Quick takeaway: Request reviews specific to payment, delivery, return and product at relevant touchpoints
Just over 1 in 10 (13%) online shoppers prefer to be contacted by retailers asking for a review after having made a purchase. This figure falls to 7% among female shoppers. The only relevant content shoppers want after buying from a retailer are coupons and discounts for future purchase. Almost 9 in 10 (87%) shoppers prefer receiving coupons and discounts from retailers after purchase.
While it may seem like providing offers and discounts in exchange for reviews is an easy win, there are more relevant ways to approach shoppers when requesting for an online review. Retailers can request reviews for specific parts of the shopping experience instead of the overall experience. The top 3 parts of the shopping experience customers are most likely to review:
1. Payment
2. Delivery and return
3. Product features
1. Purchase
Right after purchase, retailers can request shoppers to review the payment experience offered on the website or app. More than 1 in 10 (11%) shoppers look for payment options (Cards, PayPal, and other e-wallet options) when reading reviews making them likely to share a review after the payment experience.
2. Delivery and Return
Retailers have another relevant opportunity to request an online review once the product has been delivered. More than one in five (26%) shoppers read online reviews to get information on delivery costs and options. Asking recent buyers to rate and review the delivery of the product, once again, takes away the burden of having to review the entire shopping experience.
In addition to delivery, retailers can also request reviews if and when shoppers return the products. While shoppers who return products might not have had a positive experience, making the return process convenient will result in a positive experience. As such retailers can request shoppers to review the return process and garner positive online word of mouth.
3. Product features
Most shoppers (71%) look for information around product features when reading reviews. Requesting shoppers to post reviews on product features can be a hit and a miss, but should not be avoided. They key is to ask them to review a very specific aspect of the product. For instance if they bouhgt an apparel, ask them to review the size and fit. If they bought a set of pillows ask them to review it’s softness.
Another way in which retailers can encourage shoppers to review the product itself is by engaging with them post-purchase across all customer service channels. For instance, shoppers could turn to the website from where they bought the product if they have a question. When shoppers ask questions specific to usage after purchase, retailers can request them to share a review around product usage.