Today, almost all (98%) shoppers say authentic reviews are the most important factor influencing their purchasing decisions.
Brands that collect user-generated content (UGC) and leverage it across their marketing channels drive more engagement and boost conversion; on average, having ten online reviews on a given product can uplift conversion rates by 53%.
To shorten the path to purchase, it’s essential for your brand to collect as many reviews across each of your products as possible. But, how can you convince your customers to leave more customer reviews and snap more photos when they’re making dozens of purchases a month?
By making it easy and efficient to submit content directly on the channel they use most: SMS.
We are thrilled to introduce SMS Review Requests, enabling our customers on Shopify to collect product and site reviews and visual user-generated content, including customer photos and videos, directly via SMS.
High SMS engagement means more high-quality content
As the buyer journey becomes increasingly omnichannel, brands need to engage customers on their terms. With SMS Review Requests, your brand can reach shoppers where they want to be: on their phones.
The average consumer spends over four hours a day on a mobile device, and they’re actively engaging with content during that time. In fact, 98% of all SMS messages are opened, and 56% of consumers prefer to share product feedback with brands directly through SMS.
Now, brands can request online reviews and ratings via text, capitalizing on SMS’ high engagement rates and mobile-optimized experiences. For customers, it’s easier than ever to submit a review via the channel they’re already the most active on — SMS Review Requests see a 66% higher conversion rate compared to reviews requested via email.
To create seamlessly on-brand mobile experiences, SMS Review Requests are fully customizable. Match your review requests to your brand’s unique look-and-feel, and add discounts, gifs, emojis, and more to drive engagement from each and every shopper.
Build an SMS audience that turns purchases in feedback
In order to leverage the power of SMS Review Requests, your customers need to opt in and provide contact information to receive texts from your brand.
With Yotpo, you are able to choose from seven innovative and compliant subscriber tools, including on-site cart checkout, customizable subscription forms, and social keywords, so you can quickly and easily build your SMS audience, engage your mobile shoppers, and collect even more influential reviews and visual UGC.
By leveraging Reviews & Ratings and SMS in Yotpo’s all-in-one eCommerce marketing platform, brands can quickly and easily reach more shoppers where they want to be reached. Request reviews via both email and SMS to collect more content while catering to every shopper on their preferred channel.
Health and wellness brand Love Wellness leverages SMS Review Requests to send impactful, personalized messages encouraging shoppers to write reviews, helping the brand drive engagement and maximize customer lifetime value.
“Yotpo’s eCommerce marketing platform pulls together key technology levers we use to collect the inspiring customer stories,” said Lauren Bosworth, Founder & CEO of Love Wellness. “We’re impressed by the initial engagement and ROI we’re seeing with SMS Review Requests, demonstrating the need to meet our customers where they are.”
The best SMS review request
When crafting your SMS review request, it’s important to keep the message short, sweet, and to the point. It is important to keep in mind that customers may receive a lot of text messages, so keeping it short and direct will increase the chances of them reading and responding to it.
It’s also important to be mindful of the timing of your request. The best time to ask for a review is immediately after a customer has made a purchase or has had a positive experience with your company. This way, the experience is still fresh in their mind and they are more likely to leave a review. It is also crucial to not send multiple text messages as it may come across as nagging, and could potentially harm the customer’s overall experience.
Personalization is key when it comes to SMS review requests. It’s important to make the customer feel special and valued by addressing them by name in the message. You can also include their order number or the product they purchased.
Another great way to increase the chances of customers leaving a review is by offering an incentive. This could be a small discount on their next purchase or a special offer. This will not only encourage them to leave a review but also increase the chances of them making a repeat purchase.
How do I get started?
To help brands get started with SMS marketing, we’re waiving our base fees for our Powerhouse packages for existing and new Yotpo annual customers for a full year, and we’re heavily discounting the base fees on more advanced packages. Get started here.
To learn more about SMS Review Requests, see our support article here.
