Who hasn't read customer reviews before buying a product on the Internet? It's practically become a habit for consumers! They reassure us, inform us - in short, they're very useful. Paradoxically, mistrust is gradually taking hold in the face of ever-increasing customer review fraud. In fact, 45% of anomalies were already recorded by the DGCCRF in 2013. Negative reviews posted by competitors, others positive but posted by the company itself, hidden reviews... It's getting hard to find reliable ones. But do customer reviews still have a future?
# Why are customer reviews essential today?
In 2020, 87% of French people said they looked at customer reviews before making a purchasing decision. This figure shows just how important reviews are in our daily lives, but why are they so important? Firstly, they show that you're not the only one to order products from this site. Secondly, positive reviews prove that the products are of good quality. And finally, bad reviews lend credibility to other reviews. Too many positive reviews is suspicious! In-store, consumers can touch the product, try it on and ask the sales staff for advice, whereas online they don't have these possibilities. Reviews therefore help to reassure and inform.
Customer reviews are a competitive advantage for brands. They demonstrate the value of the offer. That's why we're increasingly asked to share our experience after a purchase. But what do consumers look at most? According to a Trustpilot study, half of consumers consider the overall rating to be the most important factor when reading reviews. However, for 20%, it's the date the review was published. For another 20%, the number of reviews published is the most important factor.
Watch this short video to better understand the usefulness of customer reviews:
# Customer reviews, a business
But today, reviews have become a real business. Collecting them is a major challenge for companies. You're probably wondering what all the fuss is about? Reviews have a major impact on sales. For example, going from 3 to 5 stars offers companies 25% more clicks on Google. So some people don't hesitate to cheat. Putting negative reviews on competitors' sites, putting positive reviews on your own site... All these false reviews have become commonplace.
As a result of this rise in fake reviews, this has impacted the credibility of reviews in the eyes of consumers. However, companies like giant Amazon have been working to alleviate the problem since 2016. To leave a review, users must have purchased $50 worth of products. What's more, the company has driven out a few brands that resorted to its illegal practices. Fake reviews are punishable by law. Deceptive commercial practices are punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment and a €300,000 fine. If there is a breach of information obligations, the fine will rise to €75,000.
Despite the increase in fake reviews, they remain important to consumers. Between December 2019 and December 2020, 87% more customer reviews were collected. So, even if consumers are increasingly wary of online reviews, they still play an important role in the act of buying. But how will they evolve?
# The future of customer reviews?
With fake reviews all around us, Internet users are increasingly looking for authenticity. Customer reviews should be like when a friend or family member advises us on a product they've just discovered. We need to feel that there's a real person behind the reviews. What if the future of customer reviews was audio reviews? The concept is simple: share your experience, but with your voice. But what are the advantages of this type of review? First of all, audio reviews are authentic and convincing. What could be better than hearing someone talk about the product to understand it better and be more informed? Audio gives meaning to the content and ensures that reviews are embodied. Secondly, it allows consumers to lower their guard about false reviews, since they really feel that someone is advising them. Last but not least, audio reviews are also more attractive. In fact, even if the review is negative, it will have less impact than in writing, thanks to the tone of voice. All this is Ekoo's idea. The start-up offers customers and companies the opportunity to create audio files to be integrated into websites, to tell the story of their experience and talk about their products. So, are you ready to leave audio reviews too?
