Reviews Matter

Build trust, make sales and reduce returns with product reviews

Why do so many movies succeed in spite of poor reviews from critics?

Why do so many products fail despite millions of marketing dollars?

The answer is that people trust each other more than they trust marketers, advertisers and elite opinion.

Word of mouth beats almost any other type of promotion. The customer's voice is unlike those found in traditional media, marketing or product materials.

That's why online product reviews are so effective (as companies like Amazon can testify). The customer's thinking goes: if an advertiser didn't write it, then surely it's less biased.

Endorsements by “friends”, or influential figures in any social network, can carry more weight than anonymous reviews. And as more people research products online before buying, reviews gain even more currency.

So, by allowing authentic customer voices to appear on your site, or for your products, you could:

• Increase sales through recommendations
• Reduce product returns
• Establish your credibility
• Lower customer service costs
• Increase trust and brand loyalty
• Build a community around your brand

Don't fear the negative...

A negative review means credibility.

They add more credence to your positive reviews, and they help customers make the right decision.

Remember – most people are actively looking for negative reviews so that they feel they can accurately assess a product.

That means negative reviews help you keep your customers satisfied. They're more likely to buy the right product, less likely to complain and less likely to return an item.

This saves you on product returns and customer services costs.

But, if you're still worried about negative feedback, take heart in this statistic: according to Keller Fay only one in ten reviews feature a product negatively.

4 Roads Ratings and Reviews...

Good reviews aren't prompted or “bought”. They only come through great products and customer relations.

However, you need to build the right framework and community environment for customers to share their opinions and make recommendations.

With 4 Roads, you get a powerful ratings and review application, as well as all of the other benefits of Telligent Community and Commerce. We can customize your review functions in any way that fits your brand and your site.

And, with Telligent Analytics, you get in-depth analytics that lets you categorise and identify users of your social network helping you find your influentials and your evangelists.

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