How to Display Product Reviews on Shopify
September 10, 2024
How to Display Product Reviews on Shopify
Introduction
Displaying product reviews on your Shopify store can significantly enhance customer trust, increase sales, and improve the overall shopping experience. Reviews provide social proof, helping potential buyers make informed decisions. With various methods and tools available, including Shopify’s built-in features and third-party apps, you can easily showcase customer feedback in a way that aligns with your brand and boosts credibility. In this guide, we’ll explore the best ways to display product reviews on Shopify, including step-by-step instructions, best practices, and the latest trends like shoppable videos and apps like ReelTok.
1. Why Display Product Reviews on Shopify?
Product reviews are a critical component of any e-commerce store, including those on Shopify. They help to build trust, enhance the customer experience, and provide valuable feedback. Here’s why displaying product reviews is essential:
Building Trust: Reviews act as social proof, showing potential customers that others have had positive experiences with your products. This can reduce hesitation and increase the likelihood of making a purchase.
Boosting Sales: According to studies, products with reviews are significantly more likely to be purchased than those without. Reviews help customers feel more confident in their buying decisions, leading to higher conversion rates.
SEO Benefits: Product reviews can improve your store’s SEO by generating fresh, user-generated content that includes relevant keywords. This can help your products rank higher in search engine results, driving more traffic to your store.
Customer Insights: Reviews provide direct feedback from your customers, offering insights into what they like and what could be improved. This feedback can be invaluable for refining your products and enhancing the overall customer experience.
2. Different Ways to Display Product Reviews on Shopify
There are multiple ways to display product reviews on your Shopify store, ranging from using Shopify’s built-in review feature to integrating third-party apps that offer advanced functionalities.
Default Shopify Review Feature
Shopify offers a free, built-in Product Reviews app that makes it easy to add a review section to your product pages. This app is a great starting point for displaying reviews and includes basic customization options. Here’s how you can use it:
Installation: Find the Shopify Product Reviews app in the Shopify app store and click "Add app." Follow the installation instructions to add it to your store.
Customization: Customize the look and feel of the review section to match your brand. You can adjust the display settings, such as the number of reviews shown per page and whether to allow star ratings.
Integration: Once installed, the app will automatically add a review section to your product pages. You can further adjust the placement through Shopify’s theme editor.
Third-Party Review Apps
For more advanced features, such as photo reviews, video reviews, or shoppable videos, consider using third-party apps like Yotpo, Judge.me, or ReelTok. These apps offer a wide range of customization options and can help you create a more interactive and engaging review section.
Yotpo: Known for its robust features, Yotpo allows you to collect and display reviews, ratings, photos, and Q&A from customers. It also offers options for social proof integrations and automated review requests.
Judge.me: This app is popular for its affordability and extensive customization options. It supports multiple languages and offers advanced features like SEO optimization and integration with Google Shopping.
ReelTok: A standout feature of ReelTok is its support for shoppable videos, which allows customers to create and share video reviews linked directly to your products. This feature not only enhances the review experience but also makes it easier for customers to purchase products directly from the video content.
3. Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Product Reviews on Shopify
Adding product reviews to your Shopify store can be done easily using Shopify’s built-in app or by integrating third-party review apps. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Using Shopify's Built-In Review App
Install the App: Go to the Shopify app store, search for the Shopify Product Reviews app, and click "Add app." Follow the installation steps to add the app to your store.
Customize Review Settings: Once the app is installed, navigate to the app settings to customize how reviews are displayed. You can enable features like star ratings, set minimum review lengths, and control how many reviews appear per page.
Add Review Section to Product Pages: Use Shopify’s theme editor to add the review section to your product pages. This can usually be done by dragging and dropping the review section into the desired location on your page layout.
Using a Third-Party App
Choose the Right App: Evaluate different third-party apps based on your needs. If you’re looking for advanced features like shoppable videos, ReelTok is a great option that combines video reviews with direct shopping capabilities.
Install and Integrate the App: Once you’ve selected an app, install it from the Shopify app store and follow the provided setup instructions. Most apps will guide you through the integration process, which usually involves adding code snippets or configuring settings through the app’s dashboard.
Customize Display Settings: Customize how reviews are displayed on your store. Options might include showing reviews in a grid, slider, or list format. Apps like ReelTok offer the added benefit of integrating video content, making your reviews more dynamic and engaging.
4. Best Practices for Displaying Shopify Product Reviews
To make the most of product reviews, it’s important to follow best practices that enhance their visibility and effectiveness.
Prominent Placement
Place reviews in a prominent position on your product pages, such as directly below the product description or near the top of the page. This ensures that reviews are easily visible to shoppers without requiring them to scroll too far.
Displaying Verified Purchases
Display reviews from verified purchasers to enhance credibility. Verified reviews are marked as coming from customers who have actually bought the product, which can increase trust and encourage other shoppers to buy.
Encouraging Honest Feedback
Encourage customers to leave honest and detailed reviews. Highlight that you value all feedback, whether positive or constructive. This transparency can build trust with your audience and provide valuable insights into how your products are performing.
Highlighting Key Reviews
Feature key reviews at the top of the review section, especially those with detailed feedback or customer photos. Using apps like ReelTok, you can even feature video reviews and shoppable videos that make the feedback more interactive and visually appealing.
5. Customizing the Look of Product Reviews
Customizing the appearance of your product reviews ensures that they align with your store’s overall branding and design aesthetic.
Aligning with Your Brand
Adjust the fonts, colors, and layouts of your review section to match your brand’s look and feel. Consistent branding across your site can make the shopping experience feel more cohesive and professional.
Using Widgets and Snippets
Many review apps offer customizable widgets and HTML/CSS snippets that allow you to display reviews in creative formats, such as pop-ups, tabs, or slideshows. These design elements can make reviews more visually appealing and easier to navigate.
Showcasing Reviews Across Your Site
Don’t limit reviews to just product pages. Consider displaying them on other parts of your site, such as the homepage, a dedicated review page, or even in your marketing emails. Featuring reviews in multiple locations maximizes their impact and ensures that more visitors see them.
6. Challenges and How to Overcome Them
While displaying product reviews offers numerous benefits, there are also some challenges that you may encounter.
Dealing with Negative Reviews
Negative reviews are inevitable, but they can be managed effectively. Respond to negative feedback professionally and promptly, addressing the customer’s concerns and offering solutions where appropriate. Handling negative reviews well can demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and even turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Review Moderation
Moderation is essential to maintaining the quality of your review section. Regularly check and approve reviews to filter out spam or inappropriate content. Some apps, like ReelTok, offer built-in moderation tools that allow you to manage reviews efficiently and ensure that only high-quality content is displayed.
Technical Issues
Technical problems can occur when displaying reviews, such as formatting issues or slow load times. To minimize these issues, choose reliable review apps and ensure that your Shopify theme is compatible with the review features you’re using. Regularly test the performance of your review section and make necessary adjustments to keep it functioning smoothly.
7. Future Trends in Shopify Product Reviews
As technology continues to evolve, new trends are emerging in how product reviews are displayed and utilized on Shopify stores. Here are some of the key trends to watch:
Video Reviews and User-Generated Content
Video reviews are becoming increasingly popular, offering a more engaging way for customers to share their experiences. Apps like ReelTok make it easy to collect and display video reviews, including shoppable videos that allow customers to purchase products directly from the video. This trend is expected to grow as more brands look to leverage multimedia content to enhance the shopping experience.
AI and Automation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to play a major role in the future of product reviews. AI tools can automatically analyze reviews to identify key themes, detect sentiment, and even suggest personalized responses. Automation can also help in highlighting the most relevant reviews, making the review section more useful for potential buyers.
Personalized Review Displays
Personalization is becoming a key trend in e-commerce, and this extends to product reviews as well. Personalized review displays can show content that is most relevant to individual shoppers based on their browsing history, past purchases, or preferences. This targeted approach can make reviews more impactful and increase their influence on buying decisions.
Integration with Social Media and Influencers
Integrating product reviews with social media platforms and influencer content is another growing trend. By featuring reviews from trusted voices, such as influencers, directly on your Shopify store, you can increase credibility and tap into the influencer’s audience. Apps like ReelTok enable seamless integration of shoppable videos from social media, merging the power of social proof with direct purchasing options.
These future trends highlight the evolving landscape of Shopify product reviews. By staying ahead of these developments and integrating innovative features like shoppable videos and AI-driven insights, your Shopify store can not only keep pace with industry changes but also set new standards for customer engagement and trust. Displaying product reviews effectively on Shopify is more than just a sales strategy—it’s a way to build a loyal community of satisfied customers who value your products and share their experiences with others.
