Trustonomics:

The True Value of Online

Reviews
Discover why online reviews are the key to developing trust and
giving consumers the value they deserve

Introduction to Reviews
 2

Trustonomics: The True Value

of Online Reviews
Today, consumers still rely on word of mouth
when making decisions around products and
services. Essentially, the buying process is based
on trust as it always has been.

While in the past it may have been the

experiences of our friends, family and neighbours
which we were basing our choices on, these
days we are turning to the online community to
share and compare our shopping experiences
through online reviews, be they good or bad.

Consumer reviews:

How valuable are they?

Reviews are all about building trust and credibility. An increasing number of
businesses are collecting informative customer reviews and promoting them
on existing marketing channels to boost their brand and give consumers a real
insight into their services.

Reviews are proven to build trust in the eyes of new customers.

Nielsen reports that 68% of online consumers worldwide trust
consumer opinions posted online.
68%

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014

 3

Of course, consumers are unlikely to be swayed by testimonials companies post on their own websites, or
reviews from other questionable, undated or unverifiable sources. However, the influence of reviews that are
posted on independent, moderated review communities is increasing as the platforms become better known
and as more people conduct research on review platforms prior to buying. According to Econsultancy,
61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, and they are now
essential for e-commerce sites.

Once businesses get a constant inbound flow of reviews, they start seeing the benefits of using reviews as
a marketing asset, too. Placing fresh reviews on a website or during checkout in an online store is proven to
build trust. Featuring reviews on all sorts of advertising - including online banner ads, billboards and magazine
ads - can increase your acquisition and retention rates. In-store displays featuring reviews could also help you
convert showroomers in bricks and mortar stores. Reviews play a big part in nurturing one-time buyers into
long-term customers by building trust. Loyal, repeat shoppers are worth their weight in gold - they have the
potential to become ‘customer advocates’, promoting your company for you to their networks by retweeting
and sharing their reviews on Facebook.

Every business wants to get good reviews from established customers. So what’s the best way to
ask your valued customers to review you?

How to get good reviews

How would you feel if you entered your favourite shop and the well-known
voice from behind the desk greeted you with a stiff: ‘Hello, customer’? It’s not
the best way to start a conversation - as a valued customer you would expect
to be recognised and made to feel special.

Personalisation is key, and that’s why sending consumers personalised emails asking them to review their
experience is twice as effective as sending a generic message. Trust is a decisive factor online - even
household name brands can’t rest on their laurels.

When companies humbly ask their customers what they think about doing business with them, integrated
within the after-sales process, reviews are going to come in vast numbers. The reviews will hold character, and
the content itself will include more useful feedback for businesses as well as other potential customers.

So in order to get more reviews, businesses need to:

Personalise the initial contact with the customer (by including the customer’s name
1
and the product or service they purchased in the email, for example).
2 Make sure their message is humble and honest.

Reduce any perceived barriers: give customers a link to leave a review or rating;
3
assure them that it’s a quick, ‘one-step’, ‘no log-in’ process.

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014

 4

Stop fearing negative reviews

Of course, companies do run the risk of receiving negative feedback from
customers - and while initially you may not be too pleased to having your
dirty laundry aired in public, negative reviews can in fact have a positive
impact on the buying process.

eConsultancy while 30% suspect

reports that 68%
of consumers trust 30% censorship or fake
reviews when they
68% reviews more when don’t see anything
they see both good negative at all.
and bad scores,

So while a parade of five-star reviews will build some level of trust, a good, timely response to negative
feedback is even more credible in the eyes of consumers; giving your company a chance to demonstrate its
transparency and its outstanding customer service.

Add value with ratings

When a business has online reviews, the sum of the reviews is boiled down
to an overall score. The purpose is to give a snapshot of a company’s level
of service while adding transparency. Consumers can use these scores to
easily make direct comparisons between competitors or benchmark an
entire industry.

The value this brings to businesses with that have high scores is that they can use their score to stand out from
the competition, which can be done in various ways. Including the most recent reviews and the current score
on webpages that matter in the buying process is simple.

The social proof created by reviews from real people reassures shoppers that this is a business which delivers
on its promises. Replies to comments left by consumers from your customer services team prove that
someone is listening to shoppers, and that this is an organisation that cares about each individual’s experience.

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014

 5

A/B split tests have shown increased conversion rates of up to

58% by strategically placing ratings and reviews throughout the
customer’s purchasing journey on your website.
58%

Identified areas for trust-building in the buying process include:

1 ‘Home’ page 5
Search results page on Google and other
major search engines

2 ‘About’ page 6
Business pages on Facebook and other
relevant social networks

3 Shopping cart or basket page 7 In-store

4 Checkout page 8 Online/print advertising

Become a customer-centric
organisation
Customer reviews also promote an increased focus on customer service within
companies. Businesses focusing on sourcing and responding to customer
feedback often see an improvement in the quality of customer service their
team delivers.

Through review platforms, employees can receive continuous feedback on their work, and react quickly should
any problems arise. Reviews can also add value to an organisation when creating annual goals in customer
service, motivating employees to go the extra mile when dealing with customers.

Getting reviews every day and sharing the customers’ feedback across the organisation continuously reminds
employees what customers need - and the reason for being in business in the first place.

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014

 6

Add value through Trustonomics

Consumer reviews bring a great deal of value to both the consumer and the organisation through
the building of trust and credibility:

Increased transparency allows consumers to buy with

confidence; they can see that real people have had
positive experiences with your company, and that staff at
your business take the time to respond to issues.

Despite the common perception that people only review

to complain, about 75% of businesses rated globally on
Trustpilot in 2013 got the top ‘TrustScore’; 5 stars.

Feedback helps your business improve customer service

and connect with customers; a vital tool if you want to
encourage repeat business.

Reviews are the digital version of ‘word of mouth’

marketing, and A/B testing proves they can boost
conversions by as much as 58%.

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014

 7

Watch this short video to see how

Mazuma Mobile used customer reviews
to build trust in the buying process.

View Now!

Sources
1. Nielsen Q3 2011 Global Trust in Advertising report
2. eConsultancy - B
​ ad reviews improve conversion by 67%
3. Visual Website Optimizer

uksales@trustpilot.com ‹› business.trustpilot.co.uk ‹› 0800 011 2822 © Trustpilot 2014