When it comes to eCommerce, social proof is one of the most important factors that you can use to increase sales and conversions. In this article, you will learn about the seven main reasons why social proof is so important for online stores. Keep reading to learn more!
Building Trust
Every store needs to earn the trust of its customer base in order to have them coming back. Stores have experienced huge growth once they’ve learned how social proof affects us as it’s their main tool for building trust. Customers love to be reassured that they’re not the only ones interested in a product and that it’s safe to spend their money.
Testimonials, reviews, and ratings bridge the gap between strangers by building trust. By reading what others have had to say about a product, you can get an idea of what our experience might be. People can learn about potential problems or things we may not have considered. Most importantly, they can see if others like them enjoyed using the product.
Cheap Advertising
Having common people talk about how good your product represents one of the cheapest, yet extremely effective, ways to advertise. There are a few ways to go about this, but the most common is customer testimonials. When potential customers see that other people have been happy with what they’ve bought from you, they’re much more likely to make a purchase themselves.
Whenever you’re making a new marketing campaign, include testimonials or user-generated content to help show social proof and increase your conversion rate. For example, if you’re running a Facebook ad campaign, include a testimonial or review in the image or copy to help increase your click-through rate.
Word-to-mouth Campaigns Work
Social proof allows you to create a word-of-mouth campaign that can have a significant impact on your eCommerce business. By word of mouth, I mean when customers tell their friends and family about your products or services.
When done correctly, word-of-mouth campaigns can be very effective in helping you to reach new customers and grow your business. Here are a few reasons why:
First, they’re relatively inexpensive to create and implement. Second, they can be very effective in reaching potential customers who may not be familiar with your brand.
Third, word-of-mouth campaigns can help build trust and credibility for your brand. This is because people are more likely to believe recommendations from people they know and trust than they are to believe marketing messages from brands.
Direct Public Feedback
You need constant feedback from your customers for many reasons. These are the following:
- To know what they think about your product
- To know if they are satisfied with your product
- To find out if there are areas you need to improve on
- To get ideas for new products
- To know what they think about your brand
- To find out how likely they are to recommend your product to a friend
- To get an idea of what kind of customer service they expect from you
Customer feedback is important for all businesses, but it is especially important for eCommerce businesses. This is because getting direct feedback from customers can be difficult. You can’t just ask them what they think of your product in person, so you have to rely on other methods like surveys and customer reviews.
Establishing Credibility
A store with credibility is a busy one. People want to buy from credible sources. They don’t want to risk their hard-earned money on a fly-by-night company. When you have social proof, you are establishing your store as a credible source.
There are many ways to establish credibility. You can do this by having well-known brands that endorse your products. You can also do this by having satisfied customers leave reviews about your products and services. Another way to establish credibility is by being an active member of the community and engaging with your potential customers.
Proving Expertise
If you showcase that you and your employees truly know a ton about your product, it will go a long way. This is why you see a lot of eCommerce stores now having some form of a blog. It’s an excellent way to show that you know what you’re talking about when it comes to the products or services that you sell.
And if your target market sees that you have a lot of happy customers, it will only further prove that you’re an expert in your field. This is why user-generated content (UGC) is so important.
It Makes You Recognizable
Brand recognition and identity are important for any business, but they’re especially crucial for eCommerce. Because customers can’t physically visit your store or try on your products, they have to be able to trust that you’re a legitimate business with high-quality products.
One of the best ways to build this trust is through social proof. When potential customers see that other people are buying from your store and enjoying your products, they’re more likely to take the plunge themselves.
Social proof can do wonders for your business as customers will become more trustworthy and it provides cheap ads. You can create a word-to-mouth campaign and get direct public feedback you can later use. This establishes credibility when compared to other stores and proves you’re an expert. Finally, you’ll be instantly recognizable on the web and live during conversation!
