Did you know that over 90% of shoppers rely on reviews before placing an order? That’s a huge number of potential customers who are looking for social proof before they buy. Gaining trust in your online store is tough and honest reviews help new customers make informed decisions about your products.
If you run an ecommerce business, you should know that reviews are one of the most powerful tools you have to boost sales. They can help you:
- Increase trust and credibility with potential customers
- Drive more traffic to your website
- Convert more visitors into customers
- Enhance your customer support offerings
Need Assistance?
But how do you get more reviews? And how do you make sure that they’re effective?
I’ll walk you through how to effectively collect, promote, and analyze reviews using Klaviyo with Shopify. I’ll also share some tips from email marketing experts on how to use reviews to increase sales.
What You’ll Learn:
- The benefits of collecting reviews – even if you’ve been in business for years.
- How to collect reviews in Klaviyo for Shopify.
- How to promote reviews in your email marketing campaigns.
- How to analyze reviews to improve your products and services.
- Tips from email marketing experts on how to use reviews to increase sales.
Quick note, if you’re not already using Klaviyo, I encourage you to sign up for a free trial. It’s the easiest way to collect, promote, and analyze reviews for Shopify owners.
THE BENEFITS TO YOU OF COLLECTING REVIEWS
There are many benefits to collecting reviews, including:
Driving sales. 53% of shoppers consider product reviews to be the most crucial part of the online shopping experience. When positive reviews about your product or service appear in a Google search or on your site, interested prospects will be more likely to purchase.
Enhancing customer service. While 5-star reviews help give shoppers the confidence they need to buy, constructive feedback is equally as important. Having a mix of positive and negative reviews proves that your reviews are genuine. You can then make improvements to your offerings based on feedback, or answer questions directly from the Klaviyo Reviews tab.
Unlocking new insights. By having all customer data in one place, including product ratings and answers to custom questions, you can build a more complete picture of a customer’s journey with your brand. Use review data to build segments and automated flow messages. Learn what customers love most about your best-selling product, and monitor patterns around what people like and don’t like in your store.
THE BEST WAY TO COLLECT REVIEWS
Customize the Klaviyo review request template.
The Klaviyo flow library includes a pre-built review request template that you can customize to fit your brand and business. You can add your own branding, personalize the message with the recipient’s first name, and offer an incentive for leaving a review.
Send an email or SMS message.
You can send the review request as an email or SMS message. The email message should include a link to your product page so that customers can easily leave a review. The SMS message should be short and to the point, and it should include a call to action such as “Click here to leave a review.”
Write an enticing subject line.
The subject line is the first thing that customers will see, so it’s important to make it enticing. You can tease a discount, use creative copy and emojis, or add time-sensitive copy so that recipients act fast.
Avoid sending to those who purchase an item that you do not want a review of.
Not all products are created equal, and some products may not be suitable for reviews. For example, you may not want to ask for reviews of products that are considered to be sensitive or personal.
Disclose and obtain the necessary consent.
Before you send out a review request, you need to disclose and obtain the necessary consent from your customers. This means that you need to let them know how you will be using their personal information and that they have the right to opt out of receiving review requests.
Here is an example of a review request email that you can use:
Subject: Get 10% off your next order!
Hi [customer first name],
We hope you’re enjoying your new _____.
I wanted to reach out and ask if you would be willing to leave a review on our website. Your feedback is really important to us, and it helps other customers make informed decisions about their purchases.
As a thank you for leaving a review, we’ll give you a 10% discount on your next order. Just use the code [discount code] at checkout.
To leave a review, just click the link below and follow the instructions.
HOW TO PROMOTE REVIEWS IN YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Once you start collecting reviews, you’ll have a wealth of new customer data to use in your marketing campaigns. This data can be used to personalize messages and target specific segments of shoppers. The more relevant your marketing campaigns are, the more likely they are to drive revenue.
You can use reviews to nurture customers who have not purchased yet and you can use people’s reviews to better tailor email campaigns to them. This second point is important because customers who already love you are apt to buy more from you.
USE REVIEWS TO NURTURE FUTURE BUYERS
Feature customer testimonials. Customer testimonials are a great way to showcase the benefits of your products and services and build trust with potential customers.
Promote your reviews page. Make it easy for customers to find and read your reviews by including a link to your reviews page in your monthly email. You can also promote your reviews page on your website and social media channels.
USE REVIEWS TO TARGET REVIEWERS
Target 5-star reviewers with exclusive offers via your VIP segment. This is a great way to show your appreciation for your brand advocates and encourage them to continue shopping with you. You could offer them early access to new products, exclusive discounts, or even free gifts.
Send content specific to the data customers shared in their reviews. For example, if someone identified a particular flavor or size of clothing that they adore, you could send them a campaign with other items in that style. This shows that you’re paying attention to their feedback and that you’re interested in providing them with products that they’ll love.
Target 3-star reviewers with an opportunity to provide feedback and receive a discount. Turn detractors into champions by providing support at scale using reviews and flows.
HOW TO ANALYZE REVIEWS TO IMPROVE YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
There are a few ways to analyze reviews for improved product and service offerings.
Use reviews to identify areas for improvement. By looking at the reviews you receive, you can identify areas where your products or services can be improved. For example, if you see a lot of reviews complaining about a particular feature, you can take steps to improve that feature.
Use reviews to get ideas for new products or services. By having all customer data in one place, including product ratings and answers to custom questions, you can build a more complete picture of a customer’s journey with your brand. Use review data to build segments and automated flow messages. Learn what customers love most about your best-selling product, and monitor patterns around what people like and don’t like in your store.
Use reviews to build relationships with your customers. When you respond to reviews, you have an opportunity to build relationships with your customers. By showing that you value their feedback and that you are committed to providing them with the best possible experience, you can turn them into loyal customers.
Here are some specific tips for analyzing reviews:
- Read all of your reviews, both positive and negative.
- Don’t just focus on the positive reviews – the negative reviews can be just as valuable. They can help you identify areas where your products or services can be improved.
- Look for trends in the reviews.
- What are your customers saying about your products or services?
- Are they happy with them?
- What could be improved?
Klaviyo has robust review reporting down to the customer profile level. You can use review results to create segments, personalize messages, and send flows. Create a custom Klaviyo report for the last quarter based on the number of stars given. Further, pull segments of reviewers versus non-reviewers to determine which group purchases more and is engaged with your brand.
TIPS FROM EMAIL MARKETING EXPERTS ON HOW TO USE REVIEWS TO INCREASE SALES
ENCOURAGE AUTHENTIC AND UNBIASED REVIEWS
- Request reviews from people who have used your product or service.
- Don’t hand-select review requests or discourage negative reviews.
- Don’t limit or restrict people’s ability to leave reviews.
- Don’t condition incentives on positive reviews.
- Don’t commission or use third parties to submit fake reviews.
- Avoid displaying reviews in a way that might mislead a potential customer. Display ratings chronologically.
- Disclose any material connections between a reviewer and your brand.
- Indicate any connection in the review. This includes disclosing when:
- A reviewer has been paid for their review.
- A reviewer received a free product in exchange for their review.
- A reviewer has a personal relationship with the company (e.g., is a company employee, or is a relative or friend of an employee).
- A charitable donation was made each time someone submitted a review.
MODERATING REVIEWS
- Implement a process to ensure that reviews are honest and authentic, and adhere to your review policy.
- Identify and investigate fake or suspicious reviews.
- Don’t alter reviews.
- Treat all authentic reviews equally.
REJECTED OR REMOVED REVIEWS
- Reviews may be rejected or removed for containing confidential or private information, being libelous, harassing, abusive, obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, or inappropriate.
- Reviews may also be rejected or removed if they are unrelated to your products or services, clearly false misleading, or fake.
- Reviews may also be removed if the reviewer requests removal.
Here’s our roundup of information about Klaviyo’s Review platform for Shopify. The automation, timing, and customization in Klaviyo’s Reviews are unparalleled. If you need help getting your reviews set up, the team at Win would love to help.