THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUST: The Myths of Online Reviews CONTINUED

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The evidence is clear - online reviews are now an established and important part of consumers’

decision-making process. But myths still persist.

Here we bust three common myths

about reviews.

01 Five-star is always

best

02 Reviews are all fake

anyway

03 Review badges should

be used sparingly

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FIVE-STAR IS ALWAYS BEST

01

4

Five-star reviews prove that your business is at the top of its game = true.

Only five-star reviews are worth your effort = false.

5

Mediocre and bad reviews are actually good for business because they:

These three factors may be more valuable than a five-star review in the long term. In fact, 15% of British online shoppers say they are more likely to do business with a company which responded to a negative review and dealt with it successfully.

Offer your business a chance to demonstrate exceptional customer

service.

Provide valuable feedback on what your business can

do to improve.

Give a genuine and believable

account of customer experiences.

6

REVIEWS ARE ALL FAKE ANYWAY

02

7

On September 23, 2013, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced an agreement with 19 companies to stop writing fake online reviews and pay over $350,000 in fines. Fake reviews are not only illegal - they’re no way to build trust with your customers.

High profile examples of fake reviews have led some buyers to doubt the value of customer reviews. It is therefore critically important to use a service that operates a strict zero-tolerance policy on fake reviews.

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Your business also needs to:

Resist the urge to take shortcuts and ‘buy’

reviews.

Monitor feedback carefully to identify malicious or

fake reviews.

Reach out to all customers, not just the ones who are

likely to be happy.

TIP

Deleting bad reviews, asking people not to write bad reviews, posting fake

reviews or defaming customers in your response

to their review could land you in court.

TIP

Choose an open review community where moderators

monitor for fakes and non-confirmed purchasers. The

platform should remove these posts immediately pending

investigation.

TIP

In 2013, 75% of businesses which used Trustpilot as their online ratings and

review solution had the 5* TrustScore – a ranking which

shows how consumers value a business.

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REVIEW BADGES SHOULD BE USED

SPARINGLY

03

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Good reviews and customer trust are badges of honour. So why do some businesses only display their feedback credentials at the very end of the shopping journey, on the checkout page? Try displaying your feedback badges or short testimonials on all of your pages. In doing so your site immediately gains credibility and shows that your business takes feedback seriously.

... web design cues effectively enhance consumers’ initial trust towards unfamiliar

online vendors. The Effect of Website Design Dimensions on Initial Trust: A Synthesis

of the Empirical Literature, Karimov et al.

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Review badges have been proven, thanks to A/B split tests, to increase conversionsand reduce shopping basket abandonment.

We had some quite incredible results when we started using Trustpilot on our site. Through A/B split testing we

realised that installing the TrustBox on the site improved sales by 58%.

Christopher Andrews, Managing Director, Express Watches

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Within the last 90 days, we’ve seen a 24% increase in conversion rates compared to the previous 90 days before

we implemented Trustpilot.

Steve Baker, Sales Manager, FMW Fasteners

Review badges have been proven, thanks to A/B split tests, to increase conversionsand reduce shopping basket abandonment.

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TAKEAWAYSBuilding trust online is essential. Don’t let these myths hold your business back.

All reviews hold intrinsic value - even negative

reviews can add value.

Review badges could transform your website conversions - use A/B split testing

to see what works for you.

Never use fake reviews - getting

caught could mean fines and permanent

damage to your reputation.

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THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUST: When Reviews Turn Ugly

Intermediate

Turn negative reviews into a positive with the free eGuide: The Truth About

Trust: When Reviews Turn Ugly… now!

Download now!