The short answer is yes! Customer reviews definitely drive purchase decisions š„š„.
But first, a definition.
What is a customer review?
A customer review is a written or spoken statement that provides first-hand evidence of a customer’s experience with a product or service.
Customer reviews, sometimes called ācustomer testimonialsā are often used in marketing materials, such as social media sites, website pages, brochures, and product packaging.
[For a more detailed look at the difference between a testimonial and review, check out this article]
How do customer reviews drive purchase decisions?
While itās worth noting that testimonials and reviews are not the only factor that influences consumers – other factors such as price, quality, and availability also play a role in decision making – evidence into the effectiveness of customer testimonials proves they are incredibly effective and are now considered to be an integral part of the decision making process for most modern customers.
The reason why customer reviews work is down to something called social proof. Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation.
Testimonials work as social proof because they provide evidence that other people have used a product or service and had a positive experience. This makes potential customers more likely to use the product or service themselves.
Top 4 things potential customers look for in a review
Quality: Customer reviews help potential buyers understand the quality of a product. With so many products now on the market, quality is consistently ranked as one of the top 3 factors customers consider.
Use Cases: Customer reviews give potential buyers an idea of what others who have purchased the product use it. Understanding how the product holds up in real life situations is incredibly important, and helps potential customer cut through the fluff of marketing material.
Unbiased Opinions: Customer reviews provide potential buyers with an unbiased opinion of a product. Being able to see and read reviews from people who are in a similar position to you, increases the likelihood that the product will also work for you.
People who are similar to them: When customers share their experiences, many feel that is is important to be able to see a persons face and hear their voice in order to understand who they are and how they truly feel. This helps accelerate the building of trust, and helps move people towards a purchasing decision.
In closing, customer reviews help build social proof of your companies trustworthiness. Building trust with customers increases sales because it encourages potential customers to align themselves with the needs, wants, and values of the business. This building of trust goes both ways, and implies that the business can see things from the customer’s perspective, making it in turn easier to build rapport and make a sale.
At the ā¤ļø of everything is trust.
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