You've spent countless hours perfecting your website, meticulously crafting product descriptions, and even bribing your friends and family to leave reviews with images (we won't tell anyone). But let's face it, your mom's glowing 5-star review isn't convincing to potential buyers.
You need,
To be specific: You need more user-generated, aka original product image reviews to convince your first time buyers.
So, how can you get more image reviews for your store and convince potential customers to take the plunge? If you're looking for a simple way to get started collecting original product image reviews, this post is for you.
We'll walk through the steps of adding image reviews on Shopify, including a few tips and tricks along the way. But why reviews matters the most these days?
Let’s explore.
The importance of Review on Shopify
It’s no secret that having reviews on your Shopify store is essential. It can help you increase conversions and sales by showing off your product quality to potential customers. If a customer sees a product with many positive reviews, they are more likely to purchase it than if they see one without any reviews at all.
And that's not at all. Reviews can help your brand in multiple ways. Here are some of the essential ways reviews can help your Shopify store:
1. Improve conversion rates
Let's be honest; we can't hold ourselves from checking reviews before we buy a product. Think of the last time you checked the reviews.
Right? And how many reviews were needed to convince you to buy a product?
If the product had one or two reviews, it might not have been enough to convince you to make a purchase. But if they had 20 more reviews, chances are higher that you would have bought the product.
In fact, adding product reviews to your online store can increase total conversions by as much as 3%.
- One review can improve conversion rates by 10% or more!
- 30 reviews can improve conversions by 25% or more
- 100 reviews can improve conversions by 37% or more
(I can see the spark in your eyes when I say more conversion🤩)
If there are many positive reviews, we tend to believe that the product is good quality and worth our money. And since we're buying online, reviews also help us feel secure about purchasing without prior experience with the brand or product in question.
Why not have more reviews on your site?
2. Improve SEO rankings
Yes, reviews have a significant impact on the Google ranking of a Shopify product page. Google's algorithm recognizes user-generated content like reviews and considers them a valuable indicator of a page's quality and relevance to users.
According to Roman Borissov, founder of SEObro,
"Positive reviews can increase click-through rates, which in turn can lead to higher placement in search results due to a higher click-through rate. In addition, reviews provide fresh content that can help keep your product pages current and relevant, which is an important factor in ranking well on Google".
By optimizing their product pages for SEO and encouraging customers to leave reviews, they have increased the website's traffic by 15% and sales by 10% for one of their clients within 6 months.
He also added that it's important to note that not all reviews are created equal. Google considers various factors such as the number of reviews, the quality and authenticity of reviews, and the diversity of reviewers when determining the impact of reviews on search results.
Therefore, it's important to encourage genuine and positive reviews from different groups of customers.
3. High rankings on the Shopify App store
Not only Google, but Shopify app store loves glowing reviews.
Yes, the Shopify app store has its algorithm, and the reviews you get on their app store can help you rank higher in their search results. If your app has a lot of positive reviews, it will likely be placed higher on the list than an app that doesn't have many or any reviews.
If you have a high ranking on the app store, then customers will be able to find your app easier and faster than others. You can also increase your chances to get featured by with more legit and positive reviews.
After all, that’s what you need, isn’t it?
4. Competitive advantage
All of these are good reasons to have more reviews on your website. But there is one major reason that you should care about the review system: it’s a competitive advantage.
If you sell similar products as other stores, they will eventually catch up with you regarding the number of reviews. This means that if you want to stay ahead of the competition, you must focus on increasing your store's review count.
5. Change the way the customer perceives your brand
Did you know that nearly 99.9% of people read reviews before purchasing? Yes, that 0.1 might be someone from your family or friends.
When customers see that you have a lot of reviews, they will start trusting your store more. This is because they know that other people bought from your website and were happy, so there must be something good about it.
Moreover, a study conducted by Brightlocal reveals that 49% of consumers trust online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family.
All these insist on one thing: You need more reviews!
6. Reduce cart abandonment
This might seem like a no-brainer, but reviews do have their effects on cart abandonment. In fact, 92% of people abandon their cart if they spot more negative reviews.
It’s a fact that consumers want to know what others think, and they will be more likely to purchase if they read many positive reviews. If there are only a few reviews or none at all, they will feel uncertain about the product and may not purchase it.
Why Include Images in Review Content?
Don't forget about the power of images when it comes to increasing your review count. Not only will you increase your review count by including pictures in your content, but you may also improve conversion rates and conversions.
Here are some reasons why you should encourage customers to leave a review with some images and if possible, some videos,
1. Helps customers to visualize your product
When you encourage your customers to include pictures of your product in their reviews, customers can visualize exactly what they are purchasing. You don’t want to leave it up to their imagination since this could lead them to believe that your product is different from what they expected.
Here's how Phool leverages their customer's Instagram stories to showcase their product and provide customers with a visual representation of what users will get,
2. Increased credibility
Including images in the review, content can also increase the credibility of the review. It demonstrates that the reviewer has actually purchased and used the product, and is not just providing a generic opinion.
In addition to increasing credibility, including images in review content can also increase the perceived value of your product.
3. Increased engagement
Adding images to your review content can help engage potential customers and draw them into a purchase.
Reviews with images tend to be more engaging than those without. In addition, including images in your review content can help build trust and increase the likelihood that a user will purchase your product.
Adding Reviews to Shopify - Step by Step
Adding reviews to Shopify is a simple process that can be done in just a few minutes. Here are the steps you need to take to add reviews to your Shopify store:
1. Make the process simple
Though you want to display detailed reviews, bombarding your users with fewer questions can overwhelm them and result in fewer reviews.
Instead, focus on making the process as simple as possible. Your customers should be able to quickly write a review without having to answer any questions other than what they think of your product or service.
Make "adding images" an optional step. If you allow users to add images, make it an optional step, so they don't feel pressured into doing it if they don't want to.
2. Ask for feedback, not reviews
If you want to know your customers' thoughts, ask for feedback, not reviews. You can ask questions like "What do you think?" or "What's your experience with our product/service?" This way, users aren't forced into giving a rating and can share their thoughts without feeling pressured.
Here are the possible platforms to ask for reviews,
A) Emails
You can use email to ask for reviews. Ensure to include a link in the email that takes users to the review page. This makes it easier for them to submit their reviews without searching for them on your website first. Here's an example,
It’s not difficult to get reviews for your product—it just takes one email. And no, you don't have to contact people individually each time they buy from you; there are many tools available that will make the process more efficient.
You can get dozens of new reviews by emailing your customers asking them to review the product they just bought from you without lifting a finger.
B) WhatsApp
Compared to emails, WhatsApp messages receive a better conversion rate and have a higher chance of getting positive responses from your customers. It’s because WhatsApp messages are more personal and direct; it allows you to communicate with your customers directly without going through the website or store where they bought the product.
And who else refuses to share their thoughts on their purchase from a favorite brand? 😉
With BiteSpeed, you can automate the entire process. The bot gets triggered when the item is delivered to the customers. Then it knocks on their DMs and asks them to share their thoughts on the purchase. Once they reply, you can add them to your website.
So what else? You can take care of the marketing, while BiteSpeed will handle the reviews.
3. Don't forget to personalize the message
Your customers will appreciate a personalized message from you. Make them feel appreciated by sending them a thank-you note or asking for their feedback. That way, they'll be more likely to share their thoughts on the purchase with you.
If one thing can make your customers consider reviewing your product, why miss out on the chance?
4. Follow up once
Don’t follow up more than once. Your customers might think you're being pushy if you send them multiple messages. So, keep it simple and sweet!
You can add something funny or offer them incentives to leave a review. It can be 10% off on their next purchase, This will make your customers feel special and more likely to leave a review.
And the best part? You can retain them and expect another purchase from them. It's a win-win situation.
5. Show off your reviews
Your customers want to see what other people think about your product. So, show them! You can add a button or link to take them directly to your reviews page. This will also help you increase the number of reviews.
You can get creative with your reviews’ look to make them more attractive to your online store. Play with the layout: display grid view, carousels, or sliders.
How Do You Empower Visual Content Reviews?
The visual content is what attracts customers in the first place. It's a great way to engage them with your brand. So, make sure that you're providing amazing visuals for your customers. You can start by creating an amazing product image. This is one of the most important aspects of online shopping because it helps customers decide whether to buy something.
The best way to encourage your users to share their images is by incentivizing them to leave a comment. I hardly leave reviews, but when I see a coupon or cashback inside, it makes me leave a review. I'm sure that this works for most of your customers as well.
How Can You Incorporate User-Generated Images Into Your Product Page?
If you use emails as the primary source to collect reviews, you can also use them to ask your customers to share images of their products. You can do this by sending out a short email asking them to take a photo of what they received and leave a comment about their experience.
On the other hand, if you are using WhatsApp with BiteSpeed, you can add reviews with a single click. Here's how you can do the same,
Step 1: Create a “Photo Review Collection” campaign
Once you log in to BiteSpeed, click on the WhatsApp tools and select the “Photo Review Collection” campaign.
Step 2: Select the Review App and add the support number
The next step is to select the review app that you are using; this will help you to export the collected reviews to the product page within a single click. You can even add your support number.
Step 3: Select the suitable template
After you have selected a template, you should choose which type of campaign to run. You can offer a discount for adding reviews or ask for feedback in general without providing any incentive.
You can even customize the text and make the campaign go live. This campaign begins 30 days after the order is placed. So you will get transparent reviews of your product. Moreover, with BiteSpeed, you can track the open and CTR rates to help you craft better campaigns down the lane.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Should I add reviews to my Shopify store?
Absolutely! Adding customer reviews to your Shopify store can increase trust in your products and brand, as well as boost sales. It's a great way to showcase social proof and build credibility with potential customers. Plus, with Shopify's built-in reviews feature, it's easy and free to get started.
2. How can people leave reviews on my Shopify store?
Customers can leave reviews on your Shopify store by navigating to the product page and clicking on the "write a review" button. From there, they can rate the product and leave a written review. You can also send automated review request WhatsApp messages to customers after they have made a purchase, which can encourage them to leave a review.
3. Can I incentivize customers to leave reviews on my Shopify store?
Yes, you can offer incentives such as discounts or loyalty points to customers who leave reviews on your Shopify store. However, be sure to comply with Shopify's guidelines on incentivizing reviews.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it, my fellow Shopify enthusiasts. By following these simple steps, you can finally put an end to those sleepless nights, wondering if anyone out there appreciates your products (besides your cat, who is contractually obligated to love everything you do).
With customer reviews, you can let your happy customers do the talking (and the convincing), while you sit back and watch those sales roll in.
And with BiteSpeed, you can have all that in just a few minutes. But wait, we have more features that help you make more from your existing customers. Want to know all of them? Schedule a no strings attached demo and we will reveal how you can thrive with supercharged strategies, deal?
