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Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose come out on top 

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Trustpilot Blog - Build Trusted Brand

Reviews - Build a Trusted Brand

life after lockdown: investing in your reputation blog post

life after lockdown blog post

As lockdown begins to end, we explain why every business should be collecting reviews and investing in its reputation right now.

A 2020 [Canvas8 study for Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-critical-role-of-reviews-in-internet-trust) found that trust declined by 11% globally in the last year, with only 71% of people admitting they trust brands.

Today’s global trust deficit is pushing consumers to rely on third-party validation as well as their peers’ recommendations to find brands they can trust, especially in these difficult times.

A Trustpilot study also found that, since the COVID-19 outbreak, more than a quarter of global consumers admitted checking reviews now more than ever before.

The presence of social proof such as reviews or testimonials should make a business more trustworthy. But with the rise of fake reviews, and more than 1 in 5 people saying that the trust they have in companies has decreased since the coronavirus outbreak, it’s essential to point out that the way social proof is shared or managed by businesses can have a serious impact on the level of trust consumers put into it. 

In this article, we’ll explain why collecting reviews is a great step towards success and why every business should consider investing in its reputation right now.

## 1. Building trust and credibility is more important now than ever before

There’s no doubt that these difficult times have spread uncertainty and increased the already-existing lack of trust in consumer brands. We’ve observed an increasing interest in online reviews and third-party validation since the beginning of the outbreak. When lockdown ends, consumers will likely continue reading more online reviews than usual before deciding to engage with businesses.  

Indeed, consumers are now turning to their peers to get trustworthy and transparent information. Today, in the United Kingdom, review websites rank second as most trusted to provide consumers with an honest opinion about a company, a good, or a service.

To top this up, [89%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) of global consumers say they always 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.

It’s safe to say that the rise of reviews isn’t going to stop any time soon, and these difficult times have meant that consumer [reviews are becoming increasingly important to invest in](https://uberall.com/en-us/resources/blog/consumers-will-ask-reviews-whether-it-s-safe-to-go-back-stores-na). Customer feedback is a powerful tool for both businesses and consumers. It helps feed more information which businesses might not have shared with new visitors and customers, and it allows brands to better understand their target audience. 

With almost half of consumers relying more on reviews now than they have in the past 2 years, businesses need to acknowledge that building trust and gaining credibility is more important now than it was ever before.

Read 'The Importance Of Trust in Uncertain Times'

## 2. Every business should invest in its own reputation right now 

As measures begin to ease in some countries and as [consumer behaviour continues to change](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/consumer-behavior-in-the-age-of-coronavirus-global-review-trends-by-industry), businesses are slowly going to have to [adapt to life after lockdown](https://uberall.com/en-gb/resources/blog/3-steps-to-consider-when-re-opening-your-business-locations). 

Having a reputation management strategy is essential for businesses. Growing competition, as well as lack of trust in retailers post-coronavirus can have a serious impact on the decision-making process consumers go through when looking to buy online.

Today, 56% of people say they’re concerned about online scammers due to the current situation. The growing trust deficit encourages people to rely on other customers’ judgment more than anything else. That’s why online reviews are one of the best tools businesses can invest in to rebuild trust now more than ever before. 

Indeed, customer feedback is one of the most impactful ways to help build any company’s online reputation. Today’s consumers are more empowered than ever before, and can research companies in just a couple of clicks. Investing in your own reputation allows you to better understand the kind of information your consumers are exposed to when searching for you online, and helps you establish a strategy to better your business in the long run.

## 3. Consumer insights help brands deliver better experiences

Over the last couple of months, most consumers have been doing their shopping online. In fact, just over 75% of online shoppers have admitted reading more reviews to find out how companies are handling the coronavirus outbreak.

As consumers continue to check out online reviews to understand how you’re dealing with the crisis and the level of service you’re currently delivering, half of consumers have said they are concerned that companies might have used the coronavirus outbreak to censor or remove unwanted customer feedback.

That’s why opting for an open review platform, where every single review - good or bad - is welcome, is so important today. Choosing to invest in your own company’s reputation and collecting online reviews ensures that consumers understand you care about their feedback, and that you are constantly looking for new ways to get better. 

In times of uncertainty, it’s the little things a business does to improve their customers’ lives that go a long way.  Stellar customer service is one of them. Businesses that care about what their customers’ needs and wants are, and that always go the extra mile to make sure they’ve had the best experience possible, are the real winners here.

Collecting reviews allows you to analyse customer sentiment and better understand what works, what doesn’t, and what could be improved in order to deliver better experiences. When [consumers insights](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/what-are-consumer-insights-and-how-do-i-use-them) are collected and analysed, they can help improve the effectiveness of how a company communicates with its customers, detect needs, and identify areas of development. Once addressed, consumer behaviour will likely change, which might increase your website’s conversion rate. That’s why it’s essential for companies to [learn from negative feedback](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect), rather than delete it.

Find out more about Trustpilot’s Review Insights tool

Overall, collecting reviews and analysing insights will help you become a more human brand, and as you continue to work hard to improve your both customer service and customer experience, you will, in return, receive more positive reviews.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful. 

If you’d like to find out more about customer reviews and how you can invest in a reputation management strategy to make trust your ultimate brand differentiator, watch our latest video and read the report below:

Read ‘The Value Of A Trustworthy Reputation’

Life after lockdown: Why it’s time to invest in your online reputation

reviews in difficult times - coronavirus

As the global coronavirus crisis continues, some companies have products in high demand, others are taking a hit, and quarantine restrictions are keeping customers away from brick and mortar stores. 

As the global coronavirus crisis continues, many countries are going into lockdown to protect their people, and many businesses, big or small, are starting to suffer from the economic uncertainty.

While some companies now have products in high demand, others are taking a hit, and quarantine restrictions are keeping customers away from brick and mortar stores. 

Before the restrictions were even implemented, [52%](https://www.technomic.com/technomics-take/coronavirus-foodservice-view) of consumers said they were avoiding crowds and 32% said they left their house less often because of coronavirus. Now that the lockdowns have started, it’s safe to say consumers are more likely to be doing most of their shopping online over the next couple of weeks or months.

A Trustpilot and Canvas8 research found that so far, this year, global trust declined by [11%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews), while only 71% of people admitted they trust consumer brands.

Online shoppers might be concerned about purchasing from brands they’ve never heard of, or engaged with before, and shoppers are therefore more likely to be looking for signs of trust and credibility in online reviews when purchasing online, especially now.

## How trusted reviews can help you cope in times of uncertainty

### 1. Consumers want to engage with brands who care

How do you define good customer service?

Stellar customer service means caring enough about what your customers need and want in order to be satisfied, and always going the extra mile to make sure they’ve had the best experience possible from the beginning until the end.

In uncertain times, the little things a business does to improve their customers’ lives can go a long way. As most of the shopping will be done online over the next couple of weeks or months, customer service is likely to become one of the most important things consumers look at when comparing different brands online.

Consumers will also be looking for information on how you’re dealing with coronavirus, and the level of customer service you’re providing in this difficult time.

review coronavirus 1

Coronavirus reviews

Did you know that 89% of global consumers usually 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?

In times like this, shoppers are likely to be reading more online reviews than usual before engaging with any businesses. By continuing to manage your company’s reputation with online reviews, you’re ensuring that your existing customers are all satisfied with the level of service you’re currently delivering, and happy to refer you to potential customers.


review coronavirus 2

Reviews in times of uncertainty

### 2. Online shoppers are looking for answers to their questions

In difficult times, consumers are likely to be asking detailed questions to find out more about your company’s process and operations. Some of the most common questions could be:

- How and where are your products made? 
- Are they safely packaged? Can I catch the virus from your packaging?
- When can I expect my delivery? 
- Will there be a shipping delay due to COVID-19? 
- Where will my order be shipped from? 

It’s fair to say that when it comes to answering your customers’ questions, transparency and honesty is essential. Customers might come to you directly to get detailed answers, but they might also look for extra information, reassurance and validation by reading reviews from their peers.

Screenshot 2020-03-16 at 10.14.57

To reassure shoppers and build more trust, [WHO](https://www.who.int/), the “World Health Organization”, encourages businesses to remind their customers that it is safe to receive a package from an area where COVID-19 has been reported. The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, has travelled, and has been exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low.

We spoke to Sam Holden, Chief Commercial Office at [Yodel](https://www.yodel.co.uk/), to understand what changes they've made to keep customers up-to-date in these uncertain times:

"During COVID-19 and lockdown, home delivery has become an important part of supporting the public in their efforts to stay at home. Over the past 8 weeks, Yodel has seen parcel volumes similar to those around Black Friday and the lead up to Christmas. With this unforeseen peak, it would have been
easy for us to panic and not deliver the great service that our clients and their customers expect. A key part of our strategy to maintain this service was to very early on, communicate delivery updates to both clients and customers that might be seen. Through collaborative working with clients, we were able to set realistic delivery promises for their customers, ensuring shoppers were kept up to date about their parcel’s journey. Communication has played an important role in reassuring customers that their doorstep experience would be safe. At a time when social distancing was becoming a part of everyday life, our delivery experience had to match up, which is why we created a COVID-19 process. Now, drivers can leave parcels on doorsteps for customers to pick up, whilst they remain at a safe distance, and when a signature is required, we have created a new scan option to acknowledge a successful delivery, without the customer needing to touch the driver’s signature-catching device. Trustpilot has been a great platform for us to gauge how the public has reacted to these changes and help us shape our delivery service as the weeks have passed by."

In uncertain times, you should also expect consumers to be looking for more reassurance than usual, so it's important to keep managing your reviews, and keep responding to feedback.

"We have seen an influx of reviews as our frontline colleagues deliver parcels, enabling the general public to stay at home. Over this time, we have seen our Trustscore increase to 4.3 and achieve an Excellent rating. Customers have come to rely on their local couriers to receive the essentials such as food, plus those extra items needed to make lockdown easier. Reflecting this, we have seen a change in the types of parcels being delivered, with the number of flowers being delivered up by 500% and over 100,000 items of garden furniture delivered over the past 8 weeks. It's really important to keep calm, carry on and communicate as much as possible. Online reviews are a great way to check that all of your best laid plans are working and providing your customers with the great service that they expect," explains Sam Holden.

Yodel reminds us all that over communicating is better than under communicating - indeed, [64%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) of global consumers would prefer to buy from a responsive company. Remember, people seek honesty and transparency, not perfection.

### 3. Selling hard is the last thing businesses should be doing

In times of uncertainty, many businesses will naturally be looking to advertise more in order to keep their revenue stable. But coming across as intrusive or pushy is one of the last things you want to do right now. 

Today, [91%](https://www.vieodesign.com/blog/new-data-why-people-hate-ads) of people say ads are more intrusive than 3 years ago. 

The best form of marketing a business can partake in during uncertain times is trustworthy social proof and third-party validation. In short, let your customers do the talking, because their opinion is more likely to be heard and considered by their peers.

Indeed, today’s buyers trust customers more than they trust companies. When marketers harness social proof, it can drive more leads than when a business says “we’re the best brand out there”. 

According to HubSpot, 69.5% of companies already admit that reviews, social proof and word-of-mouth directly generate revenue.

Showcasing your reviews throughout the consumer journey is a less intrusive way of building trust with potential consumers. So reconsider selling hard, and let the voice of the customer build the confidence everyone needs today.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, companies will likely be facing more customer engagement issues in the coming months. Trust, reviews, and reputation management are three of the most important tools to help your business cope during difficult times. If you’d like to learn more about the state of reviews and trust in 2020, you can download a free copy of our newest report below.

The importance of trust in uncertain times

social proof in uncertain times

Collecting and displaying reviews is one of the most important and effective ways to attract and retain customers, even in times of uncertainty.

Today’s shoppers are savvier than ever before when making an online purchase, and will look at more than just price when making a decision. Indeed, a survey 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 consumers will pay more to shop with a company that provides excellent customer service.

There are many components of online customer service that a business can focus on to keep customers happy in difficult times. Having [excellent delivery options](http://www.bestresponsemedia.co.uk/get-an-edge-over-your-competition-with-a-better-delivery-experience/) is a great example, and collecting and displaying website reviews is one of the most important and effective ways to attract and retain customers, even in times of uncertainty.


### Why marketers should embrace reviews now more than ever

Reviews are an essential component of a successful digital marketing strategy as they provide authentic social proof. In 1984, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini wrote a book called [Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/006124189X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=006124189X&linkCode=as2&tag=theoneque-20) that has become a classic in the marketing field. In his book, Cialdini covered the topic of social proof, which essentially states that people like safety in numbers. If they can see that a product is being purchased and trusted (or not) by others, this will help to inform their purchase decision.

We can see that this principle still holds true as a Bright Local survey found that [84%](https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/local-consumer-review-survey/) of consumers trust reviews just as much as personal recommendations. The same survey discovered that most people will read up to ten reviews before making a purchase decision and, even more compelling, over 54% of respondents will visit a website after reading positive reviews. This is a huge rate in the marketing industry that obsesses over single-digit conversion rate. Finally, a MarketingProfs study found that [85%](http://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2014/25578/consumer-psychology-and-the-e-commerce-checkout-infographic) of consumers will only make a purchase after reading online reviews.
It seems like reviews have become a necessity for any eCommerce brand if they hope to succeed.

Managing your reviews might not seem like a top priority right now, but communities coming together means word of mouth will be travelling much faster than usual. Caring about your customers’ feedback in times like these will help you ensure your business is future-proof. However, today’s businesses have a variety of options when it comes to a review acquisition strategy.


### Native reviews in eCommerce platforms - why they’re not a viable option

As we have seen, there is currently a lot of evidence that confirms the importance of reviews in relation to a website’s conversion rate. With that in mind, all business owners should have a review strategy. Most major eCommerce platforms have native review functionality as an built-in option. This is often an appealing option to store owners as they have full control over the review process, including the ability to create and edit reviews.

However, Cialdini’s social proof model only works if consumers are able to trust the source of the social proof. The problem with native reviews is that they have been traditionally abused by unscrupulous business owners. This abuse normally manifests itself in the form of editing bad reviews, removing them altogether, and/or creating fake reviews.

This behaviour is not natural and might even negatively impact the business. If they have all been written by a small number of internal staff, it will be clearly visible and this can damage the trust and reputation of the business. 


### Third-party review platforms provide authentic social proof in times of uncertainty

Third-party review platforms are recognised and trusted by consumers due to their proliferation on websites across the internet. They have a distinctive logo and branding that sits with the reviews, which makes them more recognisable. Because they can’t be edited or modified, they present themselves in a much more transparent and natural way than native reviews, which is what consumers seek for in times of uncertainty. Even eCommerce platforms like Amazon have had to go to great lengths to enhance the trustworthiness of their reviews with the inclusion of a “verified purchase” badge to confirm reviews that were left by people that made a purchase rather than received a free sample.

By implementing a third-party review platform, retailers will be forced to raise the standards of their customer service to ensure that they don’t receive any negative feedback related to things within their control. This benefits both the consumer and the business, as the consumer receives a better experience and future consumers will leave more positive reviews. 

To better understand how third-party review platforms like Trustpilot help businesses in times of uncertainty, we spoke with Barbara Hagen, VP of Sales and Marketing at [Thriftbooks](https://www.thriftbooks.com/):

"During the pandemic, and the subsequent stay at home requirements, the book industry saw a surge of online purchases, ThriftBooks included. Not only were libraries and physical bookstores closed, so access to those books had now been cut off, but the new demands on people and families also left them searching for additional resources such as books. For example, when schools closed, there was a surge in homeschooling books, educational workbooks, and children’s reading books. Then as people began to settle into their new routine, and as stay at home orders were extended, we saw consumers looking for alternative forms of non-digital entertainment, like puzzles. The run on puzzles sold online was incredible. ThriftBooks also became a trusted resource for consumers to receive puzzles in addition to their favorite books. We were pleased we could be that additional resource for our customers during these unprecedented times. The strength of our past relationship with customers was foundational in allowing us to be a resource for customers during this difficult time. With Amazon focused on essential items only during the first month of the pandemic, and the uncertainty of health and safety standards in place at other online retailers, the strength of the ThriftBooks TrustScore provided assurance to our customers that we would be able to deliver their books to them in a healthy, safe and timely manner", explains Barbara.

"We pride ourselves on being a personable company and even the COVID-19 messaging we sent was met with warm-hearted emails from our customers. During the pandemic, many people also found themselves searching for new retail resources when physical outlets closed for the stay-at-home orders. These consumers were looking for reassurance at a time when there was much uncertainty in the world around them. We had been building our Trustpilot score for years, so our score, as well as the hundreds of thousands of 5-star reviews, was a reassuring element for new customers who had never shopped with us before. It was an objective indicator able to provide confidence during these uncertain times that we would deliver and exceed customer expectations. We believe online reviews are essential to build trust and credibility, and we will continue to leverage our feedback and  scores in our consumer touchpoints to provide assurance to new customers."

Showing the world that your business is honest and authentic, and has nothing to hide from its customers, is crucial in times like these, and showcasing third-party reviews can help you gain and build trust from the ground up.

### How using social proof can improve performance

There are still many retailers that are harming their conversion rate by only using native reviews or not even collecting reviews at all. This leaves an opportunity for those retailers willing to invest in a review platform to significantly improve their conversion rate, especially in uncertain times. Those retailers nervous to cede control of the review collection to a third-party should take the opportunity to ask themselves: Why? 

If you are delivering an excellent service and keeping your customers happy, then there should be nothing to worry about. Displaying social proof in difficult times will help you ensure your business thrives now, and in the future too. Customer feedback benefits excellent companies, and all retailers should be aspiring to excellence, no matter what.

If you’d like to find out more about customer trust in difficult times, watch our latest video and read the article below:

Using trust signals to ensure your business is future-proof

the role of reviews in internet trust

As people are slowly losing faith in all mainstream news media, education systems, or political parties, they’re increasingly turning to their peers to get trustworthy and transparent information.

The trust deficit we’re observing is encouraging people to rely on recommendations from their peers more than ever before, and open review platforms are fast becoming one of the most popular and reliable tools for consumers to consult as part of their decision-making journey.

[Social Proof](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing) might be a concept as old as marketing itself, but the lack of trust in institutions has significantly enhanced the effectiveness of social proof as we know it today. Any comments about you, your business or your product are considered ‘social proof’. The very presence of social proof such as reviews, should, by definition, make a business more trustworthy, as today’s consumers trust other consumers more than they trust businesses themselves. But not all social proof is equal: the way it is shared or managed by businesses can have a serious impact on the level of trust consumers put into it. 
 
To find out more about the current state of reviews and how different types of reviews can generate and damage consumer trust, Trustpilot recently commissioned behavioural insights and research agency [Canvas8](https://www.canvas8.com/). The report draws from a survey of over six thousand respondents in the US, UK and France and interviews with two academic thought leaders on the topic of trust and the internet.
 
The finished product looks into how social proof and reviews play a role in Internet trust, and what consumers are really looking for in reviews and review platforms. 
 
Ready to dive in? 

Here are some of the report’s highlights.

## 4 Things you didn’t know about how consumers perceive reviews
 
### 1. Reviews are one of the most trusted forms of social proof
 
As people are slowly losing faith in all mainstream news media, education systems, or political parties, they’re increasingly turning to their peers to get trustworthy and transparent information.
 
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. 
 
Consumer reviews, and popular opinion in general, sum up the wisdom of the general population and serve it as a means of collective intelligence, giving shape and structure to the wealth of information out there. Reviews open up a world of possibilities: they help consumers make smarter choices and are instrumental to helping build trust between consumers and businesses.
Because of that, review websites now rank second as most trusted by consumers in the United Kingdom to provide consumers with an honest opinion about a company, a good, or a service.

Social proof is becoming increasingly effective, and today, almost half of UK consumers are relying more on online reviews than they have in the past 2 years.

### 2. Consumers prefer to leave reviews in an open and transparent way
 
Review sites are slowly becoming a natural part of the customer buying journey, but even though review platforms are more trusted than traditional institutions, not all review platforms inspire the same levels of trust.
 
In 2020, 55% of consumers would prefer to use an open and transparent review platform. On an open platform, anyone is free to write a review as long as they comply with the guidelines set out by the platform. 
 
Indeed, we found that, to consumers, the notion of companies being able to remove negative or unflattering feedback is completely unacceptable. In fact, in the UK, 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. 

Open platforms are key to ensuring your business builds trusted relationships with its customers, as they enable freedom of speech and empower consumers more.

### 3. People seek authenticity, not perfection
 
Did you know that 49% of consumers believe many dishonest brands are guilty of manipulating customer reviews to improve their reputation?

Today, most people are suspicious of perfect companies with perfect reputations. No matter how well your business is doing, there is always room for improvement.

Over half of consumers believe that a less than perfect review score is more authentic, and 45% of consumers would prefer to buy a product or service with a large number of reviews and an average rating overall, rather than to buy a product or service with a small number of reviews and a high rating overall.

Yes, review quantity does matter. But consumers are also looking to engage with businesses who spend their time fixing their customers’ issues, rather than hiding them. 

Indeed, 82% of UK consumers have a positive view towards companies that respond to reviews, and 64% of global consumers would prefer to buy from a responsive company over one that appears perfect. 

In 2020, understanding consumers' needs and wants has become essential to ensure any company is future-proof. Listening empowers businesses to learn from, and talk to, their customers in order to create better experiences and offer honesty and authenticity.

Transparent and trustworthy businesses should be able to display all feedback - good and bad - on their websites. Mistakes are sometimes unavoidable, and consumers understand that. If a company recognises its mistakes and fixes them, customers are more likely to engage with it than with a competitor who cherry-picks its reviews.

In fact, 53% of global consumers admit wanting to read a realistic mix of positive and negative reviews when making an online purchase.
 
Authenticity and transparency are two of the most important things customers seek for when looking for third-party validation, and they shouldn’t be overlooked.

### 4. Review censorship is not tolerated by consumers

Today’s consumers are strongly against censorship: 70% of global consumers believe that the censorship of customer reviews is a serious concern, and 62% of global consumers would stop using platforms if they knew they were censoring reviews.

Indeed, consumers see review manipulation as a breach of trust and are ready to take their business elsewhere if they find out a platform allows companies to cherry-pick their reviews.

With 45% of consumers believing that review censorship leads to wasted money, and 42% believing it damages freedom of speech, review manipulation has become a very risky practice as today’s shoppers expect openness, honesty, transparency and authenticity from the review platforms and brands they engage with.

All reviews, whether good or bad, should always be displayed. Being as transparent as possible helps consumers make more informed decisions, and helps boost consumer trust in businesses.

If you’d like to find out more about the critical role of reviews in Internet trust, watch our latest video and download the full report below.

4 Things every business owner should know about the state of reviews

Winning the Zero Moment of Truth with Reviews

The Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) is a concept introduced by Google, reffering to an online decision-making moment when a consumer researches a product, often before they even know that a particular solution, seller, or answer to their need exists. 

The Zero moment of truth, explained

Google defines [The Zero Moment of Truth](https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/zero-moment-truth/) as the moment when a consumer has a need, intent or question that he or she would like to address through an online search. This can be anything from “Which travel insurance has the best reputation?” to “Bank with best customer service”.

Companies that are able to answer these questions and provide as much information as possible early in the journey have a great competitive advantage.

That’s why today, it’s become essential for brands to understand how important this moment is in the buying journey, and learn how to optimise the user experience in order to grow their online presence and get better business results in the long run.

Interested in learning how to win the Zero Moment of Truth? Keep reading.

## Why you should care about the Zero Moment of Truth

In today’s competitive market, making a decision can quickly become overwhelming, especially when a lot of equivalent choices are available.

In 2019, consumers can research and compare businesses in just a couple of clicks, making it harder for brands to stand out. And as the competition keeps growing, the number of consumers researching products and services online prior to purchase keeps rising too. 

Indeed, Google's initial research found that, on average, consumers were looking at 10.4 sources of information before purchasing from a company. 

But today, this number has skyrocketed to an average of 22 sources, and 40 for longer buyer journeys like booking a trip away!

We’re all aware of it, the consumer journey has changed. What used to be the First Moment of Truth (consumers discovering a product on the shelf) has now extended and includes mostly digital shelf experiences. But the experience isn’t the same: consumers no longer get to see the product, and therefore need extra validation before purchasing.

So how can you make sure you’re providing as much information as you can before the First Moment of Truth? And how can you realistically turn the discovery phase of shopping in your favour and win the ZMOT for good?

## How reviews can help you win the ZMOT

Today, [93% of consumers](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/6-ways-to-make-trust-your-essential-brand-differentiator) read reviews as part of their buying journey, and 80% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. This means that 80% of all consumers will be looking for third-party validation when comparing different products or services.

If you're an online shopper yourself, you probably know how easy it's become to compare brands by price, product quality, service, shipping cost and customer experience when we shop online. Unfortunately, that only makes it harder for businesses to stand out, and therefore to retain and convert shoppers. And with consumers relying on third-party validation like never before, leveraging user-generated content, social proof, word of mouth and trust signals throughout the journey is a great way to stand out in the ZMOT.

Indeed, adding online reviews to the customer journey is a great way to provide additional information to confused shoppers. It also helps them form their own opinion based on other customers’ experiences, resulting in a much more educated purchasing decision.

Most of the time, the ZMOT happens online, on search engines, or on social channels such as Facebook or Instagram. By showcasing you customers’ feedback at every touch point of the journey (with [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/google-new-seller-ratings-threshold-100), [Review Snippets](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/rich-snippets-stars-for-product-reviews-can-boost-seo), on-site or on social media), you’re delivering a consistent experience, providing users with the information they’re looking for, and building trust earlier in the funnel.

Here are 5 ways you can reach consumers at key touch points of the Zero Moment of Truth:

### 1. Start collecting feedback and leverage reviews on key pages

Did you know consumers are [105%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) more likely to purchase while visiting when they interact with reviews and customer Q&A?

atom bank reviews on-site

### 2. Showcase your customers’ feedback on social channels

Today, 80% of consumers say they’re more likely to purchase from a brand if they see positive user reviews on the company’s Facebook page.

Fabletics share reviews on facebook

### 3. Leverage reviews in search to boost your visibility

Which result would *you* choose - *with* or *without* reviews? Including customer feedback in search with Google Seller Ratings or Product Reviews Review Snippets can boost both trust and credibility. 

Showcase your reviews in search

### 4. Encourage your customers to share great content

Recent research shows that user-generated content is considered to be [50%](https://www.adweek.com/digital/millennials-trust-user-generated-content-50-traditional-media-infographic/) more trustworthy than traditional marketing, and [76%](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-how-millennials-and-baby-boomers-consume-user-generated-content-175307/) of individuals admit that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people rather than content shared by brands.

gopro user-generated content

### 5. Share your customers’ success stories

[89%](https://www.brafton.com/blog/creation/the-power-behind-customer-case-studies-and-testimonials/) of marketers say that customer testimonials, success stories and case studies are one of the most effective forms of content for influencing purchases.

Zendesk has a page dedicated to success stories

Zendesk case studies and testimonials

It’s a fact, the buying journey has changed for good. Consumers research more before purchasing, and trust businesses less than they did 5 years ago. 

To stand out from the competition in the Zero Moment of Truth, it’s essential to incorporate transparency and authenticity to the customer journey. The more information consumers can find about your brand, your product(s) or your service(s), the better. 

Today’s brands should embrace the Zero Moment of Truth and double their marketing efforts in order to stay at the top. With reviews, businesses can optimise every touch point of the buying journey, and make sure consumers are exposed to trust signals and social proof when using search engines to compare brands.

If you’d like to find out more about Trustpilot and how reviews can help you win the Zero Moment of Truth, download a free copy of our ‘Complete Guide to Reviews’ below.
 
Alternatively, 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.

Download the complete guide to customer reviews

Picture of a smiling woman inviting to download the guide to customer reviews

5 Ways to win the Zero Moment of Truth with reviews

Improving your online reputation in 3 steps

A great online reputation can take years to build, and seconds to be destroyed. That's why it’s become essential to focus on your own online reputation. 

As the marketplace gets more and more crowded, it’s become essential for businesses to spend more time and work on their own online reputation. 

Today, it’s great relationships that are the bedrock of every business. Indeed, 57% of small businesses say that having a relationship with their consumers is the primary driver of repeat business. Amazing service and great relationships lead to more new customers, and better brand reputation in the long run.

In 2020, more and more consumers perform their own research as part of the buying journey, meaning companies need to prioritise trust and transparency in order to build better customer relationships, improve their customer service, and therefore boost their overall reputation.

So if bad reviews keep you up at night, it’s time to take action. After all, if consumers come across negative reviews about a certain company and/or their product, there’s always a chance they might keep browsing and actively avoid this company in the future. 

In this article, we give you 3 easy ways you can change your bad reputation into a good one, and navigate consumer trust to power your business forward.

Sounds interesting? Keep reading. 

## How to change your bad reputation into a good one 

### 1. Start responding to bad reviews

It’s normal for businesses to worry about the impact that bad reviews can have on potential new customers. But does that mean you should be deleting negative feedback? 

No. Customer reviews give people a chance to share their experience with your business, and everyone’s got the right to give an honest recap of their buying experience. We’re all human. No company is perfect, and consumers know that. No one expects you to get it right, we all understand bad reviews happen.

26% of consumers see responding to reviews as an important part of business activity, and 68% of people trust a business more when it’s got a mix of good and bad reviews. Because, let’s be honest, 100% 5-star reviews is just too good to be true. Consumers don’t expect you to get it right every single time, but they expect you to try your best.

So if you’re wondering [why customers leave bad reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect) in the first place, here’s a quick explanation: by leaving bad reviews, your unhappy customers are giving you a chance to make things better. 

Indeed, 76% of consumers say they view customer service as the true test of how much a company values them. 

It’s your customer service team’s responsibility to solve problems and turn negative experiences into positive ones.

Learn how to handle negative feedback professionally

learn to respond to negative feedback - v2

Show the world you care, respond to all reviews 

### 2. Use feedback to improve and innovate

Sure, collecting customer feedback is a great first step towards understanding your customers and their needs and wants better. But how do you detect patterns and trends? How do you use your reviews to grow and improve your online reputation?
 
Today, 88% of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a business’s customer experience. This means that visitors stumbling upon some bad reviews are more likely to shop from you if you have addressed the issue, than if you’ve ignored the feedback.

So, instead of ignoring bad reviews, use the feedback to identify areas of development, and dedicate time and work to improve your customer experience. If you can solve your unhappy customers’ problems quickly and efficiently, 95% of them will return to your business.
 
Embracing all feedback, both positive and negative, is the best thing your business can do to improve its service and deliver better experiences. Don’t let customers walk away, stop ignoring bad reviews and use them to [better your business](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/introducing-trustpilots-new-machine-learning-tool-review-insights).

consumer insights with reviews

Using feedback to grow and improve

### 3. Start your own advocacy programme

Today, consumers are empowered like never before, and the crowded marketplace makes it harder for businesses to stand out. There are many things that a business can focus on to stand out from the competition.
 
A good online reputation is one of them. 
 
Modern consumers have lost trust in traditional advertising and now seek third-party validation when shopping online. Indeed, 84% of consumers do not trust adverts anymore, and [87%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/why-87-of-consumers-find-ads-more-trustworthy-with-trustpilot) of consumers admit finding ads more trustworthy with the Trustpilot logo. Recent research also shows that social proof such as user-generated content (anything from pictures and videos to blog posts, reviews, [and much more](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-great-examples-of-user-generated-content)) is now considered to be 50% more trustworthy than traditional marketing.
 
In a recent study, 76% of individuals admitted that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than content shared by brands or influencers.
 
People posting about your business (customer advocates) are more than just brand ambassadors. They are happy and loyal customers. Unlike influencers, customer advocates are much more relatable. They’re also much more likely to help you improve your online reputation and bring you more customers, as shoppers now seek validation from peers.
 
It’s becoming clear that turning existing customers into brand advocates could ensure your company is future-proof, especially as it has shown to increase marketing effectiveness by over 50%. That’s why more and more companies now encourage customer advocacy (think Lululemon or Daniel Wellington).
 
Having a customer advocacy strategy can be a game changer for a business that is trying to improve its online reputation. Engaging with your happy customers to promote their stories will help you build a stronger online reputation, as well as trusted customer relationships, which will encourage them to sing your praises to the rest of the world.


gopro

Share your own customers' experiences

Remember - your customers’ stamp of approval means more than your self-proclaimed excellence. Isn’t it time you made your customers the heroes of your story?

Learn how Trustpilot could help you improve your online reputation with a great social proof strategy, watch our latest video and download our Reputation Management report below.


improving your online reputation in 3 steps trustpilot

customer advocacy guide Trustpilot

Everything you need to know about customer advocacy, from the benefits to why it's become an essential tool for every business.

These are all great if you’re looking to get your brand out there, but in today’s consumer era, where word of mouth is still [the most popular](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) method of recommendation, a lot of businesses forget about one very useful and very successful thing: customer advocacy.

So what is customer advocacy? What role does it play? 

In this short guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from the overall benefits, to why we think customer advocacy is an essential tool for every business.

## What is customer advocacy?

Customer advocacy is a state of marketing where customers are the spokespeople for your brand. It takes place when you have customers that love your brand so much that they are willing to sing your praises to everyone. 

This is an excellent way for businesses to leverage their most passionate customers to increase brand awareness, sales, and your bottom line. Today, customer advocacy is becoming very popular due to today’s intensely competitive world and need for differentiation.

Customer advocates are more than just brand ambassadors or loyal customers. They are the lifeblood of your business. Unlike influencers, customer advocates are your everyday customers, who are much more relatable. Customer advocacy can be a game-changer for businesses. 

But do all businesses need advocates? Keep on reading...

## Why is customer advocacy important?

What’s the most important thing when building a great business? A good website? A great product? Whilst both of these things are important, it’s great customer relationships that are the bedrock of a business that can proudly market its reputation. 

Indeed, Factory360 reported that 57% of small businesses say that having a relationship with their consumers is the primary driver of repeat business, and with 84% of consumers admitting they do not trust advertisements anymore, it’s becoming clear that people are now seeking third-party validation more than ever when making an online purchase.

McKinsey recently found that word-of-mouth is the primary factor behind 20% to 50% of all purchasing decisions; and 50% to 80% of word-of-mouth comes directly as a result of personal experience with a product or service. 

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that customer communication and your business’ bottom line are very much linked, and that advocacy plays an increasingly pivotal role in influencing consumer behaviour, and therefore in increasing a business’ profitability.

But what happens when there is absolutely no focus on customer advocacy in a business’ strategy?

Believe it or not, research shows that customer advocacy can be instrumental in helping a company grow at an average rate of two and half times of their competition. 
 
When [76%](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-how-millennials-and-baby-boomers-consume-user-generated-content-175307/) of individuals admit that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than content shared by brands, it becomes clear that refusing to adopt customer advocacy can lead to a risk of stagnation. In fact, customer advocacy has been shown to increase marketing effectiveness by as much as [54%](http://www.marketshare.com/insights/white-papers/303-quantifying-the-role-of-social-voice-in-marketing-effectiveness-executive-summary).  
 
In a world where engaging with consumers takes more time than ever before, it’s getting harder for retailers to convert visitors into customers. The growing lack of trust means consumers are no longer interested in brands that try to sell hard. Today’s shoppers are looking for brands that put their customers first and create communities of brand advocates by rewarding loyalty. Companies that do not adopt it might find the struggle against the competition more and more difficult. 

## How to develop a customer advocacy strategy today

Connecting and having an emotional based relationship with customers is the key to loyalty and leveraging advocacy behaviour.

So how can a business connect with its audience and customers, starting from scratch?

It all starts with ‘the promise’. Your brand promise is a natural extension of your mission, your vision, your personality, and your values. It helps potential customers understand what to expect from your company: what products/services you offer, what values to stand for, how fast you deliver, how well you treat your customers, etc. Your brand promise is a powerful way to differentiate yourself from the competition, and to build meaningful connections with people. Your brand image and personality both need to be reinforced. People need to feel a strong connection with your business from the beginning, based only on what you tell them about your business. Think of Apple. Apple’s branding was never about competing with other products, it was always about escaping competition altogether. 

Positioning your business differently will make a difference. But it doesn’t stop there. Every brand’s got to live up to its promise. 

How? By exceeding customer expectations every time. 

60% of consumers have higher expectations for customer service now than they did just one year ago. Businesses who really care will know how to identify those expectations and meet them to the customer’s satisfaction.

This is how great companies beat the competition. Being average won’t get you anywhere. However, putting in the extra effort to meet and exceed customer expectations will help you create raving fans who purchase more often, and share their experience with others.

ikea customer advocacy customers pictures

And that’s when understanding your customers comes in. Listening to customers is a secret weapon very few brands have. Observing what your customers are saying about your brand, your service, and their experience with you, is one of the best things you can do to turn your business into a customer-centric one. Matching customer feedback with your own data will help you get a clearer picture of the situation, what works, and what needs to be improved - and this is what will allow you to exceed expectations.

This truly makes a difference when it comes to turning customers into advocates, and helping your business stand out among its competitors. 

A great brand leveraging customer advocacy is Fabletics. Their Instagram account is full of customers sharing photos of themselves in their sportswear. Their campaigns are always a huge success because they show potential customers how great the products are, both for exercise and casual use, and how much existing customers love and support the brand. 

fabletics customer advocacy strategy

Customer advocacy is a never-ending process. It is the best way for brands to engage with their customers, reinforce brand loyalty, and acquire new customers thanks to word of mouth. 

We’ll leave you with this quote from [W. Edwards Deming](http://books.google.com/books?id=LA15eDlOPgoC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=%E2%80%9CIt+will+not+suffice+to+have+customers+that+are+merely+satisfied.+An+unhappy+customer+will+switch.+Unfortunately,+a+satisfied+customer+may+also+switch,+on+the+theory+that+he+could+not+lose+much,+and+might+gain.%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=MsbtvRiPDs&sig=IpcWQMhrUcuLnUvSPbjg6FcGlk0&hl=en&ei=oddKTu7YHeXViAL8ytGmBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CIt%20will%20not%20suffice%20to%20have%20customers%20that%20are%20merely%20satisfied.%20An%20unhappy%20customer%20will%20switch.%20Unfortunately%2C%20a%20satisfied%20customer%20may%20also%20switch%2C%20on%20the%20theory%20that%20he%20could%20not%20lose%20much%2C%20and%20might%20gain.%E2%80%9D&f=false):

“*It will not suffice to have customers that are merely satisfied. An unhappy customer will switch. Unfortunately, a satisfied customer may also switch, on the theory that he could not lose much, and might gain. Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your product and service, and that bring friends with them.*” 

Find out how Trustpilot can help you get customer advocacy

Your guide to customer advocacy: What is it, and why is it important?

why every business needs an online reputation management strategy

An online reputation management strategy is essential for any business. Growing competition and lack of trust have a serious impact on the decision-making process consumers go through. Here are 4 reasons why your business needs an ORM strategy.

If a company lacks a positive reputation, it’s easy for potential shoppers to look for another company who has gained a positive reputation by earning their consumers’ trust.

Today, 84% of consumers have stopped trusting advertisements. Consumers can now research companies by cost, quality, customer experience, and more in just a couple of clicks, making marketing and advertising claims less trustworthy. Why believe an obviously biased banner ad when the real information is a quick search away?

This trust deficit encourages people to rely on recommendations from other consumers more than anything else. Vendasta found that word of mouth is still the most popular method of recommendation, with over 80% of people trusting reviews as much as personal recommendation, and  92% of consumers reading online reviews. All this shows that customer feedback is one of the most impactful ways to build any business’s online reputation.

Businesses need to make sure they have a business reputation management strategy in order to take advantage of the fact that consumers have shifted their decision-making process. Trust, reputation, reviews, and recommendations are all priorities that can result from the right reputation management strategy. In this article, we’ll show you why business reputation management has become essential in 2020, and how managing your reputation properly can have a positive impact on your business in the long-run.

## 4 Reasons why a great business reputation strategy leads to success

### 1) It increases employee loyalty

Having a professional, talented and loyal staff is key to any business’s success.

Individuals looking for a job will most likely research a company and its reputation on websites like [Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm) before applying. Your own company’s reputation will not only influence consumers’ decisions, but also your future or current employees’ ones.

Glassdoor collects anonymous reviews and information for prospective employees

Knowing how your customers and employees are talking about you is the first big step. Looking for ways to improve your reputation is the next one. By ensuring your business has a reputation management strategy, you’re not only making sure your customers love you, but also your current and future employees. And loyal employees are worth much more than their weight in gold.

Businesses must always prioritise acquiring the best talent possible. After all, a bad hire costs at least 30% of the employee’s first-year earning, a costly mistake. If your reputation is stopping the best talent from applying to your business, you might not even realise how your business is suffering.


### 2)  It helps you promote your business through customer advocates

A customer advocacy strategy can be implemented as part of any company’s overall marketing strategy but it's often ignored by most companies. Customer advocacy leverages loyal customers as brand ambassadors in order to manage your own business’s reputation via existing customers.

These advocates are your everyday customers, which is why they’re more credible and relatable (and thus, more effective) than big-name brand ambassadors, or social media influencers. Today’s lack of trust in advertisements and big brands is the reason why a customer advocacy strategy can be a game-changer for any company trying to stand out from its competitors, or trying to build a positive online reputation.

Airbnb uses customer advocacy to continue building its reputation around the world

Airbnb uses customer advocacy to build its strong reputation all over the world

Airbnb’s strong reputation comes from customer advocacy. According to the YouGov BrandIndex, Airbnb customers are the strongest advocates of any brand, with a score of 73.9/100.

To manage your business’s reputation through customers, it’s important to do the following:

1. Give them the opportunity to share their experience
2. Listen to their needs.
3. Exceed their expectations as a brand.

These three steps are intertwined and feed off of each other. By continuously learning from your customers and exceeding expectations, your customer advocacy strategy should be a breeze to implement.


### 3) It helps build trust, transparency and credibility

Earning and keeping your customers’ trust is key to long-term success and is the core principle of having a reputation management strategy. After all, an honest reputation is the path to consumer trust.

In a world where word of mouth is still the most powerful method of recommendation, it is very likely that your customers will discuss their positive or negative experience with friends or family. Gossip, opinions, and recommendations travel fast, and with a tool as powerful as the Internet, consumers are easily influenced by readily available information, whether it's accurate or not. In order to ensure you’re managing your reputation, you need to manage how consumers are able to discuss your company.

Note: We want to be clear and say that we don’t want companies to control what consumers are saying. Reputation management is about honesty and authenticity. Our point is towards ensuring you have visibility and control in how your consumers are talking about you, not in what they’re saying.

Building trust and credibility is far from easy, but with 88% of consumers incorporating reviews into their purchase journey, online reviews have become the best tool for companies to build their reputation, and influence new visitors positively by building and earning trust throughout the buying journey.

Companies should look towards incorporating a review management strategy as part of their reputation management strategy. It’s an easy way to get an understanding of how your consumers view your company and it will also allow you to highlight and market your reputation to potential consumers.


### 4) It gives you great customer insights dedicated to improving your business

Reputation management’s benefits extend beyond how your customers see you. If implemented the right way, the way you manage your reputation also allows you to learn from your customers to further improve your reputation. By focusing on your customers rather than the means of reputation, you’re able to inherently dedicate your business to your reputation through your own customers.

Listening to customers, getting to know them, understanding their expectations and needs, is what will help you build a strong business reputation. Collecting customers’ opinions and feedback gives businesses great insights into what is expected from them. Managing your online reputation through customer feedback can also help you improve your customer experience, improve your products and services, and ultimately, your business.

Interacting with customer feedback can also help you manage negative situations and is its own form of reputation management. By replying to unhappy or frustrated customers you’re proving that your brand cares and is willing to take the time and address customers’ issues and needs..

By responding to this 1-star review, this company proves to everyone that they're willing to work harder and improve their service.

This company responds to a 1-star reviews

Did you know 76% of consumers say that they view customer service as the true test of how much a business values them? With a number this high, it’s become essential for companies to listen to their customers in order to improve their overall reputation.

### Launching your reputation management strategy today

Gossips and rumours are powerful and can destroy any company. It’s time to start listening to what your customers have to say, in order to truly be in control of your business’s reputation.

Coming up with a clear and strong strategy to manage your business’s online reputation will help you build trust, and therefore increase customer confidence and sales, which will grow your business’s bottom line in the long-run.

To manage your online reputation, it’s vital to keep an eye on customer feedback, have a strong team of loyal and professional employees, have a great product and customer service, and a strong and loyal customer base.

Looking to take charge of your reputation? Find out how Trustpilot can help you [manage your reviews, both positive and negative](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/how-to-respond-to-negative-reviews), and build your online reputation, watch our latest video and download a free copy of our reputation management report below.

4 Reasons why every business needs an online reputation strategy

ultimate trustpilot credibility checklist

By finding what makes a website credible. A credible, trustworthy website builds confidence for your visitors, which means they’re more likely to navigate on-site for a longer period of time, and therefore to convert and make a purchase.

We’ve put this credibility checklist together to help you find ways to establish trust with your audience throughout the customer journey on your site.

Here are 10 ways to make your website more credible in the new year...

### 1. Are you paying enough attention to website design?

Visitors form first impressions of your site within seconds. When arriving on a website’s homepage, a user will decide almost instantly whether or not they like your site. According to Blue Corona, 48% of people cited a website’s design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business.

It’s up to you whether you choose to build the site yourself, use a template, or hire a website designer, but we recommend investing in a good design to retain visitors on-site.

### 2. Can visitors find your contact information easily?

A street address and phone number imply that you are reachable, and therefore that you are a real company. Real = credible, you see. 64% of users want to see the company’s contact information on a company’s homepage. Visitors will most likely be looking for it in your footer, and possibly in your header if your business depends on incoming calls. A contact page is a must too, so make sure your users can find it easily.

List a physical street address and phone number to establish trustworthiness and make your website credible. 

### 3. Are you leveraging social proof?

Having a community is a big confidence booster when it comes to making purchases. Showcasing any testimonials, customer stories, or reviews you might have will make your website credible and trustworthy. Indeed, 88% of consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. 

If you don’t have enough reviews just yet, consider publishing case studies of existing clients, or link to some of your most encouraging social comments your customers might have left. Highlighting your number of followers or any social media posts your customers might have mentioned you in can have a positive impact on your visitors’ purchasing decisions.


Example of social proof on Fabletics’ website

Screenshot of Fabletics page showcasing its credibility with user-generated photos and Trustpilot reviews

Fabletics social proof

Here's why your customers' words are so powerful

### 4. Have you published your privacy policy and terms of use?

Adding policy and terms of use makes a website credible and demonstrates transparency to visitors and customers. Your privacy policy explains what you do with customers’ data and how you protect their details, which is a must… especially after GDPR. One of the major changes of GDPR is that businesses will need to detail how they use customer information in a clear and understandable way. 

That’s why making your terms and conditions as well as privacy policy easily accessible has become essential to build even more credibility since the implementation of GDPR on 25 May 2018.

### 5. Are you using trust seals, symbols, or badges?

Trust signals, (or trust badges), verified by third parties, are extremely important when it comes to deciding whether or not a business is legitimate and credible, especially if your business collects sensitive customer information such as payment details. There are a few trust badges you may have seen before that will make a website more credible. 

The Trustpilot logo, or Trustpilot’s on-site widgets, ‘TrustBoxes’, show that other consumers have bought from your site or done business with you. This proves that your website is trustworthy, and therefore helps boost consumer confidence.


The Yacht Week uses a TrustBox carousel to show its visitors what they can expect

The Yacht Week home page with Trustpilot reviews 

The Yacht Week home page displaying Trustpilot reviews with a Trustbox carousel

The Yacht Week Trustpilot reviews

Other trust seals like Paypal, McAfee, or Norton give customers more trust when paying online. Web research group [Baymard Institute](https://baymard.com/) conducted a survey in which they asked shoppers which security seals generated the greatest sense of trust when shopping online. 


Trust signals make your website more credible

Graph showing which kind of trust and security symbols are best

Trust signals

Norton and McAfee seem to be the most popular ones, but there are many trust seals to choose from, so make sure you do your research before you pick yours.

### 6. Are you limiting advertisements?

Although advertisements may be a nice form of income for your business, most consumers dislike anything that interferes with their buying journey.

[Marketing Sherpa](https://www.marketingsherpa.com/article/chart/most-disliked-ad-types) asked consumers which types of advertisements they disliked the most when browsing online. Here’s what they found out:


Graph showing which kind of ads are like and disliked 

Consumers dislike online banners

The poll clearly shows that pop-ups and banner ads are amongst the 5 most disliked type of online ads. Having too many ads on-site can have a negative impact on the user experience and can send the wrong signals to your visitors. 

The more ads your website features, the more desperate you’ll seem to users. Keep ads to a minimum, and if you can, don’t use them at all in order to make your website more credible and valuable.

### 7. Do you still use cheesy stock photos?

Nothing’s worse than a cheesy stock photo featuring strangers smiling at each other and shaking hands. Website visitors are savvier, and nothing shouts ‘fake business’ more than a website full of posed, ‘fake’ photos. An eye-tracking [study from Nielson Norman](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/photos-as-web-content/) Groups showed that using detailed photos is more attractive than including a more generic, stock image. 
It’s always best to opt for more natural photos, so choose stock photos wisely, even if this means you have to pay for better, more natural stock images, or simply display your own product or service pictures.

### 8. Are you keeping an eye on your content?

Make sure your website displays relevant and updated information. Spelling mistakes and broken grammar are a big no-no. More than half ([59%](http://www.writemysite.co.uk/13-copywriting-statistics-for-your-business/2015/03/19/)) of web browsers would avoid doing business with a company who made obvious spelling or grammar mistakes, so it’s important to always have a copywriter or content strategist on-hand checking what gets published on-site. 

Research from eConsultancy found that [93%](https://www.pure360.com/why-personalisation-is-important-what-7-statistics-tell-us/) of companies saw an uplift in conversion rates after personalising their content, so if you can, consider using tailored content based on your visitors’ behaviour and the personas you’re targeting. 

### 9. Have you humanised your brand?

People generally find it easier to do business with or buy from a company they feel connected to. Making yourself more approachable and marketing yourself as a ‘human’ brand will bring you more credibility. Photos of team members, bios, or fun facts are always a plus! 

Check out the two moving and removal companies below - one is using stock imagery as an example of its audience where the other highlights the individuals’ involved in the company. If you’re looking to hire movers, wouldn’t you want to know who’s doing the moving?


A screenshot excerpt of a moving company's site

Example of generic website

Screenshot of a removals company showing the people in the company

Example of 'human' business

### 10. Are you showcasing your security?

When purchasing from a new online business, consumers need to know their data is safe and secure, and that they have the option to go back on their decision if they feel the need to by returning any item they might have purchased from your company.

To make a website credible, you have to provide security to your visitors and your potential customers. This starts with making online payments as secure as possible, and offering a good return policy to all. Provide information about your secure channel, and make sure you include trust symbols like a padlock in the address bar, a https:// address, a green address bar or a [valid certificate](https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/shop-safely-online). Including these can make a huge difference in making your website credible.

If you follow these best practices, your users will most likely gain confidence in being able to use and navigate your website simply because it looks legitimate and trustworthy!

What are some of the best things you’ve implemented to make your website appear more credible? Share your tips with our readers, or download a free copy of our Trust Signals & Social Proof report.


canvas8 report teaser banner

Canvas8 teaser banner

 10 Things that make a website credible: the ultimate checklist

Trustpilot new Benchmark tool

factors that increase trust

There are three simple rules that all companies should follow if they want to improve their online reputation strategy. One is, of course, to start collecting reviews, which are easy for consumers to write. Another rule is that you, as a business, should have a clear review strategy in place: What is your goal when collecting feedback? What do you want to learn? How can you grow and improve? 

The third and final strategy you should follow to improve your online reputation is to learn to display the great feedback you have collected. Consumers love to read about other people’s experiences and to discover new companies through user-generated content. Did you know that nearly [62% of online shoppers perform a company search when unfamiliar with the brand name – and few are likely to buy if they see negative reviews on the first page of the search results](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/6-ways-to-make-trust-your-essential-brand-differentiator)? Something to think about...

## So how can I get an overview of my online reputation? 

When we talk to businesses, we often hear that they try to employ a wider strategy to better understand and manage their online reputation. Many companies use different services to collect customer feedback, such as review platforms or social media. Many also do manual market research to find out perhaps why similar companies in their industry are performing better. 

To help speed up the process, Trustpilot recently released [__*Benchmark* - a free-for-all tool__](https://businessapp.b2b.trustpilot.com/#/dashboard/benchmark) to get an overview of how you are performing in Trustpilot. This simple, yet effective tool can provide aggregated information from public data on Trustpilot, and help you get an overview of how your company and other companies are performing while allowing you to dive deeper into how you can use Trustpilot better.

Benchmark Trustpilot new tool

## 3 Ways to strengthen your online reputation strategy

Once you have a benchmark to measure your improvements against, you can set up a clear strategy. If you recall earlier we mentioned that there are three simple rules that help companies achieve a great reputation. 

Let’s dive deeper into how each of these rules can help your company grow online and connect with more consumers. 

### 1. Customer feedback will always be important

More reviews mean more customer feedback to learn from. Having more positive reviews can also improve your overall TrustScore. Today, [82% of shoppers are more likely to purchase after reading positive star ratings and reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/why-and-how-social-proof-influences-consumers). 


customer feedback is so important

There are multiple ways to improve your review collection and subsequently influence a better TrustScore. Start by making sure your customers are happy with your service! Moving from manual to automatic invitations can be helpful to streamline the whole process. Finally, collecting product reviews, along with service reviews, can sometimes increase the number of reviews you can collect.

### 2. Keep working to improve your rating

What makes a customer leave a 4-star review instead of a 5-star one? Collecting scores is great, but real qualitative feedback lies in each review. 


overview of all reviews

Can you improve that review? Certainly. Consumers who have spent time ranking their experience and sharing their feedback through a review obviously care about your company and its customer service, but they’re also warning you and other consumers that there is room for improvement.

If your goal is to get a great online reputation, then you should set up a strategy that will respond to these consumer signals and will help you improve and grow your business. Trustpilot can help with analytics or AI tools that will gather [actionable insights](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/introducing-trustpilots-new-machine-learning-tool-review-insights), but ultimately it is your decision whether or not to act upon the consumer feedback.

### 3. Make sure your business is easy to find

We know that consumers like to search for, and discover new companies. There are multiple types of research which found that over 90% of consumers research companies and read reviews before making a purchase. 

You should make sure your company is ranking in the right places, be that search, social media, or any other listing that helps customers discover new companies, like Trustpilot’s category directory. Trustpilot updated the categories based on Google MyBusiness categories to make sure all consumers can easily identify companies. Trustpilot is also allowing companies to choose the categories themselves. 

This is why in the new __Trustpilot Benchmark__ tool, Trustpilot has added a transparent overview of your categories, and categories of similar companies you want to view. We hope this tool will help you better understand your position and guide you towards a better online reputation strategy. __Disclaimer:__ The information presented in this tool is for your company’s internal use only and may not be used externally in any way, for example, to make comparative advertising.

Trustpilot Benchmark is free for all Trustpilot customers, and you can find it under the Analytics tab.


Trustpilot new tool categories

If you’re not a Trustpilot user (just yet!) and would like to learn more about our new Benchmark tool, please request a free Trustpilot demo by clicking the banner below.


3 Strategies to improve your online reputation with Trustpilot’s new Benchmark tool

Getting more reviews with trustpilot

Customer Reviews are essential to every business because they're the source of truth and word of mouth when it comes to seeing how a business performs. Here a few quick tips on how to generate more customer reviews.

With 92% of people reading reviews and [80%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) of shoppers trusting customer feedback as much as personal recommendations, reviews have become essential as part of any eCommerce company’s business strategy.

Collecting online reviews might be the easiest way to grow your business’s online presence. By collecting fresh content every day in the form of reviews, you can achieve your long-term goals of improving your SEO, conversions, and sales, but it’s not always easy figuring out how to do it without bothering customers.

Asking for feedback can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but it’s important in order to develop your business, combat customer churn, and boost customer retention.

In this article, we’ll take you through all the ways you can get more online customer reviews in a smooth and easy process.

## How to get more customer reviews

### 1) Don't be afraid to ask

Asking personally is the ideal way to get more reviews. If you happen to have an online and offline business, the person-to-person request is probably the most effective one, especially if the salesperson or advisor has spent a lot of time with the customer.

If a sales associate spends half an hour or more helping a customer pick the right product or service for them, they are building a bond, which then makes it easier for the employee to ask for a review at the end of the sale.

__Trustpilot’s tips:__

- Build an __omni-channel seamless experience__: If you have an in-store presence, ask for feedback in person, or ask for customers emails via tablets so you can send them a review invitation post-purchase. You can personalise the messaging to increase their response rate. The easier it is for customers to write a review, the more likely they are to do it.
- If you have an __online-only presence__, make sure you’re asking for a review as soon as a customer completes a transaction, either onsite or as part of a transactional email receipt.
- __Don’t be afraid to ask__. If you want to boost customer retention, use the insights from the feedback you received to improve the areas of the business that got the most criticism.

### 2) Collect feedback at the source

Why not integrate your feedback collection directly onto your products?

Trustpilot now offers Feedback Stickers to all customers, helping all businesses collect more reviews, and proving that these companies care about their customers, and want to know whether or not they met their customers' expectations by collecting feedback at the source - as soon as they receive their orders.


Trustpilot collecting reviews packaging

Ted Paff, CEO of CustomerLobby, agrees reviews should be collected shortly after the service/product was received:

__Trustpilot’s tips:__

- __Think outside the box__. Add feedback collection to your products, parcels, packaging, flyers. Add inserts to packages, or gamify the process of leaving a review to increase response rates.
- __Make it easy__ for customers to leave a review: QR codes, links, even easy-to-send text message options (‘text 1 for one star, ‘5’ for five stars) can boost response rates.
- __Optimise your response rate__. Choose the moment when your customers are most engaged to increase the rate of response. This is  usually after they’ve received their service or product.

### 3) Send email or SMS invitations

If you’re an online company, asking for feedback via email or SMS may be your only option.

We recommend being as candid and open as possible when contacting your customers by email. It’s important to remind them how much their opinion matters to your business, how much you care, and why you’re asking for feedback. It’s about making them happy and improving your business so all customers can have a better experience.

But when’s the best time to ask a customer to leave a review?

__Send an invitation once the customer has received their order.__

Be careful, don't wait too long to email shoppers! A Gartner study has revealed that feedback collected immediately after an event is on average [40%](https://www.gartner.com/doc/489712/implement-customer-satisfaction-management-processes) more accurate than feedback collected 24 hours later.

__Trustpilot’s tips:__ 

- Ask __every customer__ for feedback. Avoid cherry-picking.
- Send the email from a real person’s email address to make it feel like a __personal interaction__.
- Write an __informal email__. Present the request as an open conversation from person to person. The more the email looks robotic, the less the customer will engage!
- __Optimise invitations__ like you with would any customer-facing interaction. Test messaging, subject lines, channels, and placements.
- Don’t forget your CTA needs to be __clear__, __easy to find__, and __easy to fill out__!

trustpilot email invitation

### 4) Send reminders

Don’t be afraid of sending reminder emails!

Following up can improve your review response rates, if it is done properly.

You should send a reminder to customers who haven’t responded, three or four days after the first email or longer if their purchase was a big ticket item or won’t be replaced for a long time. For example, be sure to send a reminder email within days or weeks for any food purchases but you can wait a few months if you want a customer to review a washer/dryer unit.

Don’t forget to include clear CTAs and links to leave a review on the channel of your choice.

__Trustpilot’s tips:__

- __Always__ send a reminder to customers who didn’t leave a review after your first invitation email.
- Don’t forget to include a __quick, explanatory sentence__. Here’s an example - “We’re hoping you leave a review - it’s good for us, and great for other customers!”
- If the shopper doesn’t leave a customer review after your second email, leave it until their next purchase or integrate it as part of your marketing strategy.

### 5) Use third-party review platforms like Trustpilot

Ever heard of review platforms? We hope so!

Trustpilot is one of them. Third-party review sites like Trustpilot can help your business collect [customer feedback](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/how-to-turn-reviews-into-referrals-and-ultimately-more-sales) about your company, your products, and your services. 

They allow businesses to automate their review collection, [learn from their reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/dos-and-donts-best-practices-for-responding-to-reviews), and offer widgets to display them on-site, whilst enabling social sharing.

Trustpilot’s SEO widgets provide optimised data to Google, helping your company's web pages display stars and ratings directly on search engines, providing insight into your company’s reputation and potentially increasing click-through rates on your search results.

SEMRush, a competitive intelligence tool used by SEO experts, notes that businesses do benefit from an SEO standpoint by using a third-party review site to get more customer reviews.

Third-party review platforms also make sending invitations and collecting customer reviews automated, easier, and quicker.

__Trustpilot’s tips:__

- Use an automated service to send email invitations and get more online customer reviews, quicker!
- Pick an open and trustworthy third-review platform: cherry-picking  is not recommended.
- Opt for a Google-friendly platform - Trustpilot can help you get more visibility with Google Seller Ratings and Review Snippets.

There are many different ways to get more customer reviews, but these are by far our favorites! If you’d like to learn more about third-review platforms and how they can make collecting reviews easier for you, why not book a demo with one of our Trustpilot experts sometime this week? 

5 Ways to get more online customer reviews

trustpilot guide social media reputation management

Social media is an important factor in building a positive reputation for your company because almost everybody uses it. In order to manage your online reputation and make the most of customer advocacy, engage with your followers and showcase your reviews.

## 3 Ways to build a social media reputation management strategy
 
### 1. Start showcasing customer reviews 

Company reviews represent a seller’s trustworthiness, reputation, and customer experience. Online reviews provide social proof, and your customer’s voice is the most useful tool you could ever use to build your online reputation. Indeed, today’s consumers rely on recommendations from their friends and family, but also from influencers and other consumers.
 
Did you know that 80% of consumers said they’d be more likely to purchase from a brand if they saw positive user reviews on the company’s Facebook page? Showcasing your customer reviews directly on your social profiles can make a huge difference in building trust and engaging with your audience. 

Trustpilot’s Facebook integration tool allows businesses to share their customer feedback on their account, and let their Trustpilot rating speak for itself!


Fabletics Trustpilot social media reputation management

AutoTrader Trustpilot social media reputation management

But as most social media experts envisioned a couple of years ago, social media is changing, and visual content is growing considerably, with 20 times more engagement on posts with pictures, and 94% more views on articles with images in 2017. And as visual content marketing continues to grow, Facebook posts with images bring on average 2.3 times more engagement than regular posts without any form of visual content.
 
Most customers now interact with businesses on social channels during the different stages of the buying journey. That’s why sharing online reviews on social media can help your content stay personal and up to date, while helping you stand out from the competition and build your online reputation.
 
To do just that, Trustpilot’s Image Generator tool lets you combine images with online reviews in order to help you get more visibility both on social media and online.


Sharing reviews on social media

The Image Generator helps you build a strong visual content strategy while still targeting a wider audience, driving more engagement from users, increasing click-through rate, and building a strong online reputation.

### 2. Engage with your social media audience

Easier said than done. 

How do you know what your audience loves? Facebook, Twitter or Instagram analytics can help you understand what type of content your followers like to see on their feed. 

Regularly check your analytics to get inspired, and try to share more of what your audience would like to see: more product pictures or videos, more how-to guides, more industry trends, more testimonials, etc.

We also recommend using Trustpilot’s Review Insights tool to get a good understanding of what works within your business, and identify key areas of development. By highlighting your main pain points, you’ll be able to address certain problems on social media, and engage with worried or angry customers! 


Trustpilot machine learning tool sentiment score

Yes, listening is important, but asking is just as essential in order to build a positive social media reputation, so do not hesitate to ask questions to your audience!

You can also use sentiment analysis to answer some of your most frequently asked questions, such as shipping costs and time, discount codes, customer service, opening hours, etc.

Finally, don’t be afraid to encourage and inspire your community, share any content you might find relevant to your brand ethos and concept: videos, news articles, your own blog posts, infographics, or reports. 

Remember, the more insightful and valuable content you share with your audience, the more likely they are to respond! And the more engagement you get, the more trust you will build. Great social media reputation management also starts with great content.

### 3. Start leveraging customer advocacy 

[Customer advocacy](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important) is a state of marketing where customers are the spokespeople for your brand. It is different from influencer marketing, and can take the form of a customer’s video testimonial, images of them using your product/service, or even reviews. User-generated content triggers a high level of emotion from the customer, making it a leading marketing tactic by major companies like Daniel Wellington, IKEA, Coca-Cola, or even Sweaty Betty. 


Daniel Wellington promote their products through their customers’ pictures on Instagram and Facebook

user-generated content social media reputation

TigerGemstones regularly post their customers’ pictures and Instagram stories on social media

customer advocacy social media reputation management

Leveraging customer advocacy is an excellent way for brands to use their most passionate customers to increase brand awareness, stand out from the competition, and build a great social media reputation. 

A Factory360 research found that 57% of small businesses say that having a relationship with their consumers is the primary driver of repeat business, and with 84% of consumers admitting they do not trust advertisements anymore, it’s becoming clear that consumers are now seeking third-party validation more than ever when making an online purchase.
 
That's why you should be lveraging social proof on social channels.

Today, [76%](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-how-millennials-and-baby-boomers-consume-user-generated-content-175307/) of individuals admit that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than content shared by brands, and customer advocacy has been shown to increase marketing effectiveness by as much as [54%](http://www.marketshare.com/insights/white-papers/303-quantifying-the-role-of-social-voice-in-marketing-effectiveness-executive-summary).
 
Engaging with consumers takes more time than ever before, and it’s getting harder for retailers to convert visitors into customers. The growing lack of trust means consumers are no longer interested in brands that try to sell hard. Today’s consumers are looking for customer-centric brands, that create communities of brand advocates by rewarding loyalty. 

Customer advocacy is a never-ending process. It is the best way for brands to engage with their customers, reinforce brand loyalty, and build a great social media reputation thanks to word of mouth.
 
It’s time to get started! 
 
Building a great social media reputation management strategy is hard work, but it will pay off in the long run. If you have any more questions before getting started - tweet us at @Trustpilot using #onTheBlog. Otherwise, download Trustpilot's free report below, and find out what impact leveraging reviews as UGC could have on your online reputation.


Build a Trusted Brand