This is a guest blog post by Joanna Alter. Joanna Alter is the Co-marketing Manager at Yotpo where she helps businesses maximize the marketing potential of user-generated content.
User-generated content impacts conversion rates at every step of the customer journey. It attracts shoppers’ attention, allows them to build a relationship with your brand, and provides authentic and relevant information that helps with purchasing decisions.
UGC refers to any content voluntarily created by your customers and shared publicly. This can include reviews, user-generated photos or customer Q&A. Giving your customers a platform to voice their opinion brings overwhelmingly positive results for your business. Here are three proven ways to increase conversion rates with UGC.
Boost Shopper Confidence
Word of mouth marketing is the best advocacy your store can get. If someone recommends your store to a friend, they are almost certain to check it out. Not only will they visit your site, but they will arrive with their friend’s positive experience fresh in their mind.
Customer content is the online version of word-of-mouth marketing. Displaying customer reviews, photos and questions on your site provides social proof that gives customers the information and confidence boost they need to make a purchase decision.
For example, shoppers who arrive at this Rhone product page will see reviews from past buyers that address common pain points specific to buying exercise apparel like itchy seams, shirt length and versatility. Shoppers trust customer content more than they trust branded content. Displaying UGC throughout your site builds trust in your brand and increases sales.
Establish a Relatable Brand Image
User-generated photos are an effective way to reach online audiences that are overwhelmed with content.
Providing immediately visible social proof by including authentic customer reviews and photos on your store and in social media allows you establish a relatable brand image and brings more shoppers to your site. Customer pictures that show people enjoying your product evoke an emotional connection from the viewer. They identify with the experiences and are able to picture themselves enjoying your products as well.
Your biggest fans and most dedicated customers are one of the most valuable marketing resources you have. Getting them to participate in UGC campaigns provides you with repurposable content that you can use across marketing materials and that is relatable for your customers. For example, Boom uses customer photos throughout their website so that shoppers can see how the makeup looks on actual customers. The user-generated photos and reviews provide genuine and relevant information for shoppers that helps them make their purchase decision.
User-generated content elevates an online store’s existing resources, building a community of shoppers and customers who provide social proof for the brand and its products.
Such communities break down barriers between individual online shoppers, which in turn leads to conversions and increased trust in your brand.
Let Your Customer Service Shine
A Yotpo study of 1.3 million customer reviews reveals the importance of good service to online shoppers. Responding to customer reviews and questions highlights your brand’s personality and values, and increases sales and brand loyalty by showing new shoppers and existing customers alike that they are a priority.
All stores receive negative reviews for one reason or another, but this is not entirely a bad thing. Brands should see negative product reviews as an opportunity to show off top-notch customer service, as JerkyXP did in the example below.
Responding to negative reviews is your store’s chance to ensure that customers remember a positive and helpful experience with your brand, as opposed to the initial bad one. Attentive and helpful responses really pay off. 95% of unhappy customers will return to your store if their issue is resolved in a timely and efficient manner.
Key Takeaways
- User-generated content is relatable and valuable to your customers.
- Social proof from customer content like reviews, pictures and Q&A gives shoppers the information and confidence they need to convert into buyers.
- UGC is an effective channel for brands to engage with their customers and build lasting relationships.
