Amazon’s marketplace is heavily influenced by third-party resellers. It includes many lesser-known challenger brands without the same name recognition as legacy brands popular with major retailers. Because of this, Amazon shoppers often research to gain proof an unfamiliar product or brand meets expectations. This process usually involves comparing products, prices, and reviews before buying. Here we explain the influence of customer reviews on Amazon, particularly for brands in the fashion category.
Increasingly fewer brands that sell on Amazon’ aren’t household names. It can be challenging for these brands to gain trust from customers. An additional roadblock can be the perception shoppers have of fast fashion or mass-produced and inexpensive clothing. When fast fashion first became popular, it quickly earned a sour reputation among consumers. Frustrations included a range of issues from inaccurate sizing information to poor quality products. Now, customers are more educated about what to look out for and are more cautious when buying apparel online.
In spite of these hurdles, Amazon’s fashion category is increasingly competitive. In fact, its gross merchandise sales volume is set to grow to $5.21 billion in the United States in 2020. To overcome obstacles and capitalize on this growth among the growing competition, brands need to be proficient across all facets of Amazon.
Nearly 70% of online shoppers use Amazon to conduct product research and 42% look for testimonials. Therefore, brands that have products without customer reviews could be easily overlooked by shoppers. Reviews help customers establish an understanding of what to expect when buying a product. For example, does a shirt run large or small in size? Is the quality and color of an item as described on the product detail page? Reading a review from an existing customer can help a first-time shopper gain enough confidence to purchase. The inverse of this is also true; if a product receives a negative review or information is unclear, the chance of a conversion is less likely.
A shopper’s experience when interacting with your brand and its products online plays an important role in earning reviews. In fact, research by Gartner has shown customer experience is 64% more important than the price of a product. To avoid negative feedback and encourage positive reviews, focus on the experience. Brands can do so by optimizing across the channel. Below we share some tips to provide a positive interaction on Amazon.
In all categories, reviews make a difference in how much shoppers trust a brand and feel comfortable making a purchase. At Marketplace Strategy (MPS), we help clients improve their overall presence on Amazon. Doing so allows clients to provide a positive customer experience and increase the likelihood of receiving reviews and making sales.
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