Transforming Consumers into Contributors
Ratings and reviews have a profound impact on purchasing behavior. Consumers will pay up to 99% more for a five-star rated product than one with only four stars. And 84% of people say they trust user reviews over critics.
“Ratings and reviews should be part of your engagement and social strategy, regardless of whether you’re selling a product or providing content or providing experiences,” says Erin Malone, author of Designing Social Interfaces.
Your ultimate goal is to provide useful, credible content. You do that by making sure that your reviewers have actually experienced the product or service that they’re reviewing. By letting other users rate the reviews themselves for usefulness. And by using the information you get from all sides to create a better experience for everyone.
“The more people engage with your site, the more personalized their experience should be. That’s their reward for giving you content for free,” says Erin.
Adapted from “Designing for Ratings and Reviews,” Erin Malone' virtial seminar.