eCommerce Reviews Are the Social Proof You Need to Drive Sales

It’s no secret that people are influenced by the opinions of others. If you’ve ever made a purchasing decision based on customer reviews you read, you’ve proven that point. Text reviews on eCommerce sites are one of the most powerful forms of social proof for brands today and can help rake in some serious cash. As a result, reviews are becoming more of a focus for brands of all sizes and are slowly but surely seeping into influencer campaign deliverable lists.

In a nutshell, social proof is the idea that people will follow actions en masse. Think of trends and the ripple effect that comes with them. People will do anything if they see enough other people doing it.

Just like influencer marketing, a big reason as to why eCommerce reviews are so valuable is because they’re not created by brands. Today’s savvy shoppers find comfort and reassurance when they can read about the experiences of those who actually tried the product, and better yet, those who aren’t obligated to give it a 5-star rating. This is especially valuable for shoppers who cannot test a product in-store, as eCommerce reviews are one of the only ways they can get a “feel” for a product.

More reviews means more sales. Even just adding a single review to a product page can increase orders by 10%. That percentage climbs higher as more reviews are added (200 reviews can lead to a 44% lift). There is a high correlation between the number of product reviews and eCommerce conversion rates.

Beyond item-specific conversion rates, eCommerce reviews also impact site traffic because of their effect on a site’s SEO. Once published, eCommerce reviews can appear on the first page of a Google search for products or for the brand itself. By having eCommerce reviews rank on the first page of all of the major search engines, you can better catch the attention of people who find your brand through organic search and move those customers down your marketing funnel to make a purchase.

In other words, showing that a sizable amount of people found your product to deliver on its promises entices new customers to press “add to cart.”

Not every brand can shell out big bucks for macro influencers to feature their product in an Instagram post, only to drive a spike or two in sales. Reviews, from a deliverable standpoint, are lower lift (meaning they cost less to produce than say, a video or photo) and they are also far less ephemeral than a post in someone’s feed that’s out of sight once “refresh” is hit. These qualities–and the fact that they increase sales–make them an attractive addition to influencer campaigns.

When requesting eCommerce reviews from influencers of any follower count, remember to comply with all FTC regulations and encourage authentic feedback. Remember, social proof is most effective when it’s real.