When Shoppers Trash Your Products: The Right Way to Handle Bad E-Commerce Reviews
Every business owner hopes for success, growth, and positive feedback.
However, the reality is, not every customer has a good experience.
And unfortunately, the Internet gives them a very public platform to share their bad experiences in the form of online reviews.
For e-commerce businesses, reviews can make or break revenue.
According to a BrightLocal study, 91% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase.
In addition, a single negative review can deter new customers and affect sales.
The key is not to panic or get defensive when you get a bad review.
With the right mindset and response tactics, you can minimize damage and even turn bad reviews into opportunities for business growth.
This Substack will walk you through best practices on how to effectively handle negative reviews for your e-commerce business.
You'll learn why bad reviews matter, dos and don'ts of responding, examples of great responses, free detailed templates you can customize for your e-commerce business, how to respond to profanity, and proactive ways to avoid bad reviews in the first place.
With the right strategy, you can leverage even the most scathing review to improve customer loyalty and your bottom line.
How Reviews Affect E-Commerce Stores
Reviews play a major role in the success of e-commerce stores.
Positive reviews can greatly increase sales, while negative reviews can deter customers and hurt revenue.
Reviews also impact search engine rankings.
Here's a deeper look at how reviews affect e-commerce:
Increased sales from positive reviews: Positive customer reviews build trust and social proof for your store. They give potential buyers confidence that your products and services are worth purchasing. Studies show that over 80% of shoppers read reviews before buying, and 94% of consumers say reviews impact their purchasing decisions. The more 4 and 5 star reviews you have, the more conversions and sales you'll see.
Lost sales from negative reviews: On the flip side, negative reviews on your store or products can be extremely damaging. According to BrightLocal, 67% of consumers will avoid a business if it has poor reviews. Just a few bad reviews filled with complaints can be enough to turn customers away and directly hurt your bottom line.
Impact on search rankings: Customer reviews also influence where your store ranks in search engines. Google and other search engines look at ratings, review volume, and sentiment as ranking factors. More positive reviews can boost your rankings, while negative reviews and low ratings may lower your position for relevant keywords. Having lots of 5 star reviews helps search engines understand your store provides a trusted, high-quality experience.
Why You Shouldn't Ignore Bad Reviews
Ignoring bad reviews can seriously hurt your e-commerce business.
Here are some of the primary reasons you need to pay attention to negative feedback:
Look unresponsive - If you ignore bad reviews, customers will think you don't care about their experience or feedback. This makes your business seem disconnected from and unresponsive to customers.
Lose customer trust - Customers trust businesses that listen to them. By not responding to negative reviews, you lose customer trust in your brand. This makes them less likely to shop with you again.
Problems could worsen - A minor issue that sparked a bad review could get worse if ignored. Customers will become more frustrated, potentially leading to more negative reviews or public complaints. Addressing issues quickly can prevent them from escalating.
The bottom line is that you should almost always respond to negative reviews.
This shows customers you value their feedback and are committed to improving their experiences.
Ignoring bad reviews will only hurt your brand and alienate customers.
Dos and Don'ts of Responding
When responding to a bad review, it's critical to handle the situation tactfully.
Follow these dos and don'ts:
Do:
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