In 2015, a Nielsen study showed that 83% of consumers consider word-of-mouth the most credible form of advertising. What does that mean today as ecommerce sales have grown at a 25% annual rate and more shoppers continue to move online?
It means customer reviews are more important than ever to a successful ecommerce strategy. Friends still recommend products to friends, of course, but you can’t assume everyone who buys your product is going to tell ten of their friends to buy one, too. You can, however, collect customer reviews to testify to your product’s quality and value.
In fact, you should, because research has shown nearly 95% of online shoppers read customer reviews before making a purchase. Displaying reviews has been shown to increase conversion rates by up to 270%.
