Business owners use social proof to gain the trust of their customers and as a way to improve their conversion rates. Social proof is a phenomenon where consumers are more likely to buy a product or service if they feel like it’s the socially correct thing to do. In other words, potential customers are willing to do business with a company if they see other people doing business with a brand and see value in their purchase.
When you create an online store, you’re going to want to add social proof to your website and social media profiles. We are going to show you how to gather and display social proof across all platforms to generate more sales and improve the perception of your business among new and returning customers alike.
Allow Product Reviews
It’s hard to go to an eCommerce storefront today without seeing several reviews on every product. It’s not hard to see why this tactic is so popular. One study revealed that 70 percent of people check reviews on products before they make a purchase.
When you allow a customer to leave a review on your product, you’re opening up the door for new customers to find this review and make a purchase based on social proof.
The go-to example of reviews working to sell a product is Amazon. Every single item on Amazon allows users to rate their experience with the product and seller on a scale of one to five stars so that they can educate future customers on why they should (or shouldn’t) make a purchase.
Real-Time Stats
Another way to demonstrate social proof is by using real-time stats on your product or service listing. We see this occur across virtually every industry in one form or another. If you go to a travel site and look for hotel rooms, you’ll likely see a stat on page proudly boasting “Booked 2 Hours Ago.” This kind of message sends two signals.
First, you’re showing your potential customers that this is a great room. People are booking rooms every two hours! You’re also sending a message that the rental space on this room is going fast, you better reserve your room right now.
Similarly, some businesses use website plugins to show real-time stats to consumers when another consumer makes a purchase. You’re sending a clear message that people are buying your product. Imagine you are online browsing and you see that someone just purchased a product you were looking at, wouldn’t you be more likely to go back and at least revisit that product?
Use Social Media Mentions
Social media is an excellent resource for building social proof on your website. When a customer mentions you on Twitter and talks about the awesome experience, they had with your product, retweet their message. All of your followers and the potential followers who land on your page will see this comment and instantly have more confidence in your brand because other people have had pleasant experiences.
Once you’ve put together enough positive tweets, you can include the quotes on a testimonials page on your website. When new visitors land on your site and check your testimonials page, the positive comments from other customers will instill trust in your brand and products. It is also effective to display your top positive tweets on your homepage for prospects to see as soon as they land on your website.
If you want more customers to mention you on social media, there are a couple of things you have to get right. First, you must have a product or service that provides value to your customers. You must also have a reputable, professional website: no grainy photos, broken links, or sub-par design. The last thing you’re going to need is a stellar customer service team. Your team will help customers who have poor experiences, reducing negative comments.
Conclusion
Social proof is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to attract customers to your website. The people who buy our products or services are the most effective marketing tool we have for reaching new prospects. If you want to build social proof on your website, start thinking about ways you can take your brand to the next level and deliver an unmatched customer experience.
