A consumer review, or customer review, is an evaluation given by a customer after using a product or service.
Generally, on the internet, consumer reviews are presented in the form of a rating accompanied by a comment.
Stars may also be assigned to provide a more visual representation of the evaluation for other users.
Consumer reviews are particularly important in the context of ecommerce.
They influence the purchasing behavior of future buyers and prospects, either reassuring them or discouraging them from making a purchase.
As a result, consumer reviews have a direct influence on conversion rates. They have an immediate impact on a brand or website's reputation, allowing people to form an opinion about the quality of the products or services provided.
In fact, an increasing number of consumers consult reviews before finalizing their purchases. They’re therefore very likely to attach great importance to these online reviews.
It’s important to note that the presence of fake consumer reviews continues to be an issue in some parts of the world. These fake reviews are often left by competitors with the sole purpose of harming a company’s reputation.
To combat this, a growing number of platforms are providing review verification, offering greater reliability for consumers and significantly reducing unfair competition.
Similarly, when buyers leave a review about a company to report their customer experience, the company has the opportunity to moderate or respond to the review.
In this case, even a negative comment can be turned into a favorable opportunity, provided the right justifications and best business arguments are used to demonstrate professionalism.
Because recommendations are particularly important in the business world, many companies also highlight testimonials from satisfied customers as a sign of quality.
After all, what better proof of reliability than relying on the impressions and reports of customers who’ve already tested the product or service?
In this context, while customer reviews were once exclusively used on the internet, they’re now also promoted in brick-and-mortar stores and traditional media.
Proof of their effectiveness: a study conducted by the Department of Statistical Consulting at Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich for AccorHotels showed that a 10% increase in the number of 5-star reviews translates to a 10.2% increase in the number of bookings in Europe.
