Cyber Equivalent of Loehmann's Dressing Room
"Does this look good on me." "Uh, not really."
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PrintPicking up where we left off yesterday -- which was in the middle of a report on customer reviews just issued by Chicago's The e-tailing group -- we learn that customers not only like to write reviews but that they are emotional about it.
"Merchants reiterated that the passion emanating from consumers [who wrote reviews] was one of the biggest surprises; even extending to mundane products such as post-its from Staples," according to the report. And the vice president of e-commerce at Petco noted, "No matter how many reviews they receive, customers continue to add their voice. A product might already have a rating of 4.9/5, but someone will still write another positive review."
Merchants recognize, the report states, that reviews build confidence, "providing customers with invaluable decision-making power." Reviews, it continues, engender customer trust "and that trust translates into loyal, lifelong shoppers. They give time-starved shoppers another perspective by serving as their editor in deciding between products; helping them to narrow down choices and find just what they need."
I guess it's a little bit like the locker-room style of the Loehmann's dressing room where women feel free to tell each other, if asked, whether a garment looks good on them or not. Shoppers trust other shoppers.
Word to the wise retailer: Implement customer reviews.
