One of the most powerful purchase factors in the e-tail space is the power that consumers have over each other. Also referred to as “social proof”, this influence can help customers identify with others who are making the same purchase decision. When leveraged effectively, social proof can help e-commerce store owners to increase conversions and bottom line sales. There are plenty of ways to demonstrate social proof on your website, but here are 8 quick ideas to get you started:
- Make recommendations front and center. The likelihood that customers will purchase a product or service increases when they see that others recommend or would buy it again.
- Provide detailed reviews. Giving customers an open forum for posting product/service reviews is okay, but you can take it to the next level by adding specifics. Ask the customers for pros/cons, ideal usage scenario, and for a little bit of information about themselves by choosing from demographics such as “mother of two”, “married couple”, “athletic body”, etc.
- Show a live feed. It’s always great to show customers what’s being bought in real time (or recently), and you can improve this feed by adding social stats like how many times something is being pinned, tweeted or shared. Many travel sites do this to show the rooms that are in demand.
- Incorporate a Google map. In addition to a live feed, a Google map can help customers identify with local like-minded consumers.
- Sort testimonials. Provide customer testimonials that website users can read and sort, based on location, item purchased, date of purchase, etc.
- I.D. frequent buyers. Potential customers are more likely to trust reviews from someone who is a repeat customer of your business, so make sure to clearly identify these people with an icon or annotation.
- Highlight most popular products. By posting products that are in demand, you actually psychologically create more demand.
- Provide photos of purchases. Potential customers love to see how others have incorporated their buys into real life – whether it’s showing how an outfit is put together, a piece of furniture is placed in a home or how something is built from scratch.
The most important thing to remember when thinking about social proof is that the majority of customers (over 3/4) do online research before committing to buy; the more information you provide them on your site, the better the chance that they’ll stay and buy. The minute they need to seek out additional product reviews and recommendations, you open the door for them to find what they are looking for with one of your competitors. Give them positive reinforcement, show authority, and provide the tools they need to form a meaningful connection with your product and your brand.
