End Of Influencers? User Reviews And Recommendations Shaping Shopping Decisions

Buyer journey flat isometric vector. A man to make a purchase is moving by the specified route with following steps - awareness, consideration, reviews, choice, purchase.
B&T Magazine
By B&T Magazine



Increasingly, Australian shoppers are seeking recommendations and approvals from other shoppers ahead of making purchases, with 81 per cent interacting with buyers’ reviews and other user-generated content to inform their buying decisions.

Australians greatly value the opinions and insights of shoppers who are just like them to help them pick the right product. Indeed, shoppers crave interaction before a transaction and reward companies that leverage user-generated content (UCG) with return visits, increased online and in-store sales, and most significantly among today’s shoppers, return visits driven by enhanced loyalty.

Bazaarvoice’s MD APAC Kate Musgrove said shoppers had embraced the powerful voice they have been given to rate, review and post both photos and videos of products they have bought, as well as provide direct feedback to retailers about their shopping experience or ask questions about a product prior to purchase.

“Humans are hard-wired to seek word of mouth and the greatest influencers for everyday shoppers are the buyers who have gone before them. Indeed, the direct relevancy of their opinions rate well above those of social media influencers, models, sportspeople and even the Royals.

“Essentially, user-generated content fuels the shopping journey. Consumers are wary of shopping experiences that feel one-sided. They don’t just want to make informed decisions; they want to trust brands and retailers and they want shopping to feel more like a human interaction, not just a transaction,” Musgrove said.

As a result, Australians are generously providing their feedback, which has led to explosive growth in the number of reviews being produced by Australian shoppers, with reviews for Australian brands and retailers rising from 11.8m to 25.9 million in the past 12 months on the Bazaarvoice Network.

 




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