How important are online customer reviews to shoppers? Very important, as it turns out. The fact is that 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. And 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Let’s say you’re craving sushi and find two restaurants nearby. One has dozens of glowing five-star reviews, customers raving about the melt-in-your-mouth salmon and impeccable service. 

The other? Barely any reviews, just a couple of vague comments. Which one are you choosing?

Exactly.

Online reviews have become the new word-of-mouth—except now, they’re permanent, searchable, and influence thousands of decisions daily. Whether you’re a local business or a global brand, what customers say about you online can shape your success more than any ad campaign ever could.

In this article, we’ll explore why online reviews matter and, more importantly, share unique, tried-and-tested tips from real businesses.

Stick around until the end. There’s also a powerful infographic packed with the latest online review stats and trends to help you with your brand strategy.

Why are Online Reviews Important? How Online Reviews Shape Sales & Brand Perception

Would you eat at a restaurant with a 2-star rating?

Chances are, you’d think twice and even thrice. But if it had a 4.5-star rating and hundreds of glowing reviews, you’d probably book a table immediately. 

That’s the power of online customer reviews in action. They shape our perception of an establishment and build trust, ultimately driving sales.

Much like how people used to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family, consumers now turn to online reviews. 

And numbers back the fact that positive online reviews drive revenue.  

Conversion rate and revenue lift:

When customers see positive reviews, they gain confidence, leading to action. Here’s how engaging with reviews can boost your conversion rates and revenue.  

• Responding to reviews can increase conversion rates by 144% 

Engaging with reviews can increase conversion rates by 144% and revenue per visitor by 162%. 

Interacting with customer reviews—whether positive or negative—shows potential buyers that your brand is active, trustworthy, and values customer feedback.

Pro tip: Set up a system to respond to reviews within 24-48 hours. A simple “Thank you for your feedback!” or addressing concerns directly can make a huge impact.

• A well-placed review section on a product page can triple conversion rates.

Reviews on product pages can increase conversion rates by up to 3.5 times and revenue per visitor by 4.5 times. 

Shoppers browsing online often hesitate before clicking “Buy,” but honest customer feedback helps them make confident decisions.

Pro tip: Highlight top reviews on your homepage, emails, and ads. Seeing other customers’ positive experiences builds instant trust and encourages bigger purchases.

Take Anthropologie, for example. The fashion brand makes reviews impossible to miss by featuring star ratings at the top of product pages—instantly pulling shoppers in.

As you scroll, you’ll see real customer feedback, from fit and fabric quality to styling tips and photos.

This helps visitors shop more confidently, posing Anthropologie as a go-to shopping destination. When buyers know precisely what to expect, they keep coming back.

• More reviews, more sales: why five is the magic number

If you’re selling a product online, the difference between zero and five reviews is massive. Research shows that products with at least five quality reviews have a 270% higher chance of being purchased than those with none.

The reason is simple. Shoppers want reassurance, and while a single five-star review might seem planted, five or more reviews create trust and credibility. They show that real people have tried the product and found it worth buying.

Pro tip: Encourage early customers to leave reviews. Offer a small incentive, follow up with a friendly email, or make it super easy to leave feedback. 

SEO benefits of customer reviews:

Beyond customer feedback, customer reviews also help you elevate your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) and rankings. 

Here’s how online customer reviews help you rank higher in search engines and enhance SEO: 

• Online reviews serve as fresh, user-generated content

Search engines like Google prioritize fresh and relevant content. 

Each customer review adds unique, user-generated content to your site, signaling to search engines that your business is active and engaged with its customers. This continuous influx of content can lead to improved search rankings.

Pro tip: Encourage customers to leave reviews by sending follow-up emails after a purchase or offering small incentives.

• Online reviews work well for keyword integration

Customers often use natural language in their reviews, incorporating keywords that potential customers might use when searching for products or services like yours. This organic inclusion of keywords can enhance your site’s relevance for those search terms.

Take Nobu Downtown in New York, one of the most well-known upscale Japanese restaurants. 

Customers frequently mention phrases like “wagyu dumplings,” “sushi,” “fine dining Japanese restaurant,” and the like in their reviews.

Since these keywords align with what people search for when looking for luxury Japanese dining in New York, Nobu Downtown naturally ranks high in Google search results and Google Maps listings for related terms.

• Positive online reviews lead to higher click-through rates (CTR):

This one is a given—positive reviews boost your star rating, making your listing stand out and compelling potential customers to click on your business in search results. 

And more clicks tell Google your site is valuable, which can push your rankings even higher. 

• Local SEO advantages:

Out of 149 factors that influence local search rankings, customer reviews rank as the third most important, carrying 17% of the weight in determining whether your business shows up in the coveted Google local pack. 

Think about it—Google wants you to show users the most relevant, trustworthy businesses. And what better way to gauge trust than honest feedback from customers? The more positive, detailed, and frequent your reviews, the more search engines see your business as credible and worth ranking higher.

Trust and brand reputation:

The concept of customer feedback influencing business reputation isn’t new. In ancient marketplaces, merchants relied on positive word-of-mouth to attract customers and sell their wares. Today, businesses rely on positive online reviews to attract more customers. 

In fact, consumers are increasingly turning to Google reviews. In 2024, 81% of respondents said they use Google to find business reviews, up from 63% in 2020. 

How to Collect Online Customer Reviews

We scoured the internet—Reddit discussions, expert opinions, and firsthand experiences—to uncover the most effective ways businesses collect online reviews. 

The reality? Customers don’t leave reviews just because you ask. They need a nudge at the right time, with a frictionless process and a personal touch. 

Here’s what works:

1. Make it effortless with QR codes and NFC cards

Most customers won’t leave a review unless you make it ridiculously easy. That’s why businesses now use QR codes and NFC tap cards to make the process quick and smooth. 

Here’s how it works: 

• QR codes: Place a QR code in-store, on receipts, or on product packaging, allowing your customers to leave a review instantly. A common (and effective) setup involves linking the QR code to:
  • A Google Business review page for satisfied customers.
  • A private feedback form if they’re dissatisfied—so complaints come directly to you instead of being posted publicly.

• NFC tap cards: Use services like GrowSEO that offer physical Google Review cards with NFC technology. Customers can simply tap their phones and be directed to leave a review. The fewer steps involved, the higher the chances they’ll follow through.

NFC tap cards functioning (Source)

Note: In some U.S. states, directing only positive reviews to public platforms and negative ones to private channels might be considered deceptive. Always check local laws before implementing this approach.

2. Ask at the right time & make it personal

Timing is everything when it comes to collecting reviews. The moment of peak customer satisfaction is your best opportunity to ask—whether in person or via email.

• In-person asks: If you own a retail store, cafe, or service business, train employees to ask for a review right after a positive interaction. One Reddit user shared how they knew customers left a review immediately because they saw them scanning the QR code in real-time.
• Thoughtful follow-up emails: Instead of blasting out generic review requests, personalize them. Your approach should feel personal and sincere, not automated. Customers appreciate knowing their support matters. One business owner found success with a warm, genuine message:
  
  

  “Thank you so much for supporting my small business! You have no idea how much it means to me. If you were happy with our product, leaving us a review here would mean the world: [Insert Link].”
  

• Ending customer interactions with a review request: If you’ve been emailing back and forth with a customer (resolving an issue, answering a question, etc.), don’t let the conversation end without asking for a review. A simple request can work wonders—something like:
  
  

  “I’m so happy we could help! If you have a minute, would you mind leaving a quick review? It really helps small businesses like ours.”

3. Respond to reviews (especially the bad ones)

Most businesses focus on collecting reviews but forget the other side of the equation—how they respond to them. How a business handles reviews, especially negative ones, can influence future customers more than the reviews themselves.

Here’s how to go about it:

Always acknowledge issues professionally. 

A bad review isn’t the end of the world if handled correctly. Respond with a calm, understanding tone to turn the negative experience into a positive one.

For example, let’s say a customer leaves a one-star review saying, “Terrible service! Waited 45 minutes for my food, and it was cold when it arrived.”

Don’t just say: “That’s not true. We were busy, and you should’ve been more patient.”  

It comes off as defensive and dismissive of your customer’s experience and feelings.

You can turn this situation around by addressing it more positively. Say something like: We’re sorry for the delay and that your meal didn’t arrive as expected. We strive for better, and we’d love to make this right. Please contact [contact info], and we’ll do our best to fix this.”

This acknowledges the issue while remaining professional and offering a resolution. 

Luxury hotels like Anantara Rome show how to handle negative reviews the right way. When a guest complained about a closed pool and a bad view, the hotel responded quickly, apologized sincerely, and explained that they could have offered a room change if informed earlier. 

Instead of arguing, they remained polite, understanding, and solution-focused, showing the guest—and future customers—that they truly cared.

Don’t shy away from telling the whole story.

Some negative reviews lack context. If someone leaves a one-star review saying, “They refused to tow my car!”—a response like this can provide clarity:

“We’re so sorry we couldn’t accommodate you at that time! We were fully booked, and we never want to overpromise something we can’t deliver.”

This not only softens the impact of the review but also shows transparency.

Pro tip: Consumers trust businesses more when they see them handling criticism professionally. A well-worded response can do more for your reputation than a five-star review.

4. Avoid spammy or automated requests

Nobody likes being bombarded with generic review requests. Think about Amazon—how often do you delete their automated “Please leave a review” emails without opening them? 

That’s precisely what you don’t want to happen with your business.

To get good reviews, make your request feel like a personal favor, not an obligation.

• Wait a few days before asking. Give customers time to use and enjoy your product to make your request feel more natural.
• Send a short, warm message. Say something like, “Thank you so much for your order! We’re a small business out of [City], and your support truly means everything to us. We’d love to hear about your experience if you have a moment! Here’s a quick link to leave a review.”

5. Offer a small incentive (the right way)

People love getting something in return for their time. But there’s a fine line between encouraging reviews and illegally “buying” them just to get more online reviews. Consumers trust online reviews and expect that the reviews on your website will be authentic and come from existing customers based on their actual experience with your brand.

Here’s how you can get more social proof the right way:

• Offer a token of appreciation—but for ALL reviews, not just positive ones. This is crucial for staying compliant with FTC guidelines. You can offer a small discount on a future purchase, a free sample, or even a simple thank-you note.
• Avoid conditional rewards: Instead of saying, “Leave a 5-star review for 10% off!” (which is unethical and could get you banned from review websites like Google and Yelp), say: “We appreciate every review, whether positive or constructive! As a thank-you for your time, here’s a small discount on your next order.”

This way, you’re encouraging honest feedback rather than artificially inflating ratings.

Infographic: Key Online Review Stats & Trends You Need to Know

We’ve got many more fun, interesting facts that’ll help you see why your customer review is so important to other shoppers! Check out our infographic, “The Importance Of Online Customer Reviews,” to read more facts. Enjoy!

Infographic by-Invesp conversion optimization

To Publish this Image on your Blog or Website. Copy this code

<a href=”https://www.invespcro.com/online-customer-reviews.jpg”><img src=”https://www.invespcro.com/online-customer-reviews.jpg” alt=”The Importance Of Online Customer Reviews” width=”580″></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>Infographic by- <a href=”https://www.invespcro.com/”>Invesp</a>

For nearly 9 in 10 consumers, an online review is as important as a personal recommendation.

Customers are likely to spend 31% more on a business with “excellent” reviews.

72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more

92% of users will use a local business if it has at least a 4-star rating

72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review

Reliability (27%), expertise (21%) & professionalism (18%) are the most important reputation traits for a local business

Estimated Number Of Online Reviews Customers Read Before Trusting A Business

86% of people will hesitate to purchase from a business that has negative online reviews.

On average, a one-star increase on Yelp leads to a 5 to 9% increase in a business’s revenue. At the same time, a single negative review can cost a business about 30 customers.

The number of reviews posted every minute by Yelp users is 26,380

The percentage of Yelp users that have made a purchase at a business they found on Yelp is 98%

The percentage of Yelp users that visit Yelp because they intend to make a purchase is 80%

How To Deal With Negative Reviews

When you receive a negative review, here’s what you should do:

• Respond Promptly
• Be real and admit your mistakes
• Correct inaccuracies
• Highlight your strengths
• Write like a person, not a corporation
• Take it offline
• Provide restitution if it’s warranted
• Ask loyal customers to share their experiences
• Be consistent
• Understand How Rating and Review Sites Work

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No website is optimized that doesn’t relate to its customers.

Even the most secret space program intranet site, used only by the highest-functioning rocket scientists, must relate to that audience if it is to achieve its goal.

Relating to Your Customers

So conversion optimization comes from making your website or landing page more relative to your customer.

But how do you do that? The good news is, merely by presenting your products, you relate to your customer. Presumably they’ve found their way to your site through an interest in what you sell. Unfortunately, that level of customer relation doesn’t put you any further ahead of your competition – they have their wares on display too.

That’s where conversion rate optimization comes in. CRO helps you find ways to make your website more pertinent to visitors. Ways that your competition may have not yet discovered.

With market research, analytics and AB testing, among other tools, you’ll find out what your customers like, don’t like and, most importantly, what makes them click.

When you look at some of the standard optimization tactics that have become part of mainstream web design in the past few years (witness the near extinction of the woeful “Submit” button) , you see that they are all related to relating to your customer.

From making your landing page headline the same as your ad’s headline, to developing scannable content and clear calls-to-action, each one makes it easier for your customer to identify with your website and use it.

But new tactics that repeatedly prove their ability to increase conversion rates soon become commonly accepted and used. Again, customers find nothing different on your site and you are still no further ahead of your competition.

Customers Relate to a Story. Especially their own story. If you were able to tell each customer her story, one that touches on her particular needs, the emotions only she experiences and presents precisely the solution she seeks; you’ll hit a conversion home run. One that your competitors can’t match.

But that’s impossible – or at least too expensive.

If the ultimate way of engaging customers is out of reach, what’s the next best thing?

The Power of Storytelling

When you present your message, ideas and products in more universal stories that individual customers can identify with, you will develop a good measure of the emotional and practical connection you would have if you told them their personal stories.

After changing the copy on an informational product’s landing page from listing benefits and reasons to buy, to a personal story, Chris Haddad increased conversions 400% for his product’s landing page. The informational product helped women find partners. When Haddad changed the copy to tell the story of how his girlfriend used  sales tactics to attract his interest and keep it, the page’s conversion rates quadrupled from 2% to 8%.

But finding a mate is already a very emotional pursuit and telling a story about it is relatively easy, at least compared to selling more tangible products. Most people don’t consider their smartphone to be a particularly emotional product.

Another hurdle in the way of storytelling is the logistics of telling the story. Can you really write a story for each product, service or idea you have?

No. And you don’t have to, at least not literally. And there are ways to use storytelling without actually telling a story.

Do You Have an Emotional Attachment to Your Mobile Device?

Few consumer product categories are as competitive as the wireless communications service provider market. Customers constantly clamour for more speed, at less cost, while suppliers are relentless in their pace of new product innovations and introductions.

Competitors, forced to trumpet discounts, limited-time offers and the latest gizmos, can’t afford to give up above-the-fold real estate to ‘tell a story’. Yet Verizon manages to set itself apart from its competition by telling a “story” that reveals our deep emotional connection to our mobile devices. And they do so without writing a word.

Check the images used on the image slider that’s front and centre on their homepage. Three of them tell a story of capturing happy moments, sharing and showing your children the world.

Storytelling Without Really Trying

Clearly storytelling works. And you don’t actually need to write a story to tell one. Now what if there was a way to get lots of stories, really good ones that your customers will like and connect with, without creating any copy or images yourself?

When customers tell you their story, it’s usually one that other customers will find appealing – and inspiring. When you convey that story on your web properties, it’s just as good, and in many ways better, than writing your own. 14% of consumers believe your story and 86% believe what they hear from other consumers.

And there’s a good chance that you’re already letting your customers do the storytelling.

Testimonials

One of the most famous testimonials ever became the basis of a long-term, multi-media ad campaign for Remington electric razors. “I liked it so much, I bought the company” claimed Victor Kiam, then owner of Remington, in a series of print, TV and radio commercials that appeared around the world. In eight words, he told a story that moved millions of products.

Testimonials instill trust and show social proof. And they usually cost nothing.

Vandelay Design compiled a list of 16 examples of “website testimonials done right”.

Customer Reviews

In addition to developing the confidence and trust of a testimonial, customer-authored reviews of your products or business give potential customers a valuable tool for making a purchase decision.

Amazon.com makes an art of the customer review. The image below shows just some of the 2,054 customer reviews Amazon has published for the DVD of the film “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit”. In so doing, they not only let the customer tell the story of the product, but they simultaneously turn themselves into a rival for rottentomatoes.com, and their customers into amateur movie critics, all without authoring a word or paying anyone else to do so.

Users’ Images

You need look no further than the runaway popularity of image-based social platforms like Pinterest and Instagram for evidence of your customers’ ability to generate massive amounts of visual content. And every picture tells a story, doesn’t it?

From athletic wear to cookbooks, many more products and services lend themselves to visual storytelling than you might think.

GlamGlow makes mud beautiful, or at least eye-catching, by encouraging customers to become “glamaholics” and submit selfies of themselves using GlamGlow’s cosmetic mud applications.

SEO Bonus: Not only does customer-generated content help you tell your story without really trying, but it helps you boost your SEO without hiring a whiz kid. Check the “testimonial” image above. It cleverly uses the keywords “affiliate programs” and “WP themes”.

So it’s up to you. You can do the heavy lifting of storytelling yourself, or reduce your burden, and get better results, by letting your customers tell your story for you – by telling theirs.

The post Conversion Optimization Through Storytelling – Without Really Trying appeared first on Invesp.

If you have ever visited a tradeshow, you probably experienced a very clear example of the effect of social proof. Think back to the time you spent strolling the trade show floor, not with any particular booth destination in mind, but just looking to see what’s what.

Which booths caught your attention? Chances are you were drawn to those that had visitors and avoided those where the booth representative stood alone.

Yes?

The thing that attracts you to the busy booths, or crowded stores at the mall, is the social proof demonstrated by the mass of people.

According to Wikipedia, social proof is:
“a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. This effect is prominent in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation.”
(emphasis is the author’s)

When you were just looking around the trade show floor, you didn’t know which booths were worthy of a visit. You assumed that the people visiting the busier booths must know something you didn’t, and you were drawn to those booths.

Now Think About Your Ecommerce Customers

They ‘stroll’ across the web looking to make a purchase. Sometimes they know exactly what they want and where to get it. But most often they are unsure what to buy, where to buy it and sometimes even why they want it.

Take for example digital cameras. Shoppers face an incredibly wide range of choices and options online. How are they to know which model is best suited to their needs? Which site offers the best value? And does the average shopper really need a 15 mega pixel camera and a 50X optical zoom?

More and more studies show that online shoppers depend on social proof to guide them in making a purchase.

• 70% of shoppers consult online reviews and ratings before making a purchase (BusinessWeek)
• 63% say they are more likely to buy from a site that has product ratings and reviews (Search Engine Journal)
• 71% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals (Invesp)
• Online reviews are the most popular user-generated content (Forrester)
• Reviews generate 21% higher purchase satisfaction and 18% higher loyalty (PowerReviews)

It is undeniable that social proof works to generate traffic, conversions and sales.

How to Improve Your Social Proof Marketing

Compared to trade show booths, the problem facing ecommerce sites is that it’s impossible to show new visitors the crowd of shoppers on the site. But using the tools of social proof marketing tools will get the point across:

1. Customer Reviews and Ratings – the numbers outlined above prove the power of using reviews and ratings. If you want more proof, look around at the major online retailers. You’ll search for a long time to find one that does not have some form of customer reviews and or ratings.

Many ecommerce sites hesitate to use customer ratings for fear of getting too many negative responses. But fear not, 75% of reviews are positive. (PowerReviews)

And negative reviews carry two major benefits. First, they add authenticity to the positive reviews (no company gets 100% positive reviews, so customers will tend to dismiss those that claim to do so). Second, they give you the opportunity to address customer concerns and demonstrate a high level of engagement and customer service.

2. Testimonials – Sometimes forgotten in the tide of newer technology, testimonials are no less valuable than in the days when they were just about the only social proof tool in the shed. If you’ve ever received a thank you note or compliment over the phone, get permission to use it on your site. While ratings put a numeric value on your company and products, testimonials give them a story.

3. Images and Videos – We all like pretty pictures and, to meet demand, the web becomes more visual every day. Five years ago there was no Pinterest, Instagram or Snapchat. And Youtube is the second largest search engine on the web.

Your testimonials are more likely to be believed when accompanied by a corresponding picture, especially when it’s from a recognized brand advocate. (KISSmetrics)

With the ascendency of image-based sites, customer-generated images and videos have been one of the biggest social proof trends of the past couple of years.

According to visual commerce platform developer GetCandid.com, people who look at user-generated photos are five times more likely to buy online than those who don’t.

Conversion-optimized social proof: GetCandid.com takes social proof to a higher level by letting ecommerce sites to create galleries of ‘shoppable’ customer-generated images. That means not only will your customers be able to see lots of images from other shoppers just like them, but each image carries its own call-to-action button that means viewers are just one click away from buying what they see in the picture.

4. Social Sharing – Social media marketing has its fans and detractors, but, regardless of your opinion, there’s very likely a conversation about your products, brand or something very close to them going on right now on social media. While you may not want to pursue an active social marketing campaign, the numbers show that it’s folly to not let your customers share your content and products to their social networks or let them login to your site with their social accounts.

• 65% of adult internet users have an account on at least one social network
• 40% of consumers prefer using a social login over setting-up a new account or using a guest account
• 68% of consumers use social sites to read product reviews
• 50% use social networks to provide product feedback
• 131% more time is spent on your site by consumers can comment and share using their social accounts
  (monetate)

The Bottom Line: Social proof works. On the trade show floor and for ecommerce.

• It fosters powerful word-of-mouth advertising
• It’s an endless supply of content (“Content marketing is the only marketing left.” Seth Godin)
• It adds credibility. How? Just ask yourself: what’s my impression of a site that has no testimonials, social sharing icons or customer reviews?
• It improves you site’s user experience (UX) – we all want to know what our friends and neighbors are doing
• And social proof shows your customers that you are focused on them

The post Boost Your Ecommerce Conversion Rates with Social Proof appeared first on Invesp.

Here’s how to improve you’re your ecommerce results: make your product pages the main focus of your business online.

Your product pages are the final turning point on an online shopper’s journey from initial browsing to paying customer.

If you think in terms of sales funnels, your product page is the pinnacle of the cone without which your funnel is incomplete and obsolete.

So how are your product pages doing?

Conversion rates are the best judge of product page performance. And your conversion rates improve the according to how often customers heed your “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” call to action.

So, if your product pages should be the ultimate focus of your sales funnel, your purchase call-to-action should be the ultimate focus of your product page.

1. Calls-To-Purchase

It’s the last step, but the primary concern of your page. Every aspect of your call-to-purchase buttons must be carefully considered – even the fact that maybe they shouldn’t look like buttons.

Clarity – By using size, shape, color and positioning, your CTP button must be quickly and easily spotted – distinct from every other element on the page.

Check the Zappos.com product pages below. On both their desktop and mobile sites, the call-to-purchase button has a unique color among all CTA buttons and it’s the only one with an icon on the button.

Wording – While “Add to Cart”, “Buy Now” and their variants have become standard for most consumer product pages, if your product is more service oriented, your calls-to-purchase might do better by highlighting a benefit.

In the images below, check the wording on the calls to purchase. While it is clear and distinct, the CTP on the left asks you to “Sign Up”. Ugh! Really?! After all the shopping, reading and comparing, “signing up” is not a particularly inviting call.

By contrast, the call to purchase on the right gives you a benefit for all the work you’ve done to get there. Click that button and you “Get” a free calling feature Of course you will have to sign-up, but by highlighting the benefit of doing so, you are more likely to click the button and complete the process.

2. The Big Picture

Shoppers are touchy/feely. No matter what it is, from apples to zebra-striped pajamas, we all want to pick it up, feel the weight, check the size, get a closer look and generally assess the product.

And it’s perhaps the biggest difference between bricks and mortar shopping and e-commerce. Technology has taken care of almost everything else, including quick answers to your questions, but it has a long way to go before you can reach into your monitor and grab a product.

If they can’t touch and feel, the next best thing is to give them a closer look.

It means big, high-quality images, multiple angle shots and the ability to zoom in.

And if you want to give them the best idea of how your product looks and works, show it in action with a video.

Check the Zappos product page below, including multiple angles on the left, a “Click-to-Zoom” feature and a video link.

3. Balanced Design

So far, we’ve recommended clear, distinct CTAs and big, multi-angle images. But if you designed your page around those two criteria, it might not be very pleasing to the eye.

From headline to footer, your product pages have many elements and each one must have its place and space.

Check the Amazon product page below. I count over 50 (disclosure: I stopped counting at 50) elements on the page, including headers, CTAs, price, stock information, etc.. Yet the page does not feel overly crowded and each element is easily distinguished.

4. Get Your Ship Together

Another thing shoppers can’t do on your ecommerce site is leave with their purchase in hand. That makes shipping info very important.

Indeed, high shipping costs and not clearly mentioning shipping costs are by far the biggest reason for ecommerce shopping cart abandonment.

In other, completely different words, you should offer free shipping whenever possible.

Check any of the Zappos pages we’ve mentioned. “Free Shipping” is mentioned in three different places.

5. Give & Get Social Proof

There’s a reason why, even if you are not a Mac fan, you still go into the Apple store at the mall. It has a lot to do with the almost constant crowds there. No matter how stubborn we are in denying it, we are all interested in what’s popular. Popularity and word-of-mouth sell a lot more customers than the most expensive advertising.

Together, line-ups in a store and word-of-mouth buzz are social proof that shows a product is worthy of purchase – it must be good if so many people like it.

The problem online is that no one can see the crowd in your store. But social sharing lets shoppers tell everyone that they were on your product page and either bought or are thinking of buying. By adding social sharing buttons, you encourage and get social proof from your customers.

RELATED ARTICLE: How To Optimize A Product Page On A Shopify Website

And you can give them the social proof they seek by including authentic customer reviews on your page. This is as close as it gets to real word-of-mouth. Even bad reviews are good because they add authenticity to your reviews, they give you the chance to respond to concerns and they offer great product research information.

Modcloth puts social sharing and customer reviews above everything except the product header:

6. Provide Answers

Your potential customers are full of questions and concerns about buying from you. We’ve already mentioned some of them, including what the product looks like and it’s shipping details.
By giving your customers a quick way to answer as many questions as possible, you eliminate their concerns and increase the chance that they will buy.

The following are among the common answers your customers want:

• Product specifications
• Sizing
• Options
• Color choices
• Package contents
• Feature list
• Benefits
• Accessories
• Return Policy

Check all the images above to see how each retailer chooses to present certain information to answer customers’ potential questions.

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