improving your trust signals

improving trust signals

Whether your website is lead-generation or sales, you need to convey professionalism to perform successfully online.

A website can have an amazing look with advanced functionality and state-of-the-art graphics, but if customers don’t feel like it is credible or legit, they will go elsewhere.

In this article, we give you seven ways to showcase trust signals at every touchpoint of the journey in order to reduce consumer hesitation, boost confidence and deliver better user experiences.

## Delivering better experiences by showcasing trust signals at key touchpoints

Somewhere between cyber-crimes, phony advertisements, emails, and websites, there are still online shoppers trusting in your website to be safe and frictionless. An unsecured site is an immediate turnoff for your visitors and if they can't trust you, they will quickly exit your site and head over to your competitor’s.

One way to stand out from your competitors and improve your website’s trust signals is by obtaining a security certificate. Brands lose upward 83.6% of sales because of cart abandonment and [19% abandon their carts](https://sleeknote.com/blog/trust-badges) because of payment security concerns. A security certificate is provided by the Certificate Authority (CA) that proves data such as banking and personal information is secured and encrypted between the server and browser. 

Phony pages are becoming terrifyingly accurate and difficult to differentiate as [phishing attacks](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-phishing/) are becoming more common. 

These indicators will help you earn your customers' trust and reduce consumer hesitation while also increasing your conversion rate. Help your website improve its transparency and reinforce your customers' confidence in you. If you haven't read our [credibility checklist](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/10-things-that-make-a-website-credible-the-ultimate-checklist), we recommend starting here.

Our friends at [Redstage](http://redstage.com/) have built hundreds of sites for their clients, and know a thing or two about building trust on site. We've asked them to share how they recommend using security certificates to signal to buyers that your site is trusted.

### 1. Padlock icon

Security certificates are crucial to show customers your website is a secure, safe domain.

Websites without a valid security certificate may present visitors with a warning message on some browsers. This can have a damaging effect on conversion.

If you have a security badge, a closed padlock in the status bar will appear in your browser window. To date, SSL certificates have been paramount for ecommerce websites in particular. However, more recently they have shown to be a contributing factor to SEO rankings. The padlock icon is an indication that traffic coming to and from your website is encrypted. This should be an indicator to customers that your website is protectig all data and personal information entered on your site. While a padlock icon doesn't necessarily mean that a website is 100% safe, it can ease some worry for visitors and help boost trust.

Not everyone understands what security certificates do, but the negative impact on conversion, should you not have one in place, would be tremendous.

### 2. HyperText transfer protocol secure

Once your website becomes verified through the Certificate Authority, you’ll receive an “https” URL. This is an indication that all private and sensitive information that is entered into the site is protected as it travels to a server. Without this, the user’s details have a high chance of being exposed. Additionally, Google and other search engines now give priority to websites with https, and may send visitors to a “Warning” page if you’re still only using http.

### 3. Privacy policy
Customers want to know how their data is being collected, used, and protected. A public, easy to find Privacy Policy can prove your company abides by the laws and care about keeping both your website and consumer information safe. 

### 4. Trust seal

Security Certificate on Zalora

Trust seal

Trust Seals give your visitors an extra sense of security. However, displaying too many badges across a website can cause some skepticism. Because of this, consider placing them only at the checkout. One study found a [42% increase](https://sleeknote.com/blog/trust-badges) in sales after implementing a Verisign trust seal. 

By implementing these indicators, not only can your visitors browse and shop worry-free, but you can also add some more points to the strength of your search rankings.

“Lack of trust is one of the top reasons customers abandon the checkout. A security badge can help reassure your visitors, but only if the source is recognizable,” says Oliver Sosinsky, Senior Solutions Engineer at Redstage.

Search engines like Google use an algorithm to promote a safer World Wide Web by giving certified sites priority in search results. Add in [great content](https://redstage.com/marketing/the-difference-between-good-great-content-marketing/), a [frictionless shopping experience](https://redstage.com/holiday/holiday-revenue-and-mobile-optimization/), and a [safe and secure website](https://redstage.com/holiday/3-tactics-hackers-will-use-against-ecommerce-store-security-this-holiday/), and watch your conversion rate skyrocket. 

As competition is increasing within the eCommerce industry, so are cyber-attacks, which create increasing levels of visitor anxiety. Studies show [77% of website visitors worry that their data could be stolen and misused](https://unbounce.com/landing-pages/can-ssl-trust-seals-and-other-security-indicators-improve-your-conversion-rates/). As a merchant, you should be showing your consumers that your company is highly invested in the safety and protection of their data. 

To ease the pressure, Trustpilot partner Redstage has designed customizable security and maintenance bundles to suit your needs. You can check them out [here](https://redstage.com/magento-security-maintenance-bundle/).

Read on for three more ways you can add trust to your website beyond security certificates. 

### 5. Payment gateway prominence

Payment option badges on Asos

payment gateway

What third-party software do you use for credit card payments?

Companies like Sage Pay and PayPal are reputable brands that consumers feel at ease with when sharing their bank details.

Make these logos clearly evident and prominent site wide, on the homepage and on the checkout to reduce consumer hesitation and cart abandonment. 

### 6. Verified customer reviews

reviews act as social proof to build trust

verified reviews

Over [92%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) of customers read online reviews as part of their buying journey. So if you’ve received some great customer feedback, shout about it! Customers rely on other customer’s honesty.

There are many ways to collate and present reviews and feedback on your website. [Trustpilot is a great example of a review platform](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software).

What if someone leaves a bad review? It shows you are real and genuine; you’re never going to make everyone happy. The odd three or four star review should be encouraged, otherwise it can look fake. We can’t win them all!

### 7. A clear delivery + returns policy

Delivery options

delivery and returns policy

A lack of information on delivery can cause hesitation. If you sell online, clearly show how it will be delivered to the customer, when they can expect to receive it, and at what cost.

Furthermore, there are situations whereby a customer will return something if they’re unhappy with the end product.

How do they go about doing this? What is the policy in terms of a refund? How long do they have to get a full refund?

These are the kind of questions customers will think about before they make a purchase and if they don’t know the answers to any of them beforehand, it will prevent them from converting.

## Getting started with trust signals

Obviously there’s much more you can do, but this is a good way to get started.

And, if you tick all the customer boxes, customers are bound to praise your business in their reviews.

The results: an [increase to your conversion rates](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/15-ecommerce-tips-to-drastically-increase-your-conversion-rate), bigger basket sizes, and happier customers.

If you'd like to learn more about the importance of trust signals in today's competitive landscape, download a free copy of our brand new Social Proof report below.

Get your free copy of 'The psychology behind trust signals'

7 Ways to improve your website’s trust signals

Why authentic voices can help retailers build loyalty

What can retailers do to generate trust and build lasting brand loyalty in a tough market? As we discuss, harnessing the power of user-generated content and authentic customer voices is one of the first key steps.

Not only do shoppers have more choice, but they’re less trusting of a brand's own advertising and marketing hype.

There are various ways you can attract and retain customers, but user-generated content is by far the most powerful (yet least utilised) tool. Read on to find out how retailers can use authentic voices to encourage brand loyalty and increase conversions.

Retailers rely on brand trust and customer loyalty to sell their products. However, both of these crucial elements have been in steady decline over recent years – a trend expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to [figures from KPMG](https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/09/consumers-new-reality-declining-trust.html), global net trust has fallen to -4% compared with pre-pandemic levels, with grocery and non-grocery retailers among those most affected. But with [74% of UK consumers](https://londonlovesbusiness.com/three-quarters-of-uk-consumers-would-boycott-a-brand-they-dont-trust/) saying they would boycott a brand they didn’t trust, maintaining trust is essential if you want to secure repeat business.

It’s not just a lack of trust that’s hampering retailers’ efforts to retain customers. Thanks to the explosion in online shopping (another trend accelerated by the pandemic), there’s a wave of new online retailers vying for consumers’ attention. Shoppers are now spoilt for choice in an increasingly crowded online market. As a result, consumer loyalty is falling and retailers are having to work harder to attract and retain customers.

Even the big retailers can no longer rely solely on their name to keep savvy shoppers coming back. According to research by PWC, [32% of people](https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/future-of-customer-experience.html) say they would stop shopping with a brand they loved after only one negative experience, highlighting just how fragile customer loyalty really is. In this day and age, second chances are far from certain.

The question is, what can retailers do to generate trust and build lasting brand loyalty in a tough market? As we discuss, harnessing the power of user-generated content and authentic customer voices is one of the first key steps.

## The power of user-generated content 

With trust in traditional advertising declining – particularly among [Generation Z](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/webinars-videos/learn-from-customers/creating-user-generated-content-what-gen-z-really-want) and [millennials](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/how-to-use-user-generated-content-marketing-to-reach-and-convert-millennials) – user-generated content is now the bedrock of modern marketing. 

The digital equivalent of word of mouth, user-generated content such as ratings and reviews brings the authenticity of someone impartial, and has become one of the main forms of [social proof](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing). It also tends to carry more weight than retailers’ own messaging, with [over three-quarters of people](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important) saying they’re more likely to trust content shared by ‘normal’ people than content shared by brands.

“There is a big trend of UGC and [people trusting the opinions of other people more than those of companies](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-the-home-and-garden-sector), which makes sense,” says Nosto’s Patrick Obolgogiani. “Younger generations, in particular, tend to like to see what their peers think about something – it is about social proof.”

With [64% of people](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/2749863/Report%20+%20Infographic%20-%20The%20Value%20of%20Customer%20Ratings%20and%20Reviews%20in%20Advertising/The%20Value%20of%20Customer%20Ratings%20and%20Reviews%20in%20UK%20Advertising.pdf) saying they’re ‘often’ or ‘very often’ influenced by consumer reviews when buying, the power of user-generated content is clear. Sharing opinions, experiences and recommendations online has become second nature. So it will come as no surprise that ratings and reviews are now a core part of any shopper’s online buying experience. These days, most retailers, no matter how big or small, display customer reviews on their website at key moments in the shopping journey. And with user reviews thought to influence over [£23 billion of UK consumer spending](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436238/Online_reviews_and_endorsements.pdf) each year, it’s easy to see why.

## 5 Ways authentic voices can build trust and loyalty

Satisfied and [loyal customers contribute 2.6 times](https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/customer-satisfaction-everything-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Increasing%20the%20customer's%20lifetime%20value,as%20a%20somewhat%20dissatisfied%20customer.) as much revenue as other customers, so anything you can do to build loyalty will always pay off. Using authentic voices to communicate your brand story is one of the best ways to attract prospective customers and retain existing ones. 

Want to know more? Here are five ways user-generated content like reviews and ratings can generate trust, nurture loyalty and, crucially, increase sales.

### 1. Customer reviews build trust and demonstrate transparency

Trust is one of the main factors that drives long-term customer loyalty. And that’s where reviews and ratings can play a vital role. Showcasing authentic customer feedback proves you’re credible and trustworthy, which can be very reassuring in an industry saturated with choice. 

Transparency is also a key motivator for customers, with [93% of people](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/2749863/Brand%20integrity_%20the%20new%20frontier%20for%20marketing.pdf?utm_campaign=GH_BrandIntegrity_ENG_1021&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=176425144&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9azoeAZDuED58AZMK0e08HUhSLCfAVTo6sN0VgWl7wezoXmWJJ0r6xXzq8UXDHm5fuYNVZ_2jl8XyQ23098k6Q37Ik5Q&utm_content=176425144&utm_source=hs_automation) saying a brand’s honesty and transparency are important when buying products or services. Using a [third-party review platform like Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software) is a great way to demonstrate these traits as shoppers know you haven’t edited or falsified your customers’ feedback. There’s no better way of saying “we’ve got nothing to hide” than displaying customer feedback – both good and bad – for everyone to see.

### 2. Responding to reviews shows you value your customers

Taking the time to respond to reviews shows you value your customers and their business, which is vital if you want to build brand loyalty. If your customers know they’re buying from a company that cares, you’ll not only gain their trust but they’ll be more likely to recommend you to their peers.

Engaging with customers also shows the human side of your business, while personalising your response establishes an emotional connection that’s often missing from the online shopping experience. We might live in the digital age, but consumers don’t want their interactions with retailers to feel robotic or too corporate. According to Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer, [36% of those surveyed](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/440941/Trust%20Barometer%202020/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report.pdf?utm_campaign=Global:%20Trust%20Barometer%202020&utm_source=Website) said they’d go elsewhere if a brand is inauthentic in its interactions. It proves that even today, personal relationships are still essential when it comes to generating loyalty.

### 3. Customer feedback can help you to improve the shopping experience

Reviews provide valuable insights that allow you to better understand your customers’ innermost wants, needs and expectations. You can then use this ‘feedback loop’ to improve your business operations and deliver a better overall customer experience, which is key to generating loyalty. 

It’s a strategy that’s worked well for Swift Direct Blinds. “Not so long ago we noticed that a number of customer reviews were commenting negatively on the quality of one particular fabric we were using in one of our blinds,” says the company’s Head of Marketing, Simon Weigh. “We flagged it up and the factory looked at it and noticed a minor problem, but it was an important thing to correct. We ended up changing fabric suppliers as a result of that insight.”

### 4. Reviews give you the chance to address complaints and fix mistakes

Unhappy customers are more likely to leave a review than satisfied customers, so it’s important to have a robust response strategy in place. Although negative reviews can be disheartening and sometimes frustrating, [they’re not necessarily a bad thing](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect). 

For a start, they give you the chance to explain a situation fully if something does go wrong. As counterintuitive as it might seem, negative feedback can also reassure other potential buyers. Anyone viewing your product reviews can assess whether that particular issue is likely to affect them and, if they’re satisfied with your response, they may even feel confident enough to make a purchase. 

Of course, handing the microphone to your customers can be daunting. But by viewing consumer insights as an opportunity rather than a threat, your customer service will improve, and brand loyalty will naturally increase.

### 5. Product reviews can address shoppers’ wider queries

As the cost of living soars, cash-strapped shoppers are more cautious about their spending. If they do choose to purchase something, they want complete confidence that they’re buying the right item. Is it true to size? Will it fit in the boot of my car? Is it dishwasher safe? And that’s where reviews can help. Hesitant shoppers can scroll through a retailer’s reviews to find answers to questions beyond those addressed in the product description.

Being able to access this level of information reassures shoppers, meaning they’re more likely to part with their cash. It’s also a great way to notch up your trust rating and increase brand loyalty. After all, if a customer knows they can find all the information they need on your website, they won’t need to look anywhere else.

__The voice of the consumer is more powerful than ever. By fully embracing this change in dynamic, retailers can forge meaningful connections with customers and generate long-term brand loyalty.__

__For more information on how user-generated content can build brand loyalty, [read our beginner’s guide](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/a-beginner-guide-to-building-brand-loyalty-with-user-generated-content).__


Social commerce: what it is and how to get started

In this article, we’ll look at the types of social commerce that currently exist, give you tips to provide great experiences to social shoppers, and discuss how you can build trust directly on social channels.

Last year, IBM’s Retail Index found that the pandemic accelerated the shift away from brick-and-mortar shops to eCommerce [by about 5 years](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-impact-of-covid-19-and-accelerated-4288334/). In fact, during the pandemic, we witnessed the rise of social commerce, with social media ad spend hitting highs of [$41.5 billion in 2020](https://www.iab.com/news/iab-internet-advertising-revenue/). 

It is growing so fast that [446.8 million social buyers are currently predicted for China in 2023](https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-commerce-stats/#toc-4), and that the global social commerce could reach [$604.5 Billion by 2027](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/assessment-of-the-social-commerce-industry-2020-2027-and-impact-of-covid-19---mobiles-segment-readjusted-to-a-revised-39-2-cagr-for-the-next-7-year-period-301125465.html).

But what is social commerce exactly? 

Social commerce is a subset of eCommerce which involves and supports social media and social interaction to assist online buying and selling of products and services.

In this article, we’ll look at the types of social commerce that currently exist, give you tips to provide great experiences to social shoppers, and discuss how you can build trust directly on social channels.

## 1. Choosing the right social media platform for your business

Today, there are so many different social media platforms. Picking the right one for your business is essential to ensure that your attempt at social commerce is as successful as possible.

The right platform should represent your target audience, and work well with the type of products or services your brand is promoting and selling. To help you out, we’ve put together a quick list of channels that currently offer some sort of social commerce solution.

### 1. Pinterest

Did you know that usage of Pinterest Shopping tools [surged by 350% in 2020](https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-commerce-stats/#toc-29)? 

Pinterest is an image sharing and social media platform designed to save and discover ideas on the internet using images, animated GIFs, and videos. It’s a great platform for homeware brands, or more creative businesses in the wedding or arts and crafts industry for example.

### 2. Instagram

By now, it’s safe to say that Instagram doesn’t need an introduction. It’s one of the most used social platforms [amongst all age groups](https://info.lse.ac.uk/staff/divisions/communications-division/digital-communications-team/assets/documents/guides/A-Guide-To-Social-Media-Platforms-and-Demographics.pdf). Instagram is great at inspiring people. A number of social media influencers use Instagram daily and promote different products or services to their audience. Instagram makes it easy to tag products on post, and to target consumers with products they’ve interacted with on the platform in their Shop section.

- [130 Million Instagrammers tap on shopping posts](https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-commerce-stats/#toc-13) every month 
- [60% of people say they discover new products](https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-commerce-stats/#toc-11) on Instagram 

### 3. Tiktok

TikTok has been downloaded over 3 billion times. The platform hosts a variety of short-form user videos, from genres like pranks, stunts, tricks, jokes, dance, and entertainment with durations from 15 seconds to 3 minutes. TikTok has a [younger audience](https://talkinginfluence.com/2019/12/17/reach-young-audience-tiktok/) and is great for brands who sell less high-end products, like kitchen gadgets for example. 

- TikTok is the [number-one app for driving consumer spending](https://blog.hootsuite.com/tiktok-stats/). 
- Consumer [spending on TikTok increased by a whopping 77% in 2021](https://www.businessofapps.com/news/tiktok-consumer-spending-up-77-in-2021/). Users spent $2.3 billion dollars via the app, compared to $1.3 billion the year before.

Find out how Shopify and Tiktok Shopping work together

### 4. Facebook

[36.8% of the world’s population use Facebook monthly](https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends). Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms in the world, which allows users to connect, share, buy, sell, and more. 

While Facebook is the biggest social channel out there, its demographic has changed slightly over the years. However, despite the platform’s reputation as a seemingly “older” network, 26.4% of the platform’s user base is made up of millennials. That being said, over [36% of Facebook’s audience are 45 or older](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/facebook-stats-for-marketers/).

- Did you know people are [53% more likely to buy from a business using Facebook live chat](https://www.facebook.com/business/goals/add-live-chat-to-website-with-messenger#)?
- Facebook’s potential [advertising reach is 2.11 billion people](https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends)
- [50% of consumers want to discover new products](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/stories-ad-format#) through Facebook Stories

### 5. YouTube

YouTube is the [world’s second-most visited website](https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends). YouTube is an online video sharing and social media platform owned by Google, which gets more than one billion monthly users who collectively watch over one billion hours of videos each day. YouTube can help give consumers a more in-depth look at your products or services. Shoppers might want to watch videos about a product they’re interested in before purchasing it, and YouTube is great for that.

- YouTube [ads have the potential to reach 2.56 billion users](https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends)
- YouTube’s global [ad revenue reached $28 billion USD](https://www.statista.com/statistics/289658/youtube-global-net-advertising-revenues/) in 2021

Learn how social commerce works on YouTube

## 2. Providing great experiences to social media users

The social shopping experience is so important as it represents you as a brand. A great customer experience on social media can help increase your social commerce conversion rate. 

Here are a few tips to help you get it right.

### 1. Target the right audience

Essential to target the right audience and pick the right social media platform for your product and services.

If your products target an older demographic, you might want to pick the appropriate social platform for your audience. If your brand targets a younger audience, think about your social media strategy too. 

Your product also plays a big part here. Some products are easier sold via TikTok or YouTube, and some via Pinterest or Instagram. 

### 2. Engage with users

Educate followers about your brand, products or services.

With 37% of consumers saying that [social networks are their biggest source of inspiration](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-survey/2020/pwc-consumer-insights-survey-2020.pdf) for purchasing, promotional posts should be part of your strategy. However, posts that directly promote your products should make up only a small portion of your posts. 

When you create promotional posts, consider adding a reason buyers should purchase the product now. One reason could be a limited-time discount, or you could encourage customers to be the first of their friends to own a new product. You can also create FOMO (fear of missing out) by sharing how many people have bought this product in the last 24 hours, for example. Don’t forget to include high-quality pictures too.

Because mobile shopping has grown in popularity, with [45% of people increasing their number of purchases from a mobile](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/consumer-markets/consumer-insights-survey/2020/pwc-consumer-insights-survey-2020.pdf) device since the COVID-19 pandemic , promotional posts should be [created as shoppable posts](https://squareup.com/t/f_online/d_display/p_forbes/c_branding/o_eco_forbes_brandvoice_socialmediaroundup_shoppableposts/u_core/l_us/dt_alldevice/pr_ecosystem/?route=us/en/townsquare/how-to-sell-products-on-instagram). 

This means that customers can purchase directly from the post, making it as easy as possible for someone to buy your product directly on social channels. Did you know that each month, [130 million Instagram accounts tap a shopping post to learn more about a product](https://business.instagram.com/blog/how-to-plan-for-holidays-on-instagram/)? This could be a huge opportunity for your business if you’re not already tapping into social commerce.

### 3. Encourage reviews

We understand how important it is for customers to interact with businesses on social channels during the different stages of the buying journey, but we also know that online reviews can attract more customers via social platforms.

Sharing [verified online reviews](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software) on social media can help your content stay personal and up to date, while helping you stand out from the competition and grow your online reputation.

## 3. Building trust with consumers

Today’s consumers research more before purchasing, and [trust businesses less than they did a few years ago](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-critical-role-of-reviews-in-internet-trust), which is why brands should be doubling their marketing efforts in order to stay at the top. 

To stand out from the competition in social commerce, it’s essential to incorporate transparency and authenticity to the customer journey. The more information consumers can find about your brand, your products or your services on social media, the better.

With reviews, businesses can optimise every touch point of the buying journey, and make sure consumers are exposed to trust signals and social proof when using social channels.

Here are some ways to share your customers’ voice on social channels:

- __Trustpilot x Facebook integration__

Trustpilot x Facebook integration

Trustpilot’s Image Generator

- __Trustpilot x Hootsuite integration__


Trustpilot x Hootsuite integration

User-generated content

There’s no doubt that the way we shop is changing. The rise of social commerce in the last few years has completely shifted the way brands interact and engage with their audience on social channels. 

Building trust directly on social media can be tricky. But showcasing third-party validation, such as verified online reviews, can help grow consumer confidence in your brand when trying to implement social commerce.

If you’d like to find out more about how Trustpilot can help you with building trust for social commerce, why not speak to one of our experts? It’s quick and easy, just click the link below.


How brands can adapt to Gen Z’s new shopping habits V2

How brands can adapt to Gen Z’s new shopping habits

We’re seeing a shift in values for Gen Zers: they crave authenticity and purpose, they engage with companies who align with their own values, have a mission, and are doing good in our world. How does this impact their habits and how can brands adapt?

The mid-to-late 1990s are usually used as starting birth years, and the early 2010s as ending birth years for Gen Z. 

So what’s so different about Generation Z? 

Well, we’re seeing a real shift in values for this demographic group. Gen Zers crave authenticity and purpose. They are looking to engage with companies who align with their own values, have a real mission, and are trying to do good in today’s society. 

So how does this impact their shopping habits and how can brands adapt to this new demographic? In this article, we take a look at Gen Z’s expectations and behavior, and find out how this new generation is shaping the future of shopping.

## Looking at Gen Z’s shopping habits

### 1. Convenient shopping

There is no doubt that social and mobile technologies [have changed consumers’ shopping habits](https://thekeenfolks.com/the-impact-of-technology-on-consumer-behaviour/) and expectations.

Today’s consumer expectations often include an omni-channel customer experience. [An omni-channel presence](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/why-an-omni-channel-experience-is-your-best-christmas-present) matches messaging and ensures there’s no disconnect across channels. Brands with a disjointed message across digital and traditional channels (commonly known as a multi-channel approach) could end up losing ground in the market. 

Gen Z is a true [omni-channel generation](https://www.marketingevolution.com/knowledge-center/trend-analysis-preparing-omnichannel-success-gen-z). Their shopping behavior shows that they like to buy wherever best suits them, and with no particular channel preference. As part of this, Gen Z also seems to have shifted back to [brick-and-mortar shopping](https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/may/25/shopping-habits-of-generation-z-could-spell-end-of-fast-fashion), while millennials have moved much more towards an online approach.

That doesn’t mean Gen Zers are no longer interested in online shopping. In fact, they enjoy using different types of channels for a more holistic experience; they might browse a product online, purchase it later on through a retargeting ad on social channels, or go directly to the shop to buy it. 

So while their interest in high street shops is bigger than Millennials', browsing online and the flexibility of omni-channel experiences is very much appreciated by this new generation of consumers.

### 2. Better quality products

There’s no doubt that the rise of new payment methods such as buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) have empowered younger consumers ([22% of Gen Zers](https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/gen-z-shopping-trends-uncovered-pay-pal)) to buy more. But that’s not the only reason Gen Zers like to use this form of payment. 

A survey found that product quality was amongst the [three characteristics](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/gen-z-wants-brands-to-be-fun-authentic-and-good-study-says/581191/) that establish trust in a brand amongst Gen Zers, along with positive reviews and customer service. New forms of payment such as BNPL can help Gen Zers buy more expensive and better quality products. 

As well as new payment options, Gen Z is also exposed to other ways of buying higher quality products, such as second-hand shopping. As established earlier, Generation Z tends to engage with brands that have a real mission, and are trying to do good in today’s society. This new shopping habit probably comes from a desire to protect the planet and break out of the fast fashion cycle. In fact, today, [27%](https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/gen-z-shopping-trends-uncovered-pay-pal) of Gen Zers say that they’re more likely to shop on preloved and vintage platforms.

### 3. New consumer buying behavior

It’s safe to say that Generation Z has very different shopping habits than other generations before. Gen Z’s buying behavior shows that they like to stay relevant to current trends, and make purchases to lift their mood.

They no longer need to shop [just once a week, or even once a month](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/meet-generation-z-shaping-the-future-of-shopping). 
The rise of new social media platforms and influencer marketing has completely shifted the way that this new generation buys. In fact, they like to make smaller purchases, more often – sometimes more than once a week.

Traditional advertising isn’t as efficient as it used to be. Gen Zers prefer to look to their peers for inspiration, and tend to [trust other consumers’ opinions more](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing) than what brands have to say about themselves.

## How eCommerce businesses can convert more Gen Z consumers

### 1. Prioritize omni-channel experiences

With bigger companies now playing on both fronts, it’s important for smaller businesses to break down the online/offline mentality and create a seamless flow from store to online for Gen Zers to use throughout their buying journey.

In 2022, shopping has become a 24/7 activity that is easily done through a multitude of devices. Everything is interactive, and when it comes to meeting Gen Z consumers’ omni-channel needs, the storefront is no exception.

By providing great experiences both online and offline, retailers can make shopping more enjoyable for their customers. One of the best ways to do this is by integrating their digital presence to their brick & mortar shops.

Following the omni-channel trend can truly help brands improve the in-store shopping experience by offering additional information consumers might need within easy reach. This creates a unified experience that allows Gen Zers to engage with a brand faster and consider purchasing from a retailer, regardless of channel.

### 2. Adopt new payment methods, both online and in-store

Did you know that [24%](http://www.iqpc.com/media/1003982/39442.pdf) of consumers abandon their transactions at checkout because the retailer doesn’t offer their preferred payment choices?

A study found that Gen Zers currently anticipate [reducing their use of debit cards](https://www.emarketer.com/content/how-gen-z-embracing-digital-payments) from 35% now to 26%, and credit cards from 16% now to 14%. Cash is also in rapid decline, with only 22% of Generation Z admitting that they would continue to use cash for future purchases.

There’s no doubt that the last two years have hastened the shift towards digital payments. As a result, Gen Z is more likely to embrace some of the following payment options:

- Buy now, pay later apps. 
- Wallet services and contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Paypal.
- Peer-to-peer payment apps. 

Adapting to new shopping habits means having to cater to different customers, with different needs and different expectations, such as the new Generation Z. Multiple payment options ensure your larger audience is taken care of and that their expectations are met. 

### 3. Make transparency and authenticity your top priorities

Members of Generation Z are, generally speaking, a bit more of a skeptical crowd. Their ability to verify anything online over the years has made it a lot harder for brands out there to earn their trust. That’s why Gen Z admires and looks for brands that value transparency, honesty and authenticity. 

It’s clear that Gen Z have developed different shopping habits than their predecessors; Gen Zers like supporting businesses that they believe in and that reflect their own personal ethos and values. 

Brands that understand the importance of honesty and transparency and can adapt to Gen Z’s new needs and expectations are more likely to earn their loyalty in the long run, while other businesses risk being left behind.

So, why not look into becoming a more transparent business this year, while learning from your Gen Z customers? It's quick and easy, sign up for free below. 

Finn de nyeste trendene som kan bidra til økt synlighet i søkeresultatene og et bedre omdømme på nett. Få mer ut av anmeldelsene fra kundene med casestudier, analyser, nettseminarer og videoer hos oss.

Trustpilots blogg: Få mest mulig ut av anmeldelsene dine

Reviews

5 Tactics to increase your eCommerce conversion rate

It’s no secret that conversion rate optimization is an important part of online marketing. We asked our partners at leading agencies for their advice. Their experts came back with 5 tactics businesses can use to increase their online conversions.

The CRO ‘science’ consists in optimizing your website in order to increase the likelihood that visitors will complete a specific action, or at least get closer to a desired goal. 

In 2020, [the average eCommerce conversion rate is about 2.86%](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/the-average-website-conversion-rate-by-industry/#:~:text=The%20latest%20survey%20and%20studies,website%20conversion%20rate%20of%204.31%25.). This means that 97.14% of visitors leave most websites without completing their customer journey.

As many businesses have had to sell online these past few months, and as the busiest time of year approaches, we asked our partners at leading agencies for their advice.

Their experts came back with 5 great tactics eCommerce businesses can implement to increase their online conversions throughout the funnel, from search to onsite. So if your conversion rate hasn’t budged, or worse even, is dropping, you might want to give these a go! 


## 1. Implement schema markup in your structured data 

[Dan Baum, Paid Media Specialist at IMPACT](https://www.impactbnd.com/team/dan-baum) recommends that his clients use structured schema markup on their pages.

“Structured schema markup provides the search engines more information to better understand the content and intent of each page. The search engines then present these extra details as review snippets under the title and meta description of your SERP listing. Schema markup lets you give users more information about your page, like information about your hours, contact details, reviews, pricing, location, star-rating, product availability, and more. The availability of all this extra information drastically improves the appearance of your search results and can significantly improve your click-through rates.

“The tough part is that you can't just ‘turn schema on’ to start using these much more attractive search results. You'll need to head to Schema.com where they walk you through all the vocabulary and code you'll need to create schema markups that can be read by Google, Bing, Yahoo, and most other popular search engines. if complex coding and development isn't really your thing, there are some really effective schema generators out there. Check out [technicalseo.com](https://technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator/) or [Google’s tool](https://www.google.com/webmasters/markup-helper/u/0/).

Schema markup image 1

Schema markup Image 2

Schema markup image 3

## 2. Dominate SERPs with search query funneling

Greg Thibault, Organic Search and Conversion Strategic Manager at Exclusive Concepts, is a strong proponent of search query funneling, a tactic that allows you to identify keywords to drive more revenue for your business and dominate SERPs, while mitigating [wasted ad spend](https://bi.exclusiveconcepts.com/googleadsscorecard/signup?utm_source=Trustpilot&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=blog). 

“The three core steps to search query funneling differ from the typical bid approach of bidding on high-value IDs. Here are the steps:

- Step 1: Prioritize your keywords, placing categorical phrases at high-priority, and deprioritizing branded, product-specific keywords.
- Step 2: Instruct Google on where and when to stop by adding negative keywords and using campaign priorities.
- Step 3: Assign bids to each priority bucket. Bidding high for low-priority phrases and low for high-priority phrases.

In order to capitalize on the visibility you are driving by leveraging [search query funneling](https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgxwJXLdhpVRtcqFLsFnXDvSDzBSJ?compose=CllgCHrdlcTJWkjfcWNszWPTqSrtCpGxSjPhMfsdKNzHhKBkmHwXXTqxSjXKTKktPpTjJvvZmBB), ensure you have product reviews on both the SERP and the product page. Reviews ultimately influence conversion and anything you can add to product listing ads or site is a no-brainer.”


Dog Food google shopping 1

Dog Food product page 2

## 3. Social proof improves conversion throughout the funnel

Exclusive Concepts’ advice to improve conversion continues throughout the funnel with an emphasis on social proof. 

“With [shoppers moving to eCommerce](https://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/insights/its-unanimous-klaviyo-and-exclusive-data-find-big-sales-potential-across-e-commerce/?utm_source=TPblog&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=SEOblog) in droves for 2020, it’s only becoming more imperative for online stores to convey instant trustworthiness. To do that, we recommend adding visible social proof at significant steps in the customer journey to engender feelings of safety and security. 

Because the user experience is paramount to helping undecided and unfamiliar shoppers feel
comfortable making purchases, online stores should: 

- Include star-ratings for every item on __category pages__
- Display a review carousel near the top of the page and star-ratings near the add-to-cart button on __product pages__ 
- Include a review carousel at the bottom of the page, near the checkout button on __cart pages__ 

The most successful e-commerce sites will be the ones that can [reassure their customers](https://www.exclusiveconcepts.com/insights/increasing-conversion-webinar-reviews-based-marketing/?utm_source=TPblog&utm_medium=Trustpilot&utm_campaign=SEOblog) that they are making a good decision at each point of the purchase.”

White Mountain Puzzles product page

## 4. Convert onsite with an optimized chatbot 

Ben Lack, CEO of [Interrupt Media](http://www.interruptmedia.com/), suggests implementing a chatbot onto your website. 

“If implemented correctly, you’ll give yourself the ability to quickly answer questions your potential customers have about the products you’re selling so that you can turn more web visitors into customers. After implementation, make sure that you have a clear strategy for different page types. For example, for your home page, consider having your chatbot automatically ask a question like ‘is there a specific product that you’re looking for?’. If it’s a specific product page, your chatbot may want to automatically ask ‘do you have any questions about this product that I can answer?’. 

“These are leading questions that generate opportunities for your chatbot to convert more traffic into sales. Some chatbots will let you automate replies based on user responses while others require someone to write real time responses. So make sure that you map out how you want to support the user engagement for each use case.”


## 5. Optimize for your core demographic's digital behavior trends

Barron Rosborough, Content Marketing Manager at Hawke Media, offers a tactic that helps businesses increase conversion at every point in the funnel.

"Analyzing the behaviors of your core demographics is a tactic you can employ to hone in on trends in customer behaviors that lead to conversions. 

This is helpful for two reasons:

1. You learn which customers are likely to buy and you can tailor your strategy to earn their repeat business.
2. Once you’ve identified behavior patterns, you can isolate those traits in your targeting to expand your audience for potential customers that are likely to convert.

Look for co-occurrence between activities by visitors that complete checkouts on your website. Where did they come from? What did they click? How long did they stay on the page? Glean helpful data points that help identify behaviors that have a high correlation with purchase intent.
 
For Hawke client [Barstool Sports](https://hawkemedia.com/blog/barstool-sports-sem-monitize-following), we analyzed the behavior of visitors to all of their content channels, realizing that their massive audience was consuming their content, but not visiting their store. So our team redirected users to their online store by serving search ads on various platforms leading to a 1,082% increase in eCommerce revenue."

Barstool Sports graph

We hope these 5 tips from digital experts will help you master conversion rate optimization so you can start improving your website’s user experience today.

If you found this article insightful, or if you have any other tips you’d like to share with us, do not hesitate to tweet us at @Trustpilot using #onTheBlog. Alternatively, if you'd like to find out more about Trustpilot and how reviews can help you boost your sales, give our conversions guide a read by clicking the link below:

black friday sales leveraging trustpilot reviews

In this article, we discuss how customer feedback can increase your conversions, just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

However, while the promise of low prices is strong, pricing is a delicate balance: too high and no one will buy, too low and everyone could go. So while your offers might be good, your customers might think they are too good to be true. That's why you need something else to assure your customers that the deals are real. 

Here's how to build trust through customer feedback to increase your conversions just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

## How to build online trust for a successful Black Friday sale

### 1. Make key pages stand out with customer feedback

Persuasive product descriptions, low prices, or a cool looking site are nothing without assurance you're worth spending money on. For that, customers turn to what other people have experienced. 

The thing is this: the average eCommerce conversion rate is pretty depressing at just [1.2%](https://www.noisylittlemonkey.com/blog/average-website-conversion-rate-uk). This means that almost all of your website's visitors give up on your customer journey.

But it doesn't have to be this way.

Today, [89% of global consumers check online reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-things-every-business-owner-should-know-about-the-state-of-reviews) as part of their online buying journey, and 49% of global consumers consider positive reviews one of their top 3 purchase influences.

The majority of your visitors are looking for validation when comparing your products and services, so use your customers' reviews in the places you need them most. 

__Want visitors to know your amazing Black Friday sales is *that* special?__ 

- Place reviews on the page where previous customers can vouch for your commitment to quality and low prices. 

__Want visitors to feel reassured the second they find you?__

- Add reviews to your homepage or to key sections of your site, so visitors know they've come to the right place.

__Afraid customers might back out on the checkout page? __

- Sprinkle your checkout page with trust signals to give customers that last little bit of encouragement. 

Trustpilot social proof on Dusk's website

Dusk leverages trustpilot reviews

Reviews homepage Dusk.com

Dusk.com showcase Trustpilot reviews throughout their website

Dusk uses Trustpilot reviews directly on-site

Reviews homepage 2 Dusk.com

It's all about leveraging customer advocacy. Do it right, and customer advocacy can increase marketing effectiveness by as much as [54%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important). 

### 2. Take time to socialise

Search engines like Google (we'll get to them in a minute) and social media networks like Facebook have become the go-to 'link' between companies and customers.

With more and more customers owning social media profiles, having a solid social presence is more important than ever. Research by Dell found [75%](https://www.vividfish.co.uk/blog/75-of-customers-say-they-use-social-media-as-part-of-the-buying-process) of customers are influenced in their choices by what they find on social media. 

So don't just use your social media channels to post pictures of attractive price reductions, witty jokes or company retreats. Instead, see your social media presence as an extension of your brand.

1. __Get involved__. Respond to customer comments and feedback, and show there are humans behind the company walls.
2. __Promote customer feedback__ in your social media posts and ads. That quick mention that you're rated highly by your customers will not go unnoticed.
3. __Embed your customer reviews__ on your company's social media pages. You can also go one step further and add a customer picture, case study or video to add further credibility. 

Flowers.ie have embedded Trustpilot reviews on their Facebook Page

Ultimately, it's about improving customer service and interaction. One U.S. study found that [66%](http://uk.businessinsider.com/customer-service-experiences-are-more-important-than-ever-in-the-age-of-e-commerce-2016-3?r=US&IR=T) of customers will pay more to companies who have great customer service, and [71%](https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics/) of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend the brand to their friends and family.

### 3. Stand out in Google with Seller Ratings

This year, we observed an [11% decline in trust globally](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-critical-role-of-reviews-in-internet-trust?cta=report_home_banner_canvas8), with only 71% of people admitting they trust consumer brands.

With this trust deficit in mind, your advertising needs to count, right from when people Google you.

Example of ads with Google seller ratings

google seller ratings trustpilot

Google Seller Ratings example

With [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions), you're able to include your review ratings in your Google Ads.

This helps show potential customers that they're right to go to you from the outset.

### 4. Use reviews in offline marketing

Even with thriving eCommerce, offline marketing still packs a punch. After all, [word of mouth](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews/) is still the best sales driver – and with 80% of people trusting reviews as much as personal recommendations, validation from other customers is certainly what puts you ahead of the competition. 

Show off social proof when you can to stay top of mind:

1. __Add snippets of reviews, or your overall star rating,__ to your print ads. It gives reassurance.
2. __When packing a product, slip in a flyer or card__ showing your reputation and asking for feedback at the same time? It shows openness and willingness to improve.
3. __Advertising on TV, podcasts, or radio? Mention how trusted you are__ with a quick line in your script. It personalises your business, and adds a little extra social proof.

## Finally, get ready for a sales rush

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is an intense few weeks for retail – but you can get through it, and in a better position than ever before.

The key to increasing conversions is to inject as much trust as possible throughout the customer journey. 

With more sales come more satisfied customers, and more customer feedback to encourage people to shop with you again. 

That's a benefit you'll not only gain just for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but long in the future too.

If you'd like to give reviews a go this Black Friday, why not create a free Trustpilot profile? It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

How to use reviews to boost sales this Black Friday

15 tips to improve conversions by Trustpilot 2019

In today’s competitive eCommerce landscape, it's harder to convertt customers. We all know conversions lead to sales, so here are 15 tips to drastically increase your eCommerce conversion rate.

But is it really that simple?

In a world where [84%](https://www.clickz.com/84-percent-of-millennials-dont-trust-traditional-advertising/27030/) of people do not trust advertisements anymore, converting visitors into customers has become a real mission impossible. Like most eCommerce businesses, you’re looking to optimise your conversion rates without spending too much, or without looking desperate, because desperation kills conversions...

You might be getting enough traffic, but boosting conversions doesn’t end at increasing traffic. If your conversion rate isn’t budging (or worse, if it’s dropping), you need to shift tactics.

If you’re asking yourself ‘how can I increase my eCommerce conversion rate’?, start by reading this article. We’ll give you 15 easy ways to improve your customer experience and boost your conversion rate.

## 15 Tips to optimise your eCommerce conversion rate today

### 1. Offer free shipping

According to Barilliance, shipping cost is the number one reason for cart abandonment [(25%)](https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/) and [9 out of 10 consumers](http://marketingland.com/e-commerce-report-9-10-consumers-say-free-shipping-no-1-incentive-shop-online-180280) say free shipping is their biggest incentive to continue shopping online. If you’re charging for shipping, chances are you're losing some of your sales to your competitors.

Some may offer shipping for free regardless of what’s purchased and some offer free shipping tied to conditions, like a minimum spend requirement. Whatever you opt for, consider adding the option at checkout or promote it across key landing pages.

Here are 3 ways you can offer free shipping on your website:

* On orders over a specific amount.
* By having a minimum requirement of items purchased.
* Offering free shipping during a specific time frame - usually during slow periods.

### 2. Say goodbye to cart abandonment ###

Did you know the global average cart abandonment rate was over [77%](https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/) in 2016? Cart abandonment may be a very common phenomenon, but that doesn’t mean you should let it affect your business.

Sending email reminders can help you reduce cart abandonment. Why? People tend to forget or might want to check out on a different device. Abandoned cart emails are a great way for consumers to come back to your site and complete their order.

But when is best to send an email?

* After 24 hours for full priced items.
* After just couple of hours for items on sale.
* If you’re looking to go the extra mile, why not give your customers the option to save their basket and come back to it later like ASOS does?

ASOS allows visitors to save items to their ‘bag’ and come back to it later

Asos - blog

Letting your customers save their items for a certain period will considerably reduce cart abandonment as saved items are easy to find again and stay saved for a longer amount of time, increasing the chance of a purchase.

### 3. Match your landing page copy with your PPC ad’s copy ###

It’s not uncommon to click a PPC ad and be redirected to a landing page with completely different message. Don’t overlook this, make sure your PPC ad and landing page copy match or the inconsistency will hurt your conversion rates.

If you’re advertising a 20% discount, free shipping, or a special offer on your ad, consumers will expect to be taken to a page with the same offer. If your landing page doesn’t mention the same offer as your ad, consumers are left with their expectations unfulfilled. They’ll leave your site and click on another PPC ad.

Here’s how to make sure message matching across your ads and landing pages:

- Double check you’re using the right link in your PPC ad.
- Avoid using false advertising in your ad’s headline. There’s no point using the words “free” or “discount” just to get traffic if you’re not going to actually offer those benefits. That’ll send conversion rates plummeting.
- Triple-checking the copy’s accurate. Are you describing everything consistently? Are you offering the right product or service? You’d be surprised how often companies will mess this up.

### 4. Content marketing will help you ###

In order to convert more consumers, it’s important to attract the right people in the first place. If you’re selling sportswear for example, you’ll want to attract traffic, but not from an audience who’s uninterested in sports and exercise. To get quality visitors, content marketing is essential.  

Continuing the sportswear example, writing about fitness and nutrition is more likely to help you attract the right audience and convert your readers because the content will be relevant for them.

This is how you can convert more with content marketing:

Make your blog easy to access from your website.
* Optimise your articles for SEO.
* Write about things that your audience likes and occasionally promote your own products.
* Fabletics have found the perfect balance by sharing some fitness and lifestyle-inspired content as well as some promotional content.


Fabletics offers lifestyle content suited to their audience

Fabletics - blog

Here’s why Fabletics’s blog works well:

* Their articles help them engage with their audience. If your consumers feel connected to your brand, they are more likely to make a purchase.
* Their blog boosts customer loyalty - customers are likely to come back regularly to read new articles and check out new products.
* Their promotional posts push indecisive consumers to finalise their checkout (e.g. “Fabletics swimwear guide: best swimsuits by body type”). Fabletics can do this without looking pushy because they've earned their audience's trust.



How can Trustpilot help increase your conversion rate?

### 5. Improve website speed ###

A study by Akamai found that 47% of people expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less, and 40% say they will abandon a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. It’s easy to see how loading speed can impact conversion rates. Simply making your website faster will drastically improve your customer experience, and therefore help you convert more. Otherwise, visitors will be quick to leave and look for a faster site.

Speeding up your website - made easy:

* Use tools like Pingdom and GTmetrix to get your score and find out what could be improved.
* Reduce redirects and plugins.
* Use browser caching.
* Be aware of your image sizes and optimise them for the web. Large image files could slow load speeds, especially on mobile devices.
* Get started today


### 6. Personalise the landing & home page with recommendations

According to a recent report from Accenture, [75%](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/interactive-index) of consumers are more likely to buy from a retailer that recognises them by name, recommends options based on their past purchases, or knows their purchase history.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Gartner also found that by 2020, smart personalisation engines used to recognise customer intent will enable digital businesses to increase their profits by up to [15%](https://www.instagram.com/p/BJlFMxMBjSR/).

Using personalisation to show related products on landing pages or directly on your homepage based on a user’s intention will considerably boost your conversion rates because you’re offering options related to they're already looking to purchase.

Amazon personalisation

On my last two visits to Amazon, I searched for hair stylers and holiday books. When I returned, my “Recommended for you” section was full of products that could be of interest to me.

Here’s how you can get it right too:

Make sure you’re tracking the right data points - search history, order history, location, and more to determine what products they’d like to see. Consider including this section directly on the product page with an 'add to cart' option, this way, your customers won’t have to wait until their next order to discover the products they could be interested in.

### 7. Address uncertainty with additional information

It’s very unlikely for a consumer not to hesitate or compare products or options during their buying journey. Additional information gives buyers enough confidence to trust that you are the right brand for them. Product description is extremely important. Make sure your product copy is clear and reflects your brand image. Your customer should have no questions left once they’ve read the product description.

Add visuals! The more visuals you include, the more chances you have of converting consumers. Companies that use custom imagery actually have [7 times more conversions](http://bandwagoncreative.com/infographic/). And they don’t have to stop at photos. That’s why we recommend adding product demonstration videos or customer testimonials directly on the product page to answer any questions your potential customer might have.

Your guide to great product copy:

- Always double check your copy. Is it clear? Informative? Persuasive?
- Images are a must and videos are recommended!
- Customer testimonial videos will give consumers extra confidence because you’re offering a trusted third-party evaluation.

### 8. Improve your customer service

If your visitor hasn’t found what they’re looking for on your product page, or if they’re confused during the buying journey, it’s important for your eCommerce business to offer help as soon as possible. The faster, the better.

Real-time help works wonders, and more often, website visitors choose live chats over other contact channels. [Live Chat 100](https://www.livechat100.com/resources/live-chat-benchmark-report-2017) explains: “When looking at the data in 2016, we found that the chat-to-visit ratio improved by 4.94% at the most compared to 2015. That is to say, a higher percentage of website visitors chose to chat with agents for help.”

On-site live chats are a great way to engage with new or existing customers on any of your pages, reducing the likelihood that they’ll navigate away from a key page, or worse, leave your site altogether. Better still, these live expert chats can increase the chances of your visitor converting once their issue is sorted, or their question is answered.

How to build a great customer service:

- Make your contact details easily accessible so a potential customer can reach you at any time.
- Offer real-time help directly on site.
- Turn negative experiences into positive ones. [95%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) of unhappy customers are more likely to return to your website if you have resolved their issue quickly and efficiently.

To learn more about about improving customer service, check out our articles [here](http://blog.trustpilot.com/blog/5-ways-to-improve-your-customer-service-on-your-ecommerce-site) and [here](http://blog.trustpilot.com/blog/6-types-of-online-customer-service-you-can-implement-today).

### 9. Make the checkout process as easy as possible

Did you know having to create a new user account is the second biggest reason for cart abandonment ([22%](https://www.barilliance.com/cart-abandonment-rate-statistics/))?

If you don’t offer guest checkout yet, it’s time to try it out! This will help keep all consumers stay engaged whether they’re repeat shoppers or first-time consumers. Adding the additional step of account creating creates friction for the user as they probably won’t want to create a new account every time they order from a new website.

Single-step checkouts are one of the easiest ways for existing customers to finalise their purchase.



Amazon checkout

Amazon’s Kindle store is one of the best platforms to use this system. Existing customers save their payment and personal details and can buy a Kindle book by clicking on the ‘Buy Now’ button without having to add it to their basket first.

Pretty amazing, right?

Here’s how you can be the king of checkout:

- Give your customers the choice! Let them check out the way they want to: as a guest, with their account, or with a 1-step checkout system using saved information.
- If they’re checking out as a guest, give them the option to create an account after their purchase, on the thank you or confirmation page or even as part of a post-purchase email.
- Offer to remember your customer’s payment details for future checkouts to encourage repeat shopping.

### 10. Multiple payment options

A [Paypal study](http://www.iqpc.com/media/1003982/39442.pdf) revealed that 24% of consumers abandoned their transactions at checkout because the retailer didn't offer the customers’ preferred payment choices.

Getting more traffic means your business needs to please different types of customers, with different needs and different expectations. Having multiple payment options ensures your larger audience is taken care of and that their expectations are met. After all, what good are customers who can’t pay you?

So how do multiple payment options help optimise conversion rate?

- It’s more convenient for the customer.
- It targets a global and wider audience.
- It encourages customer retention (remember our last point of saving checkout details?).

### 11. Invest in a good search bar

A good search bar will considerably improve your customer experience. Econsultancy found that, on eCommerce websites, [30% of visitors](https://econsultancy.com/blog/10407-site-search-for-e-commerce-13-best-practice-tips#i.e6bb0iahterern) end up using the site search bar. These are users that interested in purchasing a product and use the search box to exactly find what they're looking for.

Visitors can come on your site through a variety of reasons and they may have very specific intentions as they come on your site. A search bar allows them to skip past the customer journey to directly arrive at a product page, and eventually, the checkout page.

Internal search means better site usability, but also better product visibility. Customers find what they need faster, improving their overall experience and satisfaction, increasing the likelihood that they make a purchase from you.

Overall, search boxes can help you:

- Optimise conversion rates
- Improve customer retention and loyalty
- Improve on-site experience

Net-A-Porter’s robust search bar shows users how relevant a term is across product categories.

net a porter-screenshot-trustpilot

Net-A-Porter’s search bar ticks all the right boxes:

- It’s well-positioned, easy to find and is visible across the entire site.
- There is a drop-down system, which means that the search bar anticipates what you’re looking for as you type your keyword.

### 12. Filters, filters, filters!

The more choices your give to your customers, the harder it gets for them to choose what they want or need, or find what they’re looking for. Decision paralysis can be a big problem for your audience and is the reason we also encourage having one CTA on landing pages and marketing emails to ensure your audience is focused on clicking the most important button.

For optimising your conversion rates, you need to ensure your visitors have the capability of making a decision quickly without second-guessing themselves. That’s when filters come in. The more filters you give to your customers, the easier it gets to find the most suitable product(s) for them.

But what kind of filters are we talking about? You can filter by...

- Size
- Price
- Colour
- Style
- Range
- Type
- Length
- Brand ...

ASOS has some of the best filters we’ve ever seen. You can go from 2,000 dresses to 120 by picking your size, the colours you prefer, the price range, and much more.

ASOS’s filter function allows shoppers to quickly dwindle possibilities

asos filters-screenshot-trustpilot

ASOS' filters are particularly effective for the following reasons:

- They’re easy to use. Visitors can tick or untick the boxes and the page updates dynamically.
- There are a lot of filters, which means visitors can find what they need in no time.
- The filters take up minimal space so the focus is maintained on products.

### 13. A clear call-to-action is essential

Not all CTAs are created equal. Hubspot found that anchor text CTAs increased conversion rates by [121%](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/blog-anchor-text-call-to-action-study?__hstc=98516096.d43bdaaa13c0881ec864823c3ca4a2b8.1552486635047.1564561255740.1565165075671.160&__hssc=98516096.2.1565165075671&__hsfp=874348251) compared to banner CTAs at the end of pages.

Your call-to-action is can be your best closer in eCommerce but it’s easy to go wrong with small missteps. Your CTAs need to be clear, visible, clickable, and focused. The more CTAs a page has, the less likely your customers are to click each one, affecting how successful each CTA is.

Be mindful of how and where you’re placing your CTAs. Each page should have its own goals, and therefore its own CTA. These can vary from adding a product to a basket, check out, or even logging in.

These are different ways to use CTAs to optimise your business’s conversion rate:

- Being clear about what the CTA is.
- Place the CTA above the fold. If visitors need to scroll down to find it, your CTA won’t get much traction.
- Test them often! There are a lot of variations to play with, including size, placement, colour, and copy.
- Make sure the CTA stands out! You’d be surprised how often CTAs blend into the background.
- Keep the copy short and to the point.

Netflix’s CTA is short and clear. It stands out and concisely informs users on what they can expect if they click it.



Netflix’s CTA is brief, simple, and easily stands out.

netflix-screenshot-trustpilot

### 14. Product out of stock? No problem!

Ever heard of back-in-stock notifications? They’re a game changer.

If one of your products is out of stock, offer to inform customers as soon as the product comes back in stock. This is especially important when it comes to apparel, where size matters. Simply ask them to either add the item to their wish list, or to enter their email address so you could tie the notification to their account. This also incentivises users to sign up for an account.

Once again, Net-A-Porter’s website wins our praise with their ‘wish list’ function.

“Size sold out. Add it to your Wish List and we will notify you if stock becomes available.”

net a porter sold out-screenshot-trustpilot

But how can this optimise your conversion rate?

- According to eConsultancy, back-in-stock emails emails can achieve a [25%](https://econsultancy.com/blog/64363-how-to-improve-customer-experience-when-products-are-out-of-stock) increase in conversion rate.
- [71%](https://econsultancy.com/blog/64363-how-to-improve-customer-experience-when-products-are-out-of-stock) of consumers appreciate receiving notifications when the item they wanted is back in stock.
- Even If the customer is no longer interested in an item, your reminder is still an opportunity to get them to visit your website. And if you’ve been leveraging our other tips, you’ve already taken the steps to increase onsite conversions.

### 15. Use the voice of the customer

Lack of trust in advertising is seriously affecting the customer journey and the decision-making process. [Only 52%](https://hbr.org/2017/01/survey-peoples-trust-has-declined-in-business-media-government-and-ngos) of respondents from a major survey say they trust businesses to do what is right, and the credibility in CEOs has fallen 12% to 37% just this year. Conversely, 60% of respondents trust a person like themselves, the same amount compared to an academic or a technical expert.

It’s getting easier for consumers to compare businesses by price, shipping cost, quality, and customer experience, which makes it harder for eCommerce companies to stand out, and therefore convert consumers. Trust is one of those differentiators that can really help a company stand out.

[Word of mouth](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) is still one of the most popular method of recommendations today, and with [80% of people](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) trusting reviews as much as personal recommendations, it’s safe to say that reputation and third-party validation are big difference-makers.

The key to increasing eCommerce conversions is to include as much trust as possible throughout the whole customer journey. Using customer reviews or testimonials at key points in the decision-making process can encourage visitors to continue their journey with you (now or later), rather than quit your website and keep looking elsewhere.

Sugru's review integration on their product page utilises reviews as social proof.

Sugru-screenshot-trustpilot

Sugru highlights reviews on their product pages so consumers know other shoppers have used the product and had great things to say about it. Online reviews help consumers make smart and better choices.

Here’s how to use your customer’s voice properly:

- Be transparent, [don’t remove negative feedback](http://blog.trustpilot.com/blog/5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-remove-negative-feedback).
- Include customer reviews at key product and landing pages.
- To be more credible, use a trustworthy third-party review platform.


Our conversion tips for this article are focused on a singular theme: improving the customer experience to boost conversions. Visitors become consumers when you encourage the process and make it easy. 

By keeping the customer journey as frictionless as possible, consumers can visit your site, make a purchase in a flash, and remember that when it comes to shopping, your company makes it easy. By making small improvements to your site and your customer journey, you’ll increase conversions and likely see an increase in repeat shoppers as well.

Want to improve conversions on key product and landing pages? Try adding reviews to your site and watch your conversions skyrocket. To learn more about collecting and using reviews, request a demo below!

15 eCommerce tips to drastically increase your conversion rate

How finance companies can harness the power of user-generated content to build loyalty

UGC is one of the best forms of marketing and the perfect way to build brand trust and loyalty. For financial services businesses, which depend heavily on consumer trust, leveraging the authentic voice of the customer is key to future growth and success.

Consumer trust and loyalty go hand in hand. After all, if consumers trust your brand, they’re more likely to purchase from you again. Building trust in the digital age can be difficult for any brand, but it’s particularly challenging for those in the finance industry. 

Unsurprisingly, trust in the sector plummeted after the 2008 financial crash – a low from which it has never fully recovered. Even now, consumers are [50% more likely to say](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services) their level of trust in financial services providers has fallen over the last three years, while just [17% say they trust financial institutions in a time of crisis](https://www.ey.com/en_us/banking-capital-markets/four-ways-covid-19-is-reshaping-consumer-banking-behavior). Yet, trust is imperative if you expect customers to share potentially sensitive or confidential information with you. It even [ranks higher than price](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/trust-banking-industry/) (45% vs 43%) when it comes to choosing a bank.

At the same time, the fintech revolution and subsequent surge in digital finance companies means modern consumers have more choice than ever. As a result, consumer loyalty is falling and finance-related businesses are having to work harder to attract and retain customers.

So exactly how can finance brands cut through the noise and build trust and loyalty in an increasingly crowded marketplace? As many businesses are discovering, user-generated content is the magic bullet they’ve been looking for.

## Social proof and the power of the customer voice

Still plagued by scepticism of the finance industry, savvy consumers have lost trust in traditional advertising. Instead, they’re seeking social proof in the form of user-generated content such as unbiased customer reviews, ratings, testimonials and videos. In fact, [research shows that 76% of individuals](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important) admit they’re more likely to trust content shared by ‘normal’ people than content shared by brands.

The digital equivalent of word of mouth, consumer ratings and reviews are now one of the main drivers of trust. In a [Trustpilot survey](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services), 61% of consumers said ratings and reviews were ‘very important’ or ‘important’ when choosing finance-related products and services. This is second only to a company’s own website (68%). At the other end of the scale, TV and online advertising were considered to be important sources of information by just 28% and 27% of people respectively.

It's no surprise then that finance companies are choosing to put third-party ratings and reviews at the heart of their marketing strategy. With 75% of people saying that positive consumer ratings would make them more likely to become a customer of a bank, the power of the consumer voice is clear.

But it’s not just new fintech brands that are capitalising on this potential. Even established finance providers are turning to review platforms to bolster consumer trust and loyalty. “The big brands are probably just waking up to the power of reviews, now that they tend to be used a lot more by challengers and disruptors to show the public how trustworthy they are,” says Neil Costello, Head of Marketing at Atom Bank.

“The trouble is, they may well have received far too many bad reviews in the past that are holding back their averages and they may be worried by more coming in, which they are not set up to deal with”.

## 4 Ways user-generated content can help finance brands build loyalty

It can cost around [five times as much](https://www.huify.com/blog/acquisition-vs-retention-customer-lifetime-value) to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Therefore, anything you can do to encourage consumer loyalty will pay dividends in the long run.

Modern consumers might not be as loyal but that doesn’t mean you can’t retain their business – you just need to know how. A well-planned marketing strategy that utilises the authentic voice of the customer can attract and retain even the most sceptical consumers. Not convinced? Here are four ways user-generated content like reviews and ratings can help you to build trust, loyalty and, ultimately, increase sales.

### 1. Customer reviews prove you’re credible and trustworthy

Although the finance industry is heavily regulated by the FCA, prospective customers will still want reassurance that you’re a credible enterprise. After all, they’re trusting you with their finances so it’s only natural for them to be cautious. This is especially true if you’re an online-only business with no physical bricks-and-mortar presence. 

Showcasing real, honest customer reviews is a great way to alleviate consumers’ concerns and demonstrate you’re a legitimate business that can be trusted to handle their finances. It's one of the main reasons why Smart Currency Exchange feature ratings prominently on their website. The company helps people send money overseas and is often used by customers who are spending their nest egg on a dream property abroad.

“For people to know we’re highly rated is crucial when it comes to such an emotional purchase using their life savings,” says the company’s Digital Marketing Manager, Ricky Bean. “It’s why we have our Trustpilot score front and centre on our home page.”

### 2. User content shows you’ve got nothing to hide

Being open and transparent about your services and business operations is crucial if you want to build trust and earn customers’ loyalty. It’s a sentiment shared by many fintech companies, with [two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed by London Research and Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-importance-of-social-proof-in-fintech) strongly agreeing that a reputation for openness is crucial for their brand.

There’s no better way of transparently showing the public what other consumers think of you than proudly displaying authentic customer reviews and ratings across your marketing channels. It shows you’ve got nothing to hide and can help to quash any worries or doubts consumers might have. 

### 3. Responding to reviews shows you care

Taking the time to respond to reviews shows customers you care, which is crucial if you want to build loyalty and encourage repeat business. Engaging in client conversations is also a good way to establish a personal connection and show the human side of your business. Customers won’t be worried about loyalty if they view your company as a faceless corporation that’s only interested in the bottom line. 

Of course, how you respond to reviews is also key. In a [Trustpilot survey of over 1,000 consumers](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect), 25% of people said how well companies respond to criticism can help to transition them from detractors to customer advocates. It goes to show that even negative reviews (when handled in the right way) can turn an unhappy customer into a long-term client.

### 4. You can use reviews to improve the customer experience

Not all reviews and ratings will be positive, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Negative reviews not only show the positive ones are genuine, but they can also give you valuable insight into your customers’ experiences. You can then use this feedback to identify areas for improvement, rectify problems and provide a better overall service.

It's understandable to be nervous about potentially showcasing negative feedback to the world. But by viewing consumer insights as an opportunity rather than a threat, your customer service will improve and you’ll soon see brand loyalty increase.


__These are just some of the ways user-generated content can help finance businesses build brand trust and loyalty. If you’d like more information and advice, read our guide – [Building trust in financial services](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services).__

the importance of an open review platform

Finding the right review software isn’t easy. But we’re here to show you what to look for in a customer review software. Depending on your company challenges, Trustpilot might be the right one for you. Not sure what to look for? We got you covered.

A recent survey found that 44% of consumers looking to buy a product or service [go to user-generated sites such as Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/brand-integrity-the-new-frontier-for-marketing) when evaluating the ethical stance of a brand. 

Depending on your company challenges, Trustpilot could be the right one for you. Not sure what to look for? 

We've got you covered.

## What to look for in a customer review platform

Various kinds of customer review platforms have different benefits, pros, and cons. Before you start your search for the right review solution for your company, you need to ask yourself what your company needs are first.

### Why do you need a customer review software?

At Trustpilot, we’ve helped companies collect and manage their reviews for a multitude of reasons and we always find a way to solve their problems. Some of the most common challenges we’ve come across include companies wanting:

- To improve (or build) their brand's reputation
- A way to obtain customer feedback
- To engage with customers directly
- A way to improve their business in a customer-centric way
- To improve their SEO, marketing, conversion, or sales
- A way to improve their brand perception
- To leverage user-generated content in their marketing

If you’re the kind of company that wants to improve your marketing, connect with customers, build a reputation, and better your business, then it’s time to look for a review platform.

## Important qualities to look for

Once you’ve figured out how a customer review software will help your business, you’re ready to shop around. Here are some important questions to ask:

### 1. Is the platform a Google Review partner? 

If not, then you can’t get [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions), those yellow stars that show up on your AdWord campaigns.

Google Seller Ratings show up on Arc'teryx's Google Ads

search results page showing yellow stars on adword results

Arc'teryx Google Seller Ratings examples

Google Seller Ratings

These Google Seller Ratings can increase click-through-rates on ads by up to 10%, on average. Without them, you’re missing out on valuable traffic and potential sales.

### 2. Does the company offer an open platform for reviews? 

Companies with open platforms allow __any__ customer to leave a review for __any__ company. Review companies with closed platforms only allow customers to leave a review when invited. There are two issues with this:

- A closed platform offers transparency issues and won’t give customers an accurate picture of a company’s reputation. So, if you’re having reputation and trust issues, a closed platform won’t help.
- With a closed platform, consumers won’t be able to find you or your reviews as they research your company and your products. An open platform increases your discoverability.

### 3. How easy is it to collect reviews?

Collecting reviews can be an arduous task. If the review solution you have an eye on doesn’t make it any easier, move on. 

The right software should allow you to automate the review collection process and the collection method should fit within your existing business process.

### 4. Does the software allow you to display your reviews on multiple channels?

What’s the point of collecting reviews and getting a great reputation if you can’t tell the world? 

The right customer review software should let you easily display your reviews on social media, your website, your emails, and even on your offline marketing.

### 5. What integrations does the software provide?

The right customer review software should make your job easier, not harder. 
Find the software that hooks up with your eCommerce platforms, your preferred social media sites, and more.

### 6. Can you respond to your reviews?

Did you know that [44.2% of consumer](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/brand-integrity-the-new-frontier-for-marketing) say that a brand ignoring customer feedback would make them less likely to buy a product or service?

Having the opportunity to [respond to your customers](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/dos-and-donts-best-practices-for-responding-to-reviews) in real time provides major advantages for your company. You’ll be able to resolve any potential customer issues as soon as they occur. And by engaging with your customers publicly, other shoppers who are doing their research will see that you’re committed to your customers, giving you a leg up on the competition.

## Why Trustpilot could be the right review platform for you

President, The Pearl Source

Let’s make your search easy. Trustpilot might be the customer review software you’re looking for. Here are just some of our benefits:

- We’re a licensed Google Review Partner
- We’re an open review platform with over 144 million written reviews of 626,000+ websites
- We have various methods of review collection processes, allowing you to automate review emails and reminders in a way that fits your business.
- Our TrustBox widgets come in a variety of sizes and options (and are customizable) for you to easily display on all your digital marketing channels - no coding necessary!
- Our software gives you the freedom to respond to reviews, easily display reviews on all social media platforms, and has integrations with all the major eCommerce platforms.

If you want to learn more about Trustpilot, our integrations, and what we can do for your reputation, your marketing, and your company, just request a demo below. 

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can to show you why Trustpilot is the right customer review software for you.


Why Trustpilot could be the right review platform for your business

visual-marketing-reviews-image-generator

In this article, we’ve gathered the most up-to date data to help you define the right social media strategy for your company and increase your business’s customer engagement in the long run. 

Images are analysed and processed [60,000 faster than text](https://www.emailaudience.com/research-picture-worth-1000-words-marketing/), making it easier for the human brain to recognise a familiar subject in a picture. By comparison, It takes the brain longer to process a sentence and understand what subject it’s covering.

Today, pictures and videos bring more traffic to websites than written content. In this environment where visual content is dominating the share of attention, it’s necessary for businesses to adapt their strategy to ensure they're engaging with their audience visually.

In this article, we’ve gathered the most up-to date data to help you define the right social media strategy for your company and increase your business’s customer engagement. We’ll also cover social media best practices, complete with image guidelines. 

## Why visual content marketing is taking over

As most social media experts envisioned a couple of years ago, social media is changing, and visual content is growing considerably. In fact, MDG Advertising found that content paired with an image attracted [94% more views](https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/infographics/its-all-about-the-images-infographic/) on average than content without any visuals.

While blogging remains one of the most popular way to share information online, visual marketing is taking over and [49% of marketers now rate it as 'Very Important'](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy) to their marketing strategy.

The rise of apps like TikTok and Instagram have led to other social platforms evolving and establishing more visual-friendly platforms. So, as visual content marketing continues to evolve, [60% of consumers](https://solve.co.uk/seo-tips/importance-of-images-in-marketing/) consider themselves more likely to contact a company when their local search results includes an image.

## Social channels by the numbers

Twitter has been constantly evolving for the past couple of years. With the ability to add visuals without taking up the 140 character limit, people are now sharing more pictures, tagging friends, taking screenshots of funny conversations, and commenting on photos. With a 140 characters limit, it can sometimes be difficult to convey a message. But with images, users have more flexibility in their clarity of messaging. Today, tweets with images receive [94% more retweets](https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/the-art-of-using-images-on-twitter-how-to-get-retweeted-like-crazy/).

Airbnb Twitter post

Whether you’re a Twitter user or not, it’s hard to deny that visual content is the easiest way to captivate your audience’s attention.

In fact, Instagram and TikTok are proof that visual content is truly taking over. 

TikTok users spend more than 850 minutes per month on the app, and there are [167 Million TikTok videos watched every minute](https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/).

Instagram is the [second most-downloaded app](https://www.hootsuite.com/pages/digital-trends-2021) in the world after TikTok, and the 7th most visited website, with [2.9 billion total visits per month](https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/).

Visual content can be more successful than any other form of communication. Including it in your social strategy is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. If you’re looking to attract more customers via social media platforms, here are some best practices and size guides for long-term social media success.

### 1. Image sizes

Looking to include more images in your marketing? Worried you might not know enough about visual content?

Worry no more!

We’ve put together some image size guidelines to help you nail your social media strategy on every single platform.

Trustpilot image size guide

### 2. User-generated content

Did you know that [51% of consumers check social media](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-consumer-behavior/) to evaluate a product or service before buying?

User-generated content (UGC) can help encourage consumers to learn more about your business, your products and your service, and understand how your customers feel about you in a trusted way.

For example, instead of stock photos, choose authentic pictures like photos of your customers using your own products. [GoPro](https://www.instagram.com/gopro/)'s social media channels are a great example in this case.

Using user-generated content as part of your social media strategy can significantly improve consumer engagement and conversion rate. 

### 3. Reviews


At Trustpilot, we understand how important it is for customers to interact with businesses on social channels during the different stages of the buying journey. But we also know that online reviews could also help you attract more customers via social platforms. 

Sharing online reviews on social media can help your content stay personal and up to date, while helping you stand out from the competition and grow your online reputation.

Reviews on Instagram

Quote from Formula Botanica

Director of Formula Botanica

Want to learn how you can take advantage of visual content and reviews in your social media marketing? Request a free demo below, and we'll show you how Trustpilot can help your business today.

Your complete guide to social media visual content

Boost SEO with trustpilot product reviews

Trustpilot’s easy to use Product Reviews SEO TrustBox widgets can push you to the top of organic search results and help you get Rich Snippet stars in just days, with a simple copy and paste of code. Here's how to get started.

No waiting around for months. No complex coding. The best solutions are often the simplest solutions.

The benefits of Product Reviews are just a few clicks away. Copying and pasting a code onto your site has never been this easy before.

## So, how does the Product Review TrustBox work?


Product review trustbox example

The first step to improve your SEO performance with Product Reviews is to add your Product Reviews TrustBox's schema markup (a simple code) to the applicable product page(s) of your website.

You can find out more about implementing the code [here](https://support.trustpilot.com/hc/en-us/articles/231993108-Get-review-snippets-using-product-review-TrustBoxes-).

From there, your Product Reviews will be indexed directly on your product pages, and displayed in the Product TrustBox. Within the next 30 days, Google should start noticing the fresh content on your site and begin indexing it. The high frequency of keyword-rich content in your Product Reviews will show Google that you are an authoritative website. 

Google loves fresh, relevant content like this. [That's why your product reviews can help:](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/rich-snippets-stars-for-product-reviews-can-boost-seo):

- Boost your overall SEO performance
- Generate Review Snippets for your products in Google search
- Increase your keyword reach
- Increase your visibility and help you stand out from your competitors.

Islandsurf.com's product pages show up as rich snippet results in organic search

## The benefits of collecting Product Reviews


Royal mail product reviews trustbox

But for all of this to work, you'll need to start collecting Product Reviews. 

It’s simple to start using them alongside your service reviews. [Product reviews can help you](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/get-seen-in-search/how-to-use-seo-to-build-your-ecommerce-reputation):

- Create social proof to [increase conversions](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/customer-stories/ecommerce/ann-summers-uses-product-reviews-to-increase-sales-up-to-230) 
- Learn what customers truly think of your products
- Make customer-centric improvements to your products
- Add trust signals at key points of the buying journey.

## I already have my own product reviews – what can I do to boost my SEO performance?

If you're collecting your own Product Reviews, or collecting them via another review platform, you can [import your existing Product Reviews](https://support.trustpilot.com/hc/en-us/articles/215107148-Import-third-party-product-reviews-to-Trustpilot) to Trustpilot. 

The Product Reviews TrustBox will display your old Product Reviews as well as your new ones, collected using Trustpilot. You can gain SEO benefits and Review Snippets from both. 


Product review TrustBox on-site

So if you aren’t seeing any SEO benefits from your current review platform, you might want to look into [the importance of collecting reviews via a Google Review partner](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software).

If you'd like to find out more about transferring to Trustpilot to boost your SEO performance, or starting your Product Review collection on our platform, you can [request a free demo here](https://business.trustpilot.com/request-demo).

Alternatively, if you'd like to try our platform for free before you speak to any of our review experts, why not sign up for a free Trustpilot account below? It's quick and easy.

How to boost your SEO with Trustpilot's Product Review TrustBox

How to calculate Google Seller Ratings effect on Adwords CTR

How to calculate Google Seller Ratings effect on Google ads CTR

Google Seller Ratings can dramatically improve the ROI of your paid search campaigns by boosting CTR and lowering CPA. This article will show you how to calculate, track, and visualize how your ads perform with GSRs.

But how can you calculate the value of Google Seller Ratings?

The Google extension __can [boost your text ads’ click-through rate](https://instapage.com/blog/google-seller-ratings) by up to 10%__, which can make a big difference to any company battling with their competitors on Google ads.

For an optimized Google Ads campaign running with a decent budget, just increasing the CTR by 1% can generate a lot of money in additional revenue, and can also lead to significant savings when Google’s bill comes around.

In this article, Søren Sieg Jensen, Partner and CTO at Cykelpartner, will explain how to calculate the effect of Google Seller Ratings on Gooogle ads click-through rates. Additionally, if you'd like to learn more about how Cykelpartner used Trustpilot to reduce their CPA in Google ads, [check out their success story here.](https://business.trustpilot.com/customer-stories/health-sport/cykelpartner-reduces-google-ads-cpa-by-11-percent-with-trustpilot-reviews)

## So, what are Google Seller Ratings?

Google Seller Ratings (GSRs) is an automated Google Ads extension that was created to demonstrate that other people trust your business and have had a positive experience with you. It’s an essential component to any business that values an online search presence and has been known to improve performance.

Trustpilot for Google Seller Ratings

Google Seller Ratings Example 

Google Seller Ratings are displayed in text ads in Google ads, Search Network campaigns, and on Shopping Ads in Google Shopping.

[Find out more about Google Seller Ratings here](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions).

## How effective can Google Seller Ratings be for your company?

A 10% increase in CTR is quite the increase, so the question is: can you achieve a whopping 10% CTR increase too? And how can you track it? What results can you expect to get?

We worked with Søren from Danish Cykelpartner.dk to calculate and track the impact of GSRs on Google ads.

In this practical how-to-guide, we'll show you how to calculate the impact of Google Seller Ratings on your Google ads' performance.

### 1. Ensure you have Google Seller Ratings

If you acquire Google Seller Ratings, reviews will show when you insert your domain address (no www.) below:

https://www.google.com/shopping/seller?q=YOURDOMAIN.COM .

Please note: This page will be blank until you qualify for Seller Ratings.

If you're unsure how to acquire Seller Ratings, [you might find this article helpful](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/google-new-seller-ratings-threshold-100).

### 2. Select a campaign in Google ads

Billede-1

Campaign in Google Ads

Billede-2

Ads extensions in Google ads

## 4. Click on “Automated extensions” and look for “Seller Ratings”

Click “View: Automated extensions report” and look for “Seller Ratings”

Billede-3

Automated extensions in Google ads

Not all campaigns will have Seller Ratings. If you can’t find it in a campaign, please try and check another.

## 5. Data clean up: Separate ads with and without Seller Ratings

The overall campaign data contains a mix of data from ads with and without Seller Ratings, so you should use a spreadsheet to calculate any difference there might be between the two types of ads.

We provided a free template for you to use to calculate your GSR performance:

- [Excel file (download)](https://assets.ctfassets.net/b7g9mrbfayuu/f6vqc8BqScQaEIwqCa6KK/5a6f58b12bc33d5b9e6da977eff88e43/Trustpilot___Cykelpartner_-_How_to_calculate_Google_Seller_Ratings_affect_on_Adwords_ads__1_.xlsx)

Place the data from your “Total – all ad groups” into the top row:

Separate ads with and without Seller Ratings

Data from total ad groups

Insert the “Seller Ratings” data into the Seller Ratings row.

Type the “Seller Ratings” data into the Seller Ratings row

Billede-5

Seller rating data 

Once these steps are completed, your spreadsheet will automatically calculate the performance of ads without Google Seller Ratings, the difference between the ads with and without Seller Ratings, and ultimately, the impact of Google Seller Ratings on your ads.

Please note: Our spreadsheet and how Google ads calculates CTR, CPC, Conversion Rate and CPA can differ slightly as the tools use different amounts of decimals when making the calculations. So please expect minor discrepancies when comparing your spreadsheet's results to the Google ads numbers.

### 6. First results

download (7)

The results

This Cykelpartner.dk campaign saw their click-through rate decrease by 4.45%, and their CPC increase by 7.04%. 

However, more importantly, their conversion rate jumped a massive 34.66%, resulting in a substantial overall 20.51% decrease in cost per conversion/acquisition (CPA) on the ads with Google Seller Ratings.

Ultimately Google Seller Ratings provided Cykelpartner.dk an average 11.42% decrease in CPA, which saved them more than €40.000/yearly. However, please note that every company's experience will be different.

### 7. Calculate your Google Ads performance

We strongly recommend entering data from five different campaigns to get an average which can be used to calculate the impact of your Google ads based on your yearly spend for that channel.

The spreadsheet should automatically calculate this if you input your yearly Google ads spend in the bottom of the spreadsheet.

Please note: If you see a positive number, it means that Google Seller Ratings are saving you money. If you see a negative number, then it means that the extension is costing you money.

## Accounting for differences in campaign results

Cykelpartner.dk saves +€40.000/yearly with Google Seller Ratings. But what if you have different results, or worse, negative results? 

Here are a few tips to ensure you’re tracking everything correctly:

- Have you looked across a representative number of campaigns for your account? For some, five campaigns is not enough as results can vary greatly and some might have a negative impact, but overall, it should be positive.
- Know your competitive environment. Do your competitors have better Seller Ratings and/or more reviews than you?
- Did your average ad position drop on ads with Seller Ratings? This can, of course, affect the ad performance.

### Making the most of Google Seller Ratings

Consumers have an abundance of choice today and this requires quick decision-making and adapting to a new consumer environment for businesses. If your competitors have better Google Seller Ratings or more reviews than you, they might be beating you to the sale. If that’s the case, the way to get ahead and get more reviews and a better rating is by improving your review collection, as well as your overall service.

Most businesses have an abundance of happy customers, but don’t proactively invite them to leave reviews. Collecting customer feedback through a Google Seller Rating [qualified review platform](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software) can make a huge difference.

Proactive collection will lead to a higher quantity of reviews. It also offers a better representation of your company. Remember, an unhappy customer will always find a way to make their voice heard, so it’s up to you to make sure you’re giving your happy customers a platform to share their experiences as well.

Reviews aren’t only beneficial for your potential customers – many of our clients have realized that reviews power benefits like Google Seller Ratings, which can accelerate click-through rates, conversions, and revenue. 

Reviews can also be used to improve traffic, on-page conversions, and build trust in all of your marketing campaigns. Google Seller Ratings are just the beginning!

To find out more about the power of reviews, check out Trustpilot's Complete Guide below.


Impact of GSRs on click-through rate

How to calculate the impact of Google Seller Ratings on your click-through-rate

wom vs seo main image

Trustpilot word of mouth and SEO guide

Word of mouth and SEO are more trustworthy alternatives to advertising, but which one is more effective? Take an in-depth look at some pros and cons for each

A recent ClickZ study found that a staggering 84% of millennials [don’t trust traditional advertising](https://www.clickz.com/84-percent-of-millennials-dont-trust-traditional-advertising/27030/ "84 percent of millennials don't trust traditional advertising") and a study by Credos found that favorable opinions of advertising have [dipped as low as 25%](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/6-ways-to-make-trust-your-essential-brand-differentiator "The value of a trustworthy brand reputation"). 

As traditional advertising becomes less and less effective, brands must turn to different ways of attracting new customers. Two of the most effective strategies available are SEO and word-of-mouth marketing because they also exist for the benefit of consumers, not just brands. 

Regardless of what brands are up to, Google’s goal is to [serve the most relevant results](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/why-does-google-care-if-your-business-has-online-reviews-in-2019?refresh=2020 "Why does Google care if your business has online reviews") for that searcher — and customers leave reviews to help other shoppers have better experiences. 

And while the main similarity between both marketing channels is that they share an organic quality that’s intuitive to consumers, there are many differences — and it can be challenging for brands to figure out which approach makes the most sense for them. 

## Help your target audience find you with good SEO

Did you know that 67.6% of clicks on the first page [come from the first five search results](https://www.impactplus.com/blog/seo-statistics#:~:text=70%25%20of%20marketers%20see%20SEO,their%20top%20inbound%20marketing%20priority. "31 SEO statistics for 2021 and what they tell us")? And that 53% of all of all trackable website traffic [comes from organic search](https://videos.brightedge.com/research-report/BrightEdge_ChannelReport2019_FINAL.pdf "Channel report 2019")? That represents a huge amount of market share you could be winning from your competitors by putting more of a focus on organic SEO. 

Brand visibility is one of the biggest benefits to SEO. And – unlike word-of-mouth – you’re not relying on others to get the word out about your brand. Google is typically the first place someone starts when they’re searching for a product or service, so the higher you are on the first page of search results, the more eyes you’re going to get on your site. Which [translates into more sales](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/why-seo-is-important-for-business/248101/#close "12 reasons why your business absolutely needs SEO") for your brand. 

There are a few added bonuses as well. Because user experience on your site is such an important factor for Google’s rankings, part of good SEO is improving your site experience so that you can rank well in search. This means a better experience for your site’s visitors, and [higher conversion rates](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2018/03/29/ux-conversion-rates#:~:text=Video%20on%20Landing%20Pages,lot%20of%20text%20to%20absorb.&text=Studies%20show%20that%20using%20videos,a%20page%27s%20UX%20is%20improved. "6 powerful ways UX can affect your conversion rates") for you. 

SEO is brand awareness in its most effective form because if all goes to plan, your page will appear for searchers with the right buying intent. The higher you rank for exactly what they’re looking for, the better the chance they’ll land on your site. This is what makes SEO so valuable, even though it can seem complex and challenging. 

### Organic SEO builds trust with customers

One of the biggest things to remember about organic SEO – and this is both a pro and a con – is that results are not quick. It will take time. But as frustrating as this is, it also means that once you’re ranking well it’s challenging for your competitors to come in and take your spot.

Consumers aren’t stupid. Organic SEO builds so much trust with them because they understand that it’s in Google’s best interests to show them the best search result for that specific search term. Ranking well in search helps them find your business in a quick and natural way, without them feeling like they’re being marketed to. 

## Let your happiest customers do the talking for you

There are many different types of word-of-mouth marketing. Essentially, anything that has your customers talking about your brand is word-of-mouth. This can include influencer marketing, customer reviews, and even old school face-to-face conversations. 

Just like with organic SEO, the stats around word-of-mouth are pretty compelling. 74% of consumers [identify word-of-mouth as a key influencer](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/ogilvy-cannes-study-behold-the-power-of-word-of-mouth/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1620229454681000&usg=AOvVaw3-PBeHN5Dj4JweQACyRN5i "Behold the power of word of mouth") in their purchasing decision and 85% of website visitors [find visual user-generated content more influential](https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/why-consumers-share-user-generated-content-infographic/ "Why consumers share user-generated content") than brand photos or videos. And that’s just the beginning in terms of [word-of-mouth’s effectiveness](https://www.getambassador.com/blog/word-of-mouth-marketing-statistics "40+ word of mouth statistics you should know"). 

Reviews are one of the easiest ways to implement a word-of-mouth marketing strategy, especially if you’re [automating review invitations](https://business.trustpilot.com/features/review-invitations "Review invitations | product features") every time someone makes a purchase. This ensures that you have a lot of [user-generated content](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/a-beginner-guide-to-building-brand-loyalty-with-user-generated-content "A beginner's guide to building brand loyalty with user-generated content") to highlight throughout your customer journey and that your mix of customer reviews are an accurate representation of how your customers feel. 

The biggest benefit to collecting reviews is that they have a wide range of uses for your business. Showcasing them throughout your customer journey can [seriously improve your conversion rates](https://business.trustpilot.com/customer-stories/ecommerce/ann-summers-uses-product-reviews-to-increase-sales-up-to-230 "How Ann Summers used product reviews to increase sales by 230%"). They contain powerful consumer insights that can help you [improve your customer experience and increase your revenue](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/turning-reviews-into-revenue-how-to-get-insights-from-your-feedback "Turning reviews into real revenue with consumer insights"). And they’re a great way to [build your online reputation](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-reasons-why-every-business-needs-online-reputation-management "4 reasons why every business needs an online reputation strategy"). 

One main factor that differentiates word-of-mouth from SEO is that you can see results pretty quickly. When you’re looking at reviews and conversion rates, all you need to do is A/B test pages on your site after adding reviews and within a few weeks you should be able to see what your new conversion rates are. 

### Word-of-mouth marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand

But there’s one more big impact reviews can have on your business that might surprise you. Reviews can actually [improve your SEO](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/browsers-to-buyers/the-complete-guide-to-reviews "The complete guide to marketing with customer reviews"). Although these two strategies may not seem to have much in common, they’re more connected than you might think. 


Islandsurf.com rich snippets

One of the biggest impacts reviews can have on SEO is [qualifying you for rich snippets](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/rich-snippets-stars-for-product-reviews-can-boost-seo "How to improve your organic SEO with rich snippets") in search by including product reviews on your site. And rich snippets don’t just make your site look nice in SERPs – they [can increase your organic traffic by 30%](https://searchengineland.com/seo-featured-snippets-leads-big-gains-236212 "SEO for featured snippets") and [increase your revenue from organic traffic](https://www.perficient.com/insights/research-hub/featured-snippets-guide "Featured snippets resource center") by 677%.

## Word-of-mouth strengthens all of your marketing and advertising

Although SEO and word-of-mouth have many differences, the one thing they have in common is that both of them help you build trust for your brand with new shoppers more authentically than advertising does. So – if you’ve been asking yourself if word of mouth is better than SEO – to build trust with your customers, SEO and word-of-mouth actually work best hand-in-hand. 

For most brands, it’s worth focusing on these two strategies instead of funneling all of your budget into advertising that might come across as – well – exactly that. It might be tempting to look at this cynically and see these two strategies as no better than advertising. After all, you’re still just trying to sell a product or service at the end of the day. But that couldn’t be further than the truth. 

Focusing on these two strategies forces you to actually focus on what your customers need  – helping Google show your brand to people who are actually looking for your product, and ensuring your customer experience is so good that your customer reviews can convert new customers. 

The key is to make it easier for customers who are already looking for your products — not to try and sell your business to the people who aren’t. 


Is word of mouth better than SEO? A side by side look at more trustworthy advertising alternatives

Trustpilot update: Meet the new Trustpilot business app 

Intuitive, insightful, and focused on key business outcomes. Your most meaningful insights are now front and center. 

With invaluable feedback from businesses like yours, we enhanced the Trustpilot business experience, speeding up load times, improving flows, and adding new pages into key performance metrics so you can continue to make the most of your customers’ feedback. 

Because if you know, you grow.

Take a look!

## Here’s what’s new

### TrustScore Insights

We know your TrustScore is super important to your business, so we made sure it’s really easy to monitor.

The recently added TrustScore Insights page gives you a deeper view of your star rating, so you can take the right steps to grow or maintain it.  Compare your score against others in your industry, and learn how it’s trending over time. 

### *NEW* Reach Page

Reviews help you build a stellar online presence, right where shoppers are researching their next purchase. Now you can see just how many eyes are on your profile page with the new Reach page, which shows where and how folks are finding you.

You can monitor your SEO performance, see trends and compare your reach to industry competitors.

### Widgets

Our TrustBox widgets are great at driving onsite purchases and lowering abandonment, but with so many, it can be hard to choose what’s best for you. We get it, and that’s why we’ve taken tons of historical data to offer you personalized widget recommendations based on your specific goals.

### Invitation Status 

Say good-bye to an endless scroll! You can now easily monitor past and scheduled review invitations with improved filtering, search, troubleshooting and exporting. 

### Service Reviews 

View all of your reviews in one place and use smartlists to quickly prioritize reviews to share, respond to, and investigate. We’ll also offer expert advice on how to best handle those tricky reviews and where to share the ones you love.

And we’re only getting started. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be making even more enhancements to your experience. We’re pumped to be growing with you!

See the changes for yourself.

Meet the new Trustpilot business experience

Trustpilot debuts on the London Stock Exchange

Trustpilot lists on the London Stock Exchange

We’re excited to announce that Trustpilot has listed on the London Stock Exchange, marking an incredible milestone in our history and the beginning of a new chapter in our story. 

Trustpilot was founded with a simple vision in mind: to create an independent currency of trust. 

We wanted to empower consumers to make confident, informed purchasing decisions — while providing businesses with the tools to engage with their customers and demonstrate the quality of their services to build trust. 

Since 2007, consumers in over 200 countries and territories have shared over 120 million experiences for more than 529,000 websites, helping others by sharing those experiences, and proving the intrinsic value of trust.

So today, we’re very excited to announce that [Trustpilot has listed on the London Stock Exchange](https://www.londonstockexchange.com/discover/news-and-insights/london-stock-exchange-welcomes-truspilot-premium-segment-main-market), marking an incredible milestone in our history and the beginning of a new chapter in our story.

It’s another step in our vision towards creating an independent currency of trust. On a platform that is free to use, open to everybody, and built on transparency. 

We want to thank everyone who has shared their experiences on Trustpilot, listened to that feedback, and believed in our mission. We share this incredible achievement with *you*. 

The bar is never set at Trustpilot and we’re more than ready to start the next chapter of our journey together!


Announcement: Trustpilot lists on the London Stock Exchange 

With the power of your customers’ voices, you can get closer to consumers, and win new business. We want to make it even easier for our business users to feature their reviews in email campaigns. Klaviyo was the obvious choice for our integration.

Like every marketing channel, email performs better when it proves the business is trusted by consumers. With the power of your existing customers’ voices, you can get closer to consumers, and win new customers.

This is why we wanted to make it even easier for our business users to feature their reviews in email campaigns. As one of the most popular email service providers in the fast-growing eCommerce sector, Klaviyo was the obvious choice for our integration. 

## Here’s how it works

The integration is easy to use. After connecting your accounts, customize the Trustpilot widget for Klaviyo newsletters. Select the review type (service or product), star-rating threshold, and keyword content that you want to display in newsletters. Drop this widget into your Klaviyo newsletters, and send. Any time email recipients open the email, they’ll see the most recent reviews that match your settings, as well as your current TrustScore.


Klaviyo Trustpilot integration

## Using the integration for social proof in email marketing

Review content in email campaigns can make a meaningful difference at critical points of the customer journey. In fact, 82% of consumers report that [ratings and reviews in email marketing can make them more likely to make a purchase](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/why-and-how-social-proof-influences-consumers).

We tell our business users to add reviews to welcome campaigns to grow trust at the beginning of the customer journey, in cart abandonment emails to bring them closer to the sale, and in winback campaigns to extend LTV. Timely promotional newsletters can also benefit from the increased conversion that reviews bring.

[Check out some of our other recommendations](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/3-personalized-email-campaigns-to-increase-conversions) for personalized email campaigns.

## Ready to get started?

This integration is available to any Trustpilot Standard user with a Klaviyo account. 

[Follow the instructions to start now](https://support.trustpilot.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017170600). 

*New to Klaviyo? *

[Start with a free account here](https://www.klaviyo.com/partner/signup?utm_source=0010V00002Nvidk&utm_medium=partner). 

*New to Trustpilot? *

__Request a free demo below__ to get started with a Standard plan and use the integration.

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How to calculate the impact of Google Seller Ratings on your click-through-rate

Is word of mouth better than SEO? A side by side look at more trustworthy advertising alternatives

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