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Web Design Tips from Amazon (Part 3)

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We’re down to the last post! If you missed the first 2 articles about Amazon strategies, part 1 is right here, and part 2 is posted here. For the first part, I’ve discussed how Amazon’s categorizes its items and how it uses the power of colors. Meanwhile, the second part is about how Amazon uses the “add to cart” button. Now, there are 3 more tips below:

  • A picture is worth a thousand words.
    • Amazon is marketplace for different sellers. Not everything is sold by Amazon, but every product carries the Amazon brand. Even if a product is not sold and shipped by the company, a lot people trust because it’s on Amazon.
    • One unique feature about Amazon is that it uses superior quality photos that you can zoom in. Products, like books, are actually viewable. You can take a sneak peek through its “look inside!” option.
    • It gives the customers confidence on the product they are buying since a preview is provided by Amazon. Same is true for your website. If you provide sharp photos, people can preview it down to the littlest details.
    • Naturally, you would not buy a product you have not seen. So, it’s important for your website to provide high resolution photos. Choose a photo that can make customers take action. An image should be able to connect with your web visitors and should subtly tell them “hey, check me out.”
      One of Amazon strategies is providing a convenient rating system.

      One of Amazon strategies is providing a convenient rating system.

  • Make reviews easier to make.

    • Customers trust other customers. That’s why Amazon is making sure that their customers can easily rate their products. A rating system is provided by Amazon so customers can just review a product using stars.
    • Seeing a 5-star rating will surely make you purchase a product. As a seller, you don’t need to say much because the 5-star review already says everything. It is an effective way to persuade people to give this product a try.
    • As a customer, you are very meticulous, and every detail is important. You run to people you trust. You seek their advice on what works better. So, Amazon focused on sustaining relationship and not marketing its product. It wanted to gain the trust of its audience.
    • As a seller, learn from Amazon’s strategy. Don’t tell your customers to buy your products. Let 5-star rating do the talking. If your products need exposure, reach out to digital influencers. They might be able to help you spread the word. Their positive review will give your products a much needed boost.

  • Everyone loves anything with the word FREE!

    • I love FREE stuffs. Who doesn’t? Amazon is aware of that! If your order is more $25, you get FREE Shipping. Thus, you are inclined to put more items in your cart just to avail the FREE shipping option.
    • Doing the same will definitely help you gain more customers. They will stick around and browse the daily deals just to reach the minimum amount of the “Free shipping” offer. (I talked about the importance of adding a FREE shipping feature here.)
    • Whatever it is you are selling on your website, try offering something for FREE to convince more people to transact with you. It may be a FREE sample, FREE 15-day trial, or FREE ebook. Business Insider conclusively declared that out of all the freebies, free shipping remains supreme.

Apply These Psychological Tips on Your Website (Part 2)

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The psychological tips and tricks presented on this posted below are based on Robert B. Cialdini’s book. If you want to read part 1, you can click this link. For this 2nd post, I will still discuss the importance of personalization, recommendation, and other ways invite more web visitors:

  • Tailor-made for every user.

    • Don’t make everything about business and money. Take time to get to know your audience, too! Interact with your followers. That’s why social media is there. It’s an avenue for you to connect with your existing customers and future ones.
    • When they see how much you take time to answer their questions, they will appreciate it. When you are active on social media to address issues, they will know that you are dedicated on giving the best to your customers. You are NOT just another website that’s after the money. Your customers will consider you a friend that’s definitely worthy of their trust.
    • When replying to inquiries online, be personal and address them by their names. You are talking to someone needing help. This is not the time to speak formally. Don’t be afraid to show your personality because it makes the company less generic and more human.
    • You don’t need to follow a template because it’s ends up pretty unconvincing. This is you, and you don’t need to act like this website because they are well-known. Go through your social media posts and blog posts and check if it seems fabricated. If you can’t see yourself saying it, then, don’t include it.

  • The power of a positive review.

    • Whether it’s from a from a popular internet star or from an ordinary citizen, a positive review will boost your credibility and trustworthiness. Never undervalue its ability to motivate other people to try your products.
    • These reviews will push the undecided to go and try your products. They don’t have to worry because a great number of people vouched for the usefulness and quality of your products.
    • If someone famous mentions your product and puts in a good word for you,  spread it on social media. Highlight positive reviews on your website so new customers will immediately feel confident when transacting with you.
    • Whether the review is from a celebrity or not, make it a habit to share the review, and to respond to these positive reviews. A simple thank you is nothing compared to the boost they have given your brand.
    • To be honest, no amount of sales talk can compare to the reviews given by actual people. So, gather all the promising reviews and share them the world!
Paper Bags Near Wall

Of course, no one can resist the word: SALE!

  • Limited-time offers.

    • When products are only available for a limited time, people feel like they shouldn’t miss this “once in a lifetime chance.” As a result, the demand for a product increases because everyone has the same mindset.  Everyone is compelled to participate and grab this exclusive offer.
    • Everyone is buying it so I’m buying it! It may be silly reason for some, but it’s still an effective marketing strategy. People don’t want to miss out on what’s popular.  They want to do what others are doing.
    • So, if there’s this sale ends in 48 hours, I should shop now because other might beat to it. It’s human nature; there’s always a need to be constantly updated.  If there’s a sense of urgency, then, definitely, it will motivate everyone to shop before it’s over.

7 Easy Steps on Gaining Positive Online Reviews

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Verbally recommending a restaurant is good, but customers, nowadays, will still Google a business to read more online reviews. Without a doubt, online reviews are now crucial in every business’ success.  So, how do you actually make sure your business gets reviews?

  • Do your job well.
    • Just do it and the chances of getting more reviews will increase. Ask for a review after every transaction. On all your email communication, don’t forget to add link to your Facebook fan page, Yelp review page, and/or official online store on your email signature.
  • Complete your profiles and maintain an active status.
    • Know your industry well. Where are the other businesses signing up? Signing up on all social media accounts is unnecessary. Just know where your audience is at.
    • Having a business page on Yelp really helps. There are over 150 million reviews on the website. Make sure to complete important details like complete address, map, phone number, website, and operating hours. So, when other people search for your business, relevant results will show up and guide them to the right path.
Two Person Shaking Hands

build relationships with your clients

  • Know who to ask and what to ask.
    • First of all, remind yourself that not everyone will NOT be willing to give your business glowing reviews. Perfect 5-star reviews are elusive so be careful on who you ask.
    • There are reviews that are very upfront. Be the first one to ask customers for reviews. Because the moment they post it online, you will have NO control over it. If it’s a negative review, it will greatly affect your business.
    • You can ask a review through email. This way, you know what people think without going public. Learn from these honest reviews and improve the points presented. When someone endorses you, reply to these positive reviews. It’s a big deal and it could give your business a huge boost. So, be thankful and don’t just ignore it.
  • Know the right timing.
    • You also have to know when to ask. Find the right timing of asking an honest review. Ideally,  you should ask your customers while their pleasant experience is still recent and fresh in their minds.
  • How to ask?
    • There are many ways to ask for reviews such as like phone calls, emails, and face-to-face conversations. Whatever you choose, make sure it is convenient for your customers. After all, they are putting their reputation on the line. Be sure to be polite in asking.
  • Be precise and make it easy.
    • Asking a review is not enough. You have to be specific and ask for details. Make it as smooth as possible i.e. the answers are provided and customers will just have to tick a box that applies to them.
    • The review questionnaire should be clear and easy to understand. After this, you can also request the customer to publish the review on Facebook. If the customer answers yes, leave a link to your Facebook Business Page along with some instructions.
  • Give an incentive.
    • Lastly, your customers cleared their schedule to accommodate your request. As a way to say thank you, you can give an incentive such as a discount code they can use on their next transaction. It can also be a gift card or a voucher. Make it clear that the incentive is just a token for their honest review and not some form of payment.

Where to Find Reliable Product Reviews?

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computer, keyboard, shopping

Do people read reviews before they shop online?

Product reviews has this powerful impact on consumers.

People, who love to shop, depend on it before deciding on purchasing anything. But, of course, there are doubts. Some people see positive reviews as fake or it is something orchestrated by the business owners or sellers themselves. The negative reviews can either be from an angry person who has biased opinion on the business, or it can be from an irate employee, or even a rival business.

Reviews are tough to gauge at times, and we should be  careful of fake reviews. We would not want to get a product that is disappointing and far from the raving reviews.

Here are the reliable product review websites:

  • CNet –  is a web division of CBS Interactive and it provides a wide-ranged in product reviews. It features software, web hosting, technology, and electronics. CNet is a popular website that features both user and editor reviews on the new products in the market.
  • Epinions – features millions of product reviews and categorizes the products by labeling it as the “Top Reviewer”. It is a review service of Shopping.com.
  • ConsumerSearch – is well-known for its easy navigation and website design. The access is simple and the products categorized and well-organized. They have a wide-range of products from computers, food, home, garden, and kitchen. The service comes from About.com.
  • TestFreaks – is a website that shows all reviews for the latest gadgets and electronics. Both the Swedish and US website were launched in 2007. The visitors of the site are free to browse 30 million reviews and to give their own reviews.
  • MouthShut – does reviews of general products and the site provides buying guides. If you are a first time, it guide you through the process. It features cars, electronic appliances, and distinct products like websites, schools and credit cards.
  • Trusted Reviews –  it has a complete categories of products and has video reviews as well. Editorial reviews dominates the content. It compares the cost and the specification of the different product models.
  • ReviewCentre.com – it is one of the top ten review websites because of its category cloud and it offers wide variety of categories from Travel and Leisure to Transportation. The website is simple to navigate and you can easily browse through the reviews.
  • Buzzillions – has officially retired, but the good part is that you can still research all the same products and services and read reviews at viewpoints.com. The website has about 5 million posted reviews from all over the world.

Hold on to your purse.

Check out these websites for you to make the right decision. They will help you see the advantages and disadvantages, the negatives and the positives of the products or service you need. If you still have doubts, go and checkout ConsumerReports.Org. They are a nonprofit organization that puts the consumers’ needs first to attain a fairer and safer online community. They are unconstrained by advertising and commercial influences, and they guarantee you that they are dedicated to their pro-consumer commitment.

Do Online Shoppers Check Product Reviews?

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buy on a computer

People search for reviews before purchasing online.

Today, consumers trust their fellow consumers more than they trust the different advertisements shown in both the social media, print, and television. The past years have seen how much product reviews has become a powerful tool to convince consumers to purchase. A research done by Jupiter Research confirms that 77% of the consumers refer to the product reviews before they decide on their actual purchase.

Another study also showed that 90% of the consumers admits that the product reviews that they read online has an intensifying effect on their purchase. The customary way of sales and marketing has not retained its power as to the user generated content more specifically, the customer reviews. Sadly, most corporations has not use this kind of marketing and branding. The truth is: product reviews can establish trust among potential consumers which later on can become purchase.

It is wise for businesses to allow the consumers to air what they think of their product/s whether the comment is positive or negative. Even bad reviews has their advantages too. It has the ability to help build the trust of the consumers. Bad reviews has more honesty and credibility which helps the consumers modify their expectations.

Reevo states that negative reviews does improve the conversions to purchase by 67% which is a pretty much large number especially when translated to sales. Reevo also discovered that negative reviews of products are actually the ones that convert more. This also means, consumers are paying close attention. Surveys likewise shows that 68% of consumers trust the reviews no matter if they are good or bad. On the flip side, 30% thinks that the reviews went through censorship or if not, they are just fake reviews because no negative comment was written about the product.

Types of reviews:

  • The brief overview review – This type is usually written in one page for consumers to quickly see which products has the highest and lowest ratings. Brief overview review are found in affiliate sites which is usually done in one or two paragraphs. It also has a star rating or any kind of rating. This comprises product image and a link.
  • The comprehensive and full review – A longer review is much better that the brief overview review because it goes into details. It shows the advantages of the product, its features, and it also tells what is good and bad about the product. Included in the review would be screenshots, and product photos.

CEO Matt Moog of Power Reviews also added that, “We try to focus on identifying the valuable reviews. If the product is popular and selling at a high price point, that review will have more impact.” Product reviews are not just for consumers but also for retailers and brands. Reviews can result positive eventuality like offers, get suppliers and develop their products more. This can help change the products. Matt Moog said, “It’s the best form of market research—real-time and specific, from people you know have used the product.”