13 Ways Web Design Can Drive Customer Reviews
One of the main goals of every e-commerce store should be to garner as many online reviews as possible. In fact, a recent study found that about 20 percent of all online shoppers think reviews are the most important factor in their decision-making process. What does this have to do with web design? In this article, we at RunRex will aim to give you 13 ways in which the web design can lead to more customer reviews.
Make it easy to review products on the site
You can check the leading e-commerce stores to come up with your review method. However, ensure that it includes some kind of rating system, preferably based on a star system. That way, if customers are in too much of a hurry to write anything, they can just rate the product and be on their way. Ensure that you use bright colors for the star system so that future customers can clearly see how the product is rated.
Verify purchasers on the site
For any online store, trying to verify all reviews would be a major challenge. However, that does not mean you should not make an effort to do it. To verify reviewers, you only need to send an email to the review, which will help you verify reviews. There are those who enjoy trolling the internet, leaving fake reviews. After you verify a reviewer, you can give them a special badge, so that their review will carry more weight.
Leave a lot of white space
If you are trying to get customers to leave reviews for you, clutter usually scares them away. However, white space is usually inviting and it has been shown to be great for encouraging customers to review products.
Never make any field compulsory
A major mistake that you can make when trying to get reviews is trying to force customers to fill in all the fields. Rather, it should be a voluntary process where customers can leave blanks if they have no answers. Most customers will just leave if the reviews are made compulsory.
Ensure that your review process is compatible with mobile devices
A huge number of customers today do most of their shopping via their mobile devices. Even when they are at home with access to a desktop, they will just prefer using their mobile device. However, if the review process on mobile devices proves cumbersome, you may miss some crucial reviews that may have helped to drive more sales.
Claim your business online
Most search engine today, apart from Google will allow you to leave a review about a business. However, for this to happen, you will need to have configured your business to be open to reviews. Creating a profile in most places online and on social media is free. Thus, ensure that you claim your online presence so that customers can review you wherever they are. You can also create links to various places online on the site and encourage customers to review you.
Incentivize your customers
During your web design process, you can create a reward mechanism that encourages customers to leave a review. It can be something as simple as a few shopping points to being entered into a draw, especially during the holidays.
Ensure you include an ask on the site
Various studies show that seven out of ten customers will leave a review when asked to. Thus, you should have a polite but visible mechanism included in your site to ask for them. For instance, immediately a customer makes a purchase, you can present a small but visible pop up asking them to leave you a review.
Use the right wording
Sometimes, you may fail to get enough reviews because the language you use is too complex or confusing. Always ensure that the questions are kept simple and short. That way, your customers do not feel like they have to work so hard just to give you reviews.
Ask impactful questions
When asking for reviews from customers, ensure that you frame questions, which other customers would like to know. In short, ensure that the questions for which you need reviews could help to provide more insight into the product.
Ensure that you use a consistent rating scale
When trying to get reviews for more than one question, ensure the rating scale is consistent. This will make it easier for other customers to get accurate feedback when they read reviews from products on the site.
Place some reviews on the homepage
If you are an e-commerce site that sells mainly services, you can place some of the reviews on the home page. This will encourage other customers to leave reviews for you once they purchase your services.
Give customers a simple thank you note
After you get your review, consider thanking your customers will a nice thank you note. It may not seem like much, but that pop-up note may encourage them to review you in future.