5 Best Reasons Why You Need A Review App In 2023

There is a lot of upside to having customer reviews on your online store and the easiest way to do that is by adding a review app.

We're pretty confident that, if you're on the fence as to whether or not you need a review app, by the time you're done reading this, you'll have a clearer  understanding of the many ways it can help you boost your sales and conversion rate and leave you no doubt as to exactly how and why that happens.

1. Why Social Proof Works Towards Building Trust

Review apps are the most common and effective way of creating social proof. If you want to know more about how to create social proof, check out our post on it here.

But why does social proof work so effectively towards building trust? The answer is directly linked to why customer reviews are the best way to achieve this: you're transferring the burden of trust from your store, someone with a vested interest in getting your money, to a bunch of people out there with nothing to gain to by lying to you.

It's like saying "Don't believe me, believe them! All of them. They've bought from me and they're satisfied with the product and or service."

And that works, plain and simple.

2. The Opportunity To Improve Your Business Through Customer Feedback

Don't throw darts in the dark. Customer reviews offer insight into their experience with your product or service and that insight has value and offers opportunities for you to improve your business.

For example, say you're selling your own product and through customer reviews, you find out there's something you hadn't thought about that your customers are saying they wished your product had. Well, without spending a dime on market research you've got a lot of valuable information and you can work on improving your product in a way that will make your future customers happier, and even those who have the previous version, they'll be glad to have been heard.

Customer reviews also help you identify specific things that are giving your customers a less-than-desirable experience with any sort of regularity.

Once you identify them you can plan and take a course of action to correct them.

For example, say you have a drop-shipping store and you notice one product is giving your customers a bad experience and hurting your brand in the process. Deleting that product from your catalogue is a good way of protecting your brand before more customers get a bad experience. You could also offer something to those who had a bad experience with that product.

3. Clearer Customer Expectations Lead To A Better Customer Experience

When customers know what they're getting (generally speaking - there are business models that play with customer expectations in fun ways like surprise boxes and stuff like that) they have an overall better experience.

Think about McDonald's for example. It may not be the best burger you can get but you know exactly what your burger will taste like when you order one. You know exactly how much ketchup it'll have every single time. And the degree to which customer expectations are met has a direct impact on how good their experience is.

Having customer reviews on your store helps customers get a better idea of what they can expect from your product or service and thus improve customer experience.

4. Righting Wrongs & Returning Customers

Sometimes things go wrong. They simply do. But that doesn't mean you can't do anything about it. If you want to know more about how to do right by the customer you can check our post on it here.

When something goes wrong and you get a bad review what you should do is reply to the customer and try to make things right. When other customers see that you responded quickly and competently to a customer having a problem with your product or service, it reassures them that you're genuinely concerned about offering good customer service.

And good customer service often comes with returning customers and referrals. And if you've ever gotten there you know that's like hitting gold.

5. Separating Yourself From Fraudulent Stores

There have always been bad apples out there, but they usually don't have a way for customers to leave reviews, they rely instead on fake reviews. If you want to know more about how customers online know how to spot fake reviews, we've written about that too in our post about creating social proof which you can check it out right here.

So regardless of whether you've got a lot of reviews or not so many, simply having a way for customers to leave a review sets you apart from a lot of the fraudulent sites out there.

However, I'd like to also mention that most review apps let you import reviews, which is a way to jump-start your efforts towards creating social proof. You can check out our post on review importers for Amazon here.

And I'd also like to say that sending review requests is a great way of getting reviews of your own. We have also written about that and you can check it out right here.

Bottom Line - It Boosts Sales & Conversion Rate

All these five good reasons for you to have a review app on your Shopify store contribute to the bottom line - boosting your sales and conversion rate.

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FAQ

How do review apps benefit my Shopify store?

Review apps benefit your Shopify store by enabling customers to leave feedback and reviews on your products. These reviews serve as social proof, building trust and credibility among potential buyers. Additionally, review apps often offer features such as customizable review forms, moderation controls, and analytics, allowing you to collect, manage, and gain insights from customer feedback.

Are review apps compatible with all Shopify themes?

Most review apps are designed to be compatible with a wide range of Shopify themes. However, it's always a good practice to check the compatibility of the review app with your specific theme before installing it. App developers usually provide information about theme compatibility on their app's website or in the Shopify app store listing.

Can I customize the appearance of reviews on my Shopify store?

Yes, many review apps provide customization options to match the appearance of reviews with your store's branding. You can typically customize elements such as review display layout, colors, fonts, and review form design. Some apps even offer widget customization to ensure seamless integration of reviews into your product pages.

How do review apps help with SEO?

Review apps can help with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by integrating with Google Rich Snippets. Rich Snippets are additional data displayed in search engine results, such as star ratings and review counts, which can enhance the visibility and click-through rates of your product pages. By using a review app that supports rich snippets, you can increase the chances of your products appearing more prominently in search results.

Can review apps help me manage negative or spam reviews?

Yes, most review apps provide moderation controls, allowing you to manage and filter reviews based on their content. You can choose to manually approve or disapprove reviews before they are displayed on your store. Additionally, some apps offer automated spam filters to prevent spammy or fraudulent reviews from being published.

Can review apps help me collect reviews from customers after purchase?

Absolutely! Many review apps offer features like automated review request emails that are sent to customers after they make a purchase. These emails prompt customers to leave feedback or reviews about their experience with the product. By automating this process, you can encourage more customers to share their thoughts and experiences, thus increasing the volume of reviews on your store.