well, as social campaigns that incorporate UGC usually see [a 50% lift in engagement](https://stackla.com/resources/blog/42-statistics-about-user-generated-content-you-need-to-know/). 

Every GoPro customer has the potential to become a content creator. GoPro only share their customers' photos on social media

gopro

GoPro social media UGC

This year, we observed an [11% decline in trust globally](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews), with only 71% of people admitting they trust consumer brands. Today, 89% of global consumers check online reviews as part of their online buying journey, and consumers turn to their peers for third-party validation.

Don't forget – your customers are your best marketers.

Today's consumers want a fully integrated social experience, where they can find any information they need quickly and efficiently. Displaying UGC and encouraging customers to interact with your brand can not only boost trust and engagement, but also customer loyalty.

## 3. Letting your customers tell your story

Letting customers share their experience through user-generated content can help them connect with your business and your community, and asking your customers for user-generated content can help your business engage with its community too. 

Displaying it on key pages and at key stages of the user journey will also help you build trusted relationships with new browsers and with potential customers.

Daniel Wellington share their favourite customer photos with #DWPickOfTheDay on Instagram

Daniel Wellington UGC Instagram

Letting your customers tell your brand story can increase conversions and boost loyalty in the long term. Remember - your customers’ stamp of approval means a lot more than your self-proclaimed excellence from a millennial’s point of view.

If you'd like to learn more about the importance of third-party validation to convert more browsers into customers this holiday season, give our "7 Tried and Tested Conversion Strategies" guide a read below.

How to use user-generated content to reach and convert millennials

conversion rate optimisation - what is it and why is it important?

Conversion rate optimisation is a key part of online marketing that's meant to increase the odds that visitors will complete a specific action, or at least get closer to a desired goal such as call, book a demo, purchase a product or service, and so on.

Conversion rate optimisation can be a great opportunity for businesses of any size. It enables businesses to convert more visitors into customers, and effective CRO can lead to better user experience and increased sales.

We hope you’ll find our beginner’s guide insightful, and learn new things that will help you find ways [to optimise your own website](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/15-ecommerce-tips-to-drastically-increase-your-conversion-rate) in time for this year's shopping season.

So first things first...

## What is conversion rate optimisation?

Conversion rate optimisation is an important part of online marketing. The CRO ‘science’ consists in optimising your website in order to increase to likelihood that visitors will complete a specific action, or at least get closer to a desired goal – purchase a product or service, call, book a demo, etc.

In 2020, [the average eCommerce conversion rate is about 2.86%](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/the-average-website-conversion-rate-by-industry/#:~:text=The%20latest%20survey%20and%20studies,website%20conversion%20rate%20of%204.31%25.). This means that 97.14% of visitors leave most websites without completing the customer journey. 

In this article, we’ll explain how conversion rate optimisation can help you convert the remaining 97%.

## Trustpilot's beginner’s guide to CRO – 8 things to try today

Now that you know what conversion rate optimisation is, and how it can benefit your business, this section is dedicated to helping you find ways to optimise your pages.

We’ve put together eight tips for beginners that will hopefully help your business achieve better CRO results. 

Let’s get started!

### 1. Simplify your site with clear calls to action

If you don’t have an eye for design, making your website visually appealing can be challenging. A website’s homepage must be inviting, and most of all, easy-to-navigate in order for visitors to go down your funnel and convert.

It only takes visitors [two tenths of a second to form a first impression](https://www.creativepl.com/blog/how-long-do-you-have-make-first-impression-online-marketing) on your business looking at your website, so remember that simplicity is key. 

Your calls to action (CTAs) are your best closer, but it’s easy to go wrong. In order to increase your conversion rate, your CTAs must be clear, visible, and most of all, clickable. No need to insert five different CTAs per page. One is enough, because the more calls to action a page has, the less likely it is that your customers will click on each one of them, or on any at all.

To make sure your pages are optimised, opt for a unique and clear goal per page, and therefore a single CTA - from booking a demo, to calling, adding a product to a basket, or checking out, remember: one CTA per page is the golden rule.


Spotify's homepage has a clear and simple call-to-action.

Spotify has a clear CTA and a simple, easy-to-navigate website design

### 2. Offer a good user experience

At Trustpilot, we want to help you build great user experiences. We believe we can help you boost your conversion rate by optimising and fixing minor user experience problems.

__Responsive design__

Adopting a responsive design means your website layout will fit and adjust to any viewing device your visitors might be using. This will considerably improve customer experience, and therefore influence your conversions. 


Example of responsive design

__Loading time__

According to KissMetrics, nearly half of consumers would [wait only up to 10 seconds for a site to load before abandoning it](https://neilpatel.com/blog/loading-time/). This means a 1-second delay could cost you a 7% conversion decrease!

A slow loading time is also likely to decrease your customer satisfaction and the probability that visitors will come back to your site. With this in mind, it’s easy to see how loading speed can impact conversion rates. Simply making your website faster with tools like Pingdom can help you convert more. 

### 3. Invest in a good search bar

During its own conversion rate optimisation analyses, Topshop noticed that customers were having difficulty finding and using the internal search box, and that visitors who managed to use it properly converted 10 times higher than others. After doing some extensive testing, Topshop was able to improve its search box design, and [increase its conversion rate by 5.8%](https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/120261189-conversion-rate-optimization).

A good search bar allows your visitors to skip through the customer journey and go straight to the product they’re interested in, and eventually, the checkout page. The search bar can be seen as a conversion ‘shortcut’, and is essential if you offer a wide variety of products.


Topshop’s search bar (top right) allows you to find products faster

Topshop’s search bar (top right) allows you to find any product you want, faster

### 4. A/B test your landing pages

You’ve got a landing page, but you’re not sure how to optimise it for conversions.

A/B testing is the way to go. 

Indeed, A/B testing allows you to experiment, test two different strategies against each other, and compare the results in order to find the best option for both you and your visitors.

It can usually last for as long as needed, or until one of the two strategies is clearly more successful than the other.  Here’s a list of things you can A/B test in order to optimise your landing page’s conversion rate:

- Your landing page’s image
- Your landing page’s unique selling proposition
- Your landing page’s CTA 
- Your landing page’s content (list of benefits, [customer reviews, trust symbols…](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/6-social-proof-examples-to-boost-conversions-today))
- Your landing page’s colours

Once you have enough data points to mark a significant result, you can opt for the better performing option, knowing you’ll increase your conversions.

[J7 Media](https://www.j7media.com/en/) – a Trustpilot partner – manages the ads and landing pages for eCommerce clients and always performs A/B tests to determine what generates the most value. To better understand how A/B testing works, we asked the experts at J7 to share what they've learned. Here's what they have to say.

"A/B testing is a must-do in your conversion optimization process. When planning for an A/B test, there are two types of pages you might want to improve on. 

The first type is an under-performing page. If your funnel analysis points to a page on which there’s a lot of traffic but very few conversions, try looking at the consumers' landing page experience and putting yourself in their shoes. It’s an easy way to find potential friction points. You can then try an A/B test removing those barriers. 

The second type is a well-performing page. Sometimes we simply want to see if our best pages can still be improved upon. In both scenarios, many parts of your page can be tested to improve their conversion rate."

J7 also shared some ideas to jumpstart your reflection on your next A/B test:

- Focus first on the above portion of your page. It’s the most important part. 
- Think mobile-first. In digital marketing, a wide portion of the audience often comes from mobile. Make sure their experience is just as good as the ones who are shopping from their desktop.
- Test different copywriting and images variations.
- Make sure customers see your products in all their glory. 
- Match the copy and imagery from the ads linking to the landing page. Try using Dynamic text replacement, if possible. 

Ultimately, data is king, so it's important to make sure you keep track of all relevant key performance indicators before, during, and after your A/B tests on each landing page. You will accumulate relevant information for future tests that could save you time and money.

If you'd like to learn more about improving conversions on ads and landing pages, [visit J7 Media today](https://www.j7media.com/en/).

### 5. Make sure your contact page is comprehensive

Whether you’re a B2C or a B2B business, your contact page is more important than you think it is.

Far too many companies put their contact details in their website’s footer, just ‘give up’ on their contact page, and hope for the best. 

Big mistake! 

Your ‘Contact us’ page is one of the most important and most visited pages of your website.

That’s why we think these are important:

- Include a reason to contact your business, how you can help, etc.
- Don't forget your company’s phone number and email.
- The shorter the form, the better. Include fields like ‘Name’ and ‘Email’, but don’t overdo it.
- A single, clear call-to-action will reduce your bounce rate.
- Link to your company’s social media accounts, just in case visitors would rather contact you via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or want to get to know you better first!
- If they complete the form, make sure to send them a ‘Thank you’ message. Consumers like to know when their problem is being looked at.

### 6. Increase fear of missing out (FOMO)

Using live data can help increase your visitors’ fear of missing out, and push them to make a decision faster, based on the ‘wisdom of the crowd’. 

Live data is usually used directly on product pages and can considerably improve your conversion rate. 

This can include anything considered as ‘social proof’: from the number of visitors currently looking at your product, to the number of people who bought this item over the last 24 hours, other similar items people who have looked at this page ended up purchasing, your bestsellers, and much more.

Below is a great example of how Booking.com uses live data as social proof to optimise conversions on their product pages:


Booking.com uses live data as social proof to convert customers

Booking.com using live data as social proof

### 7. Add reviews and testimonials

We all know how easy it is to compare businesses by price, shipping cost, quality, and customer experience when we shop online. Unfortunately, that only makes it harder for brands to stand out, and therefore to retain and convert online shoppers. 

Today, [89% of global consumers check online reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) as part of their online buying journey, and 49% of global consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences. This means that 89% of all consumers will be looking for third-party validation when comparing different products or services. 

That’s why adding customer testimonials or online reviews to your ads or website can help build trust earlier in the funnel, reduce your bounce rate, and convert more visitors whilst creating better user experiences.

Trustpilot data shows that 87% of consumers find ads more trustworthy with the Trustpilot trust mark, even when there are only four stars. 

Below are some examples of brands leveraging Trustpilot reviews in their customer journey:


Patch plants displays Trustpilot reviews

Made.com and Trustpilot reviews

### 8. Don’t risk losing customers at checkout

__Offer a guest checkout option__

Did you know that having to create a new user account is the [second biggest reason for cart abandonment](https://www.barilliance.com/10-reasons-shopping-cart-abandonment/) (22%)?

Guest checkout can help keep all bottom of funnel visitors stay engaged with your brand, whether they’re repeat or first-time buyers. 

Most consumers don’t want to create an account every time they order from a new website, so why not offer a guest checkout option? 

You can always email them afterward, and ask if they’d like to create an account.

__Free shipping is always a winner__

Shipping cost [is the number one reason for cart abandonment](https://www.barilliance.com/10-reasons-shopping-cart-abandonment/) (25%), and 9 out of 10 consumers say free shipping is their biggest incentive to continue shopping online. 

Charging for shipping could mean you’re losing some of your sales. As a solution, you could offer free shipping on all orders, have a minimum spend requirement, or simply give free shipping to shoppers for a limited period of time.

__Payment options are important__

Did you know that [59% ](http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/53/00-OFFERS-HIDDEN/How_to_Avoid_the_15_Most_Common_Reasons_for_Shopping_Cart_Abandonment-Ecommerce.pdf?t=1478676299165&__hstc=20629287.fff71273d961dba1de5e888958a1ddad.1478679467732.1478679467732.1478679467732.1&__hssc=20629287.13.1478679467732&__hsfp=2350983302)of buyers will abandon a transaction if their prefered
payment method isn’t available? All customers are different, which is why your website should offer as many payment options as possible. 

Having multiple payment options means you’re likely to convert more visitors into customers. Don’t risk losing visitors who’ve made it down the funnel!

Here’s a great example of varied payment options: H&M offers its customers different types of payment methods, including Klarna.

H&M offers different payment options, including 'Pay later' with Klarna

H&M payment options

These 8 tips should help you master the art of conversion rate optimisation, just in time for the holiday season.

We hope this article helped you figure out what CRO is, and how you can start optimising your website’s pages today.

If you found this blog post insightful, and if you'd like to find out more about Trustpilot and how reviews can help you boost conversions in Q4 and all-year-round, click the link below to read our "7 Tried and Tested Conversion Strategies" guide.

What is conversion rate optimisation? Trustpilot's guide to CRO

consumer experiences matter

For an eCommerce site, personalized customer experiences are all about tailoring the shopping experience for each individual customer or potential customer. These are the types of experiences keep your customers returning to your site for more.

Leaders in Consumer Experience deliver, on average, [17%](https://econsultancy.com/blog/68069-customer-experience-drives-revenue-growth-but-marketers-lack-cx-skills/) of revenue growth within 5 years, whereas poorer consumer experience departments deliver only 3% over the same period.

Improved consumer experiences have become one of the main key success factors for retailers to win and retain shoppers. Indeed, today, a totally satisfied customer contributes [2.6](http://infoquestcrm.co.uk/about/case-studies-2/) times as much revenue as a somewhat satisfied customer, and 14 times as much revenue as a somewhat dissatisfied customer.

So how do you make sure your shoppers’ expectations are met and exceeded?

Virtual Reality could be the answer...

### What's a personalized consumer experience?

The best way to explain this is to put you in the shoes of your local brick-and-mortar retail store owner. Picture yourself knowing the names of every single person who comes into your establishment. Sounds personal, right?

Now, imagine yourself knowing which of your products each one truly loves, and which are considered their favorites. You understand exactly which language they speak and the offers and deals they jump on regularly. Your memory bank keeps up with every single item they’ve ever purchased from and you know when they’ll need those items again.

This is possible, without needing perfect memory. Having all of this data on your customers allows you to create a personalized and customized consumer experience that matches their wants, desires, and needs. With that, comes the ability to plan each step a consumer needs to take in order to get them to make a purchase from your store.

Personalized consumer experiences can also extend post-purchase, allowing you to keep in touch with them even after they’ve made a purchase. So, every once in a while, you could simply send them a quick note to see how their purchase is going or let them know about new product launches and current deals and sales on items you know they actually like.

### Make each individual purchase a customized consumer experience

For an eCommerce site, personalized consumer experiences are all about customizing the shopping experience for each individual customer or potential customer. These are the types of experiences keep your customers returning to your site for more!

No doubt, [personalizing your customers’ online experiences](https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/when-should-you-personalize-the-ecommerce-experience) could be the key to taking your site’s revenue over the top. According to Shopify:

* 75% of online shoppers like brands to personalize their offerings and messages
* 74% of consumers get frustrated by content that isn’t relevant to their lives
* Your online conversion rate can improve by about 8% with personalized online consumer experiences

By implementing this marketing tactic, you’ll continue to succeed and win for years to come!

### The benefits of personalizing your consumers’ experiences

Most online retailers have already implemented some type of customer personalization strategy. But for a site to flourish, you need to graduate far beyond simple entry-level tactics. Getting past structural obstacles and various barriers allows you to come up with strategies that are tailored to your product, your industry, and your type of customer.

A survey recently conducted found that 55% of online users in the US ranked Amazon as the [#1 digital platform](https://www.emarketer.com/Report/Personalization-Retail-Latest-Trends-Challenges/2002008), citing them as having the “best personalized consumer experiences.” Other online moguls, such as Google and Netflix, have invested heavily in personalized experiences, knowing its value. They’ve customized content as well as recommendations, driving click-through rates through the roof.  

These days, most online shoppers prefer to use mobile devices to browse for products and savvy shoppers expect their suggestions to be relevant to spend less time browsing. They want to find what they’re looking for quickly and, repeat shoppers like to easily find products they’ve purchased in the past..

### How to implement personalized consumer experiences on eCommerce sites

Online shopping is the way to go for most consumers. This requires a different approach for retailers who are used to having brick-and-mortar locations. When shopping at brick-and-mortar locations, consumers can see products up close, touch them, try them on, etc… But, when shopping online, your customers need to be able to ask questions and voice concerns about your products because they can’t physically interact with them.

Struggling to find a creative way to personalize your consumers’ experiences on your eCommerce platform? How about giving them the ability to chat with your customer service team in real-time? Now, that’s a valuable way to provide support that feels personal and makes consumers feel valued.

One of your goals as the owner of an online business should be to prevent your customers from becoming frustrated between the browsing and buying stages. Making purchases on your site needs to be enjoyable, painless, and most importantly, fast.

### 5 quick ways to implement personalized experiences for online eCommerce customers

__1. Personalized customer communications__

One-size-fits-all style emails aren’t personal enough to reel in valuable clicks. In order to build a loyal customer base, you need to invoke those fuzzy, warm feelings that create connections.

Yes, you should send out regular emails to keep in touch with your followers. But, know what your goals are in preparation for you emails. Are you looking to grow the number of subscribers on your list? Optimize click-through rates? Or increase traffic to your site?

One way to encourage this is to create multiple lists or groups. This allows you to send your customers newsletters that actually bring value to their lives. You’ll also be able to create multiple personalized landing pages, so each group ends up on a webpage that’s relevant to them personally.

__2. Offer relevant discounts & coupon codes__

As an online eCommerce site, your overhead costs are generally lower than brick-and-mortar stores. Plus, your platform completely automates the selling and buying processes, saving you time and money. So, why not extend some of those savings to your loyal customers?

Personalize the types of discounts and coupon codes you offer your customers based on past orders and future needs. For example, those who purchased printer ink six months ago might need a refill. Make sure their discounts specifically relate to their past purchase in order to stay relevant.

__3. Engage your target customers with video content__

Instructional videos are great ways to increase your email subscribers. You can personalize many different types of videos to meet various customer needs, including:

* Product-specific tips and tricks
* Strategies relevant for your audience
* Product tutorials

Use videos to educate your customers online about your products, your business, and their interests. Make sure you keep videos engaging and entertaining. Here are some ideas for making instructional videos for your eCommerce site:

* How your products work
* Useful ways to use your products
* Unique uses for your products
* How your products differ from the competition
* Ways to NOT use your products
* Funny anecdotes and bloopers sent in by customers who use your products

Post your videos on your eCommerce site, social media networks, even email newsletters. This will help grow your subscribers over time.

Why? The simple answer is, video content engages online users, and instructional videos allow you to connect a human face to your brand. This increase in brand engagement helps increase conversions.

Providing a personalized consumer experience with video content will help you give your customers the confidence they need when buying online. 

If you'd like to learn more about the importance of trust signals when building personalized experiences, give the piece below a read:

The importance of trust signals in the customer buying journey

Why personalized experiences can boost conversions

5 Tactics to increase your eCommerce conversion rate

It’s no secret that conversion rate optimization is an important part of online marketing. We asked our partners at leading agencies for their advice. Their experts came back with 5 tactics businesses can use to increase their online conversions.

The CRO ‘science’ consists in optimizing your website in order to increase the likelihood that visitors will complete a specific action, or at least get closer to a desired goal. 

In 2020, [the average eCommerce conversion rate is about 2.86%](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/the-average-website-conversion-rate-by-industry/#:~:text=The%20latest%20survey%20and%20studies,website%20conversion%20rate%20of%204.31%25.). This means that 97.14% of visitors leave most websites without completing their customer journey.

As many businesses have had to sell online these past few months, and as the busiest time of year approaches, we asked our partners at leading agencies for their advice.

Their experts came back with 5 great tactics eCommerce businesses can implement to increase their online conversions throughout the funnel, from search to onsite. So if your conversion rate hasn’t budged, or worse even, is dropping, you might want to give these a go! 


## 1. Implement schema markup in your structured data 

[Dan Baum, Paid Media Specialist at IMPACT](https://www.impactbnd.com/team/dan-baum) recommends that his clients use structured schema markup on their pages.

“Structured schema markup provides the search engines more information to better understand the content and intent of each page. The search engines then present these extra details as review snippets under the title and meta description of your SERP listing. Schema markup lets you give users more information about your page, like information about your hours, contact details, reviews, pricing, location, star-rating, product availability, and more. The availability of all this extra information drastically improves the appearance of your search results and can significantly improve your click-through rates.

“The tough part is that you can't just ‘turn schema on’ to start using these much more attractive search results. You'll need to head to Schema.com where they walk you through all the vocabulary and code you'll need to create schema markups that can be read by Google, Bing, Yahoo, and most other popular search engines. if complex coding and development isn't really your thing, there are some really effective schema generators out there. Check out [technicalseo.com](https://technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator/) or [Google’s tool](https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/).

Schema markup image 1

Schema markup Image 2

Schema markup image 3

## 2. Dominate SERPs with search query funneling

Greg Thibault, Organic Search and Conversion Strategic Manager at Exclusive Concepts, is a strong proponent of search query funneling, a tactic that allows you to identify keywords to drive more revenue for your business and dominate SERPs, while mitigating [wasted ad spend](https://bi.exclusiveconcepts.com/googleadsscorecard/signup?utm_source=Trustpilot&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=blog). 

“The three core steps to search query funneling differ from the typical bid approach of bidding on high-value IDs. Here are the steps:

- Step 1: Prioritize your keywords, placing categorical phrases at high-priority, and deprioritizing branded, product-specific keywords.
- Step 2: Instruct Google on where and when to stop by adding negative keywords and using campaign priorities.
- Step 3: Assign bids to each priority bucket. Bidding high for low-priority phrases and low for high-priority phrases.

In order to capitalize on the visibility you are driving by leveraging [search query funneling](https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgxwJXLdhpVRtcqFLsFnXDvSDzBSJ?compose=CllgCHrdlcTJWkjfcWNszWPTqSrtCpGxSjPhMfsdKNzHhKBkmHwXXTqxSjXKTKktPpTjJvvZmBB), ensure you have product reviews on both the SERP and the product page. Reviews ultimately influence conversion and anything you can add to product listing ads or site is a no-brainer.”


Dog Food google shopping 1

Dog Food product page 2

## 3. Social proof improves conversion throughout the funnel

Exclusive Concepts’ advice to improve conversion continues throughout the funnel with an emphasis on social proof. 

“With [shoppers moving to eCommerce](https://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/insights/its-unanimous-klaviyo-and-exclusive-data-find-big-sales-potential-across-e-commerce/?utm_source=TPblog&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=SEOblog) in droves for 2020, it’s only becoming more imperative for online stores to convey instant trustworthiness. To do that, we recommend adding visible social proof at significant steps in the customer journey to engender feelings of safety and security. 

Because the user experience is paramount to helping undecided and unfamiliar shoppers feel
comfortable making purchases, online stores should: 

- Include star-ratings for every item on __category pages__
- Display a review carousel near the top of the page and star-ratings near the add-to-cart button on __product pages__ 
- Include a review carousel at the bottom of the page, near the checkout button on __cart pages__ 

The most successful e-commerce sites will be the ones that can [reassure their customers](https://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/insights/increasing-conversion-webinar-reviews-based-marketing/?utm_source=TPblog&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=SEOblog) that they are making a good decision at each point of the purchase.”


White Mountain Puzzles product page

## 4. Convert onsite with an optimized chatbot 

Ben Lack, CEO of [Interrupt Media](http://www.interruptmedia.com/), suggests implementing a chatbot onto your website. 

“If implemented correctly, you’ll give yourself the ability to quickly answer questions your potential customers have about the products you’re selling so that you can turn more web visitors into customers. After implementation, make sure that you have a clear strategy for different page types. For example, for your home page, consider having your chatbot automatically ask a question like ‘is there a specific product that you’re looking for?’. If it’s a specific product page, your chatbot may want to automatically ask ‘do you have any questions about this product that I can answer?’. 

“These are leading questions that generate opportunities for your chatbot to convert more traffic into sales. Some chatbots will let you automate replies based on user responses while others require someone to write real time responses. So make sure that you map out how you want to support the user engagement for each use case.”


## 5. Optimize for your core demographic's digital behavior trends

Barron Rosborough, Content Marketing Manager at Hawke Media, offers a tactic that helps businesses increase conversion at every point in the funnel.

"Analyzing the behaviors of your core demographics is a tactic you can employ to hone in on trends in customer behaviors that lead to conversions. 

This is helpful for two reasons:

1. You learn which customers are likely to buy and you can tailor your strategy to earn their repeat business.
2. Once you’ve identified behavior patterns, you can isolate those traits in your targeting to expand your audience for potential customers that are likely to convert.

Look for co-occurrence between activities by visitors that complete checkouts on your website. Where did they come from? What did they click? How long did they stay on the page? Glean helpful data points that help identify behaviors that have a high correlation with purchase intent.
 
For Hawke client [Barstool Sports](https://hawkemedia.com/blog/barstool-sports-sem-monitize-following), we analyzed the behavior of visitors to all of their content channels, realizing that their massive audience was consuming their content, but not visiting their store. So our team redirected users to their online store by serving search ads on various platforms leading to a 1,082% increase in eCommerce revenue."

Barstool Sports graph

We hope these 5 tips from digital experts will help you master conversion rate optimization so you can start improving your website’s user experience today.

If you found this article insightful, or if you have any other tips you’d like to share with us, do not hesitate to tweet us at @Trustpilot using #onTheBlog. Alternatively, if you'd like to find out more about Trustpilot and how reviews can help you boost your sales, give our conversions guide a read by clicking the link below:

Why an omni-channel strategy can help you succeed

Today, omni-channel strategies standardise messaging, approaches and marketing, so that the customer can move from channel to channel whilst keeping their experience as consistent as it can be. This approach often leads to success. Here's why.

Before 2020, many traditional consumer businesses and new companies were already moving away from models that are shop-centric and geographically-focused, to ones that are customer-centric and virtually borderless by adopting a virtual presence. After lockdown, this is likely to become even more true.

However, migrating to a customer-centric strategy isn't all that easy. It means excelling in engaging with consumers across all channels: web, mobile, social and in-store. Omni-channel strategies standardises messaging, approaches and marketing, so that the customer moves from channel to channel whilst keeping their experience as consistent as it can be.

Aberdeen Group Inc. claims that companies with the strongest omni-channel strategies retain, on average, 89% of their customers, as compared to 33% for companies with weak omni-channel strategies.

This approach represents a change that empowers not only consumers but also online retailers, who enjoy numerous advantages over brick & mortar shops. This begs the question: how will retail stores, both large and small, survive digitalisation, especially coming out of lockdown?

## Retailers must catch up with omni-channel consumers

Consumers are leading and shaping the move to online and retailers are lagging behind. As the global consumer refines their approach and adopts new technologies, even when retailers catch up, they find themselves behind the trend once again.

To become more flexible and adapt to new behaviours, they must have a better understanding of their customers and their needs in order to change the way they market their products and run their stores.

[An omni-channel presence](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/why-an-omni-channel-experience-is-your-best-christmas-present) matches messaging and ensures there’s no disconnect across channels. Brands with a disjointed message across digital and traditional channels (commonly known as a multi-channel approach) could end up losing ground in the market.

When first confronted with in-store shoppers researching products and comparing prices on their mobile devices, bricks & mortar shops worried whether they could compete with online retailers. These retailers might think they don’t have the technological infrastructure, the money, or the staff dedicated to meet consumers at their preferred digital storefront.

But the task isn't as impossible or expensive as it may seem.

For shops who anticipate and adapt to these changes, there are great possibilities and changes ahead. The survivors will be those who have recognised the omni-channel trend and are constantly looking for ways to improve their customer experience in an omni-channel way.

Here’s how retailers can jumpstart their online presence to catch up to the competition and increase their sales.

## Breaking down the online/offline mentality

Offline businesses allow face-to-face interaction, which ultimately creates better customer relationships. Online businesses don’t allow face-to-face interaction, so customers can not physically see a product. Offline businesses usually target a specific locality, whereas online businesses reach a wider audience.

But with bigger companies now playing on both fronts, it’s time for smaller businesses to break down the online/offline mentality and create a seamless flow of information from store to shelves to online resources for consumers to use throughout their buying journey.

Shopping has become a 24/7 activity that is easily conducted through a multitude of devices. Today, everything is interactive, and when it comes to meeting consumers’ omni-channel needs, the storefront is no exception.

By meeting consumers on both physical and digital channels, retailers can improve the shopping experience for browsers. One of the most powerful tools retailers possess in their crucial quest to integrate both offline and online operations is to integrate a digital presence in their brick & mortar shops.

According to Forrester Research, 54% of all retail transactions are influenced by the web, showcasing how physical store locations and web interactions are a must for all retailers.

By following the omni-channel trend, retailers can augment the shopping experience in stores by offering the information consumers need within easy reach, whether in-store or on a device. This creates a unified brand experience that allows consumers to begin the customer journey regardless of channel.

The Apple Store is a great example of the potential value that stores hold in providing the right kind of shopping experience for consumers who visit physical shops. The website directs consumers to make an in-store appointment via an online tool, and in-store “geniuses” often redirect customers online when faced with issues like out-of-stock products. The process is smooth and easy from the consumer’s perspective, and showcases the brand’s expertise.

Apple store genius bar

Another great example is Benefit Cosmetics. Initially founded as a beauty boutique named The Face Place, the now-famous brand is one of the corner shops that has observed rapid growth thanks to its focus on digitalisation.

Benefit Cosmetics has put its data to use by intertwining the online and in-store experiences. Customers can book appointments online, through an interactive and personalised website. 

With hundreds of stores everywhere, customers are still able to pick their local branch, and pick their beautician, which still allows them to build a relationship with Benefit’s store associates. By letting their customers book a service online, employees have access to customer information, which helps them deliver a seamless experience from online to offline channels.

Benefit offline appointment online booking

But what new technologies could help small retailers unify their in-store experiences with online ones?

## How small retailers can improve their digital efforts

Creating loyalty through clienteling can be a game changer for small retailers. Turn store associates into brand advocates by giving them access to customer information and inventory anywhere in the store. Allow them to connect with their customers on a deeper level by understanding their needs and preferences thanks to existing data. Unique integration of clienteling apps enables both customer interaction and customer satisfaction.

Opt for inventory management systems that enable store-to-store or store-to-customer shipments. Customers should have the ability to shop in-store and preview their favourite product, whether it’s available or not. This removes the unfortunate scenario where a customer doesn’t want to walk away with the product from the store. By offering them an option to order it online on the spot or schedule a delivery online, you’re reducing any friction that may lead to an unfulfilled sale.

In-store beacons that deliver mobile coupons based on location are also a great way to start integrating a digital presence in your brick & mortar shop.  

Implementing these new technologies can be a challenge for small merchants whose budgets are limited, but retailers need to invest in digitalisation and respond to today’s consumers’ needs or else they’ll be left behind, struggling for sales.

Smaller budgets can start with in-store Wi-Fi, in-store pickup, in-store customer reviews, or scannable coupons for in-store savings.

Empowering sales associates can help enhance customer experience and stand out from the competition. 83% of consumers believe they’re more knowledgeable than retail store staff so associates need to be able to answer detailed questions about products. Providing ways to make accessing product information as easy as scanning a bar code is essential in giving them the ability to answer customer questions. Associates with access to past purchase information or details could also help them make more informed recommendations to customers.

in-store tablets

Consumers and shoppers are looking for as much transparency as possible about the products they’re interested in. Think in-store tablets, virtual reality, demonstration videos, user guides, and even QR codes, a trend which seems to be growing as lockdown measures start to ease.

Giving them the opportunity to access information from in-store devices can encourage shoppers to make a purchase by streamlining the customer experience.

## To sum up

Small retailers with physical stores must find a way to continue evolving and engaging with consumers. Integrating an omni-channel strategy and delivering a relevant, individualised experience across all touch points will help break the online/offline barrier, no matter the size of your business.

In the rush to digitise the entire shopping experience, many have ignored some of the important aspects of shopping, such as the relationship between employees and shoppers.

The more you can make your experience feel like a seamless transition from your website to your store, the more comfortable your customers will be shopping with you.

Many industries are affected by these changes, and a few big brands are choosing to migrate towards an omni-channel customer journey, making sure the customer experience is equally as good at every touch point of the journey.*

If you'd like to find out more about the importance of customer experience, and why social proof can influence consumers at all touchpoints, click the link below to read our latest report.

Why and how social proof influences consumers

How an omni-channel approach can lead to success

maintaining conversions as shops reopen with the help of social proof

Social proof is a great way to boost conversions whether you're looking at sales onsite, email CTR, or ad performance. Here are 6 examples to inspire you to use social proof to improve your conversion rate right away. 

In short, any positive comments about you, your company or your product are considered social proof.

It might be a concept as old as marketing itself, but the rise of social media and the current economic landscape have enhanced the importance and effect social proof can have on conversion rates. 

Today, leveraging other people’s opinions helps convert more. That’s why, social proof, by providing third-party validation, helps make businesses more trustworthy.  Indeed, a [Canvas8 and Trustpilot study](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) found that 89% of global consumers check online reviews as part of their online buying journey, and 49% of global consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.

As many countries start easing their lockdown measures, some brick and mortar shops are preparing to reopen soon. But with consumers doing most of their shopping online at the moment, we could see an overall dip in online conversions when high street shops reopen this summer.

To help eCommerce businesses, we’ve put together 6 ways brands can use social proof to boost their conversion rate.

## 6 Social proof examples to boost your online conversions as brick and mortar shops reopen

### 1. Reviews and ratings

Today, [consumers rely on online reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) when making buying decisions online. This is why every business should leverage reviews as social proof. 

The same Trustpilot and Canvas8 study found that, today, 55% of consumers would prefer to use an open and transparent review platform, and 49% of consumers believe many dishonest brands are guilty of manipulating customer reviews to improve their reputation. 

On an open platform, anyone is free to write a review as long as they comply with the guidelines set out by the platform, and verified, genuine customer feedback can not be edited or deleted by companies. If you’re considering using a review platform, opt for an open one, which shows authentic and real reviews from customers.

Displaying online reviews on as many channels as possible (social media, online shop, paid ads…) is a great way to boost customer confidence throughout the buying journey. Here are some ways brands have found success leveraging reviews as social proof before:


fabletics online reviews homepage

jewelers mutual reviews at checkout

Harry's instagram ad with reviews

### 2. Live or dynamic data

Helping your consumer make a decision based on the wisdom of the crowd can be challenging, but providing as much live or dynamic data as possible can make a huge difference to your conversion rate. Here are a couple of things we recommend including on your product pages:

- The number of visitors currently looking at the product page
- The number of people who bought this item over the last 24 hours
- Other items consumers who have looked at this page ended up buying
- Bestsellers of the week or month

Instilling urgency throughout the customer journey can be a powerful way to increase your company’s conversions. 

Here are some examples of how you can leverage live data as social proof directly on-site:


social proof example live data 1

social proof example live data 2

### 3. User-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) describes any form of content such as reviews, blog posts, discussions, photos, or videos created by customers and publicly available to others.

Research shows that UGC is considered to be [50%](https://www.adweek.com/digital/millennials-trust-user-generated-content-50-traditional-media-infographic/) more trustworthy than traditional marketing. For this reason, word of mouth has become one of the most powerful tools out there, making customer advocacy one of the best things a business can invest in. 

Daniel Wellington makes good with their Instagram account by asking customers to share photos of themselves wearing one of their watches using the hashtag #DanielWellington, and picking the best photo every day with the hashtag #DWPickoftheDay. This gives customers an incentive to participate and improves visibility for the Daniel Wellington brand.


social proof example UGC 1

And Daniel Wellington isn’t the only brand leveraging user-generated content to boost their marketing efforts. GoPro also shares their customers’ pictures to promote their products on social channels.

Turn Browsers Into Buyers