Member Article

How can UK online retailers improve conversion?

Conversion has recently been hailed as the most important internet metric of all time. Now that might be blogosphere hyperbole but there’s no denying conversion can be the difference between success and failure for many online retailers.

But what can be done to improve it? For one UK cosmetics retailer it was all about trust.

Salon Skincare, integrated a reviews system and trustmark into its wider customer engagement strategy to strengthen its online reputation and support its Google search rankings.

The retailer’s conversion rates then leaped 10 per cent since introducing the reviews platform earlier this year. Salon Skincare has also received thousands of positive store reviews which aid its growing reputation and gives new customers confidence in its service.

Andrew Porter, CEO at Salon SkinCare, explained: “Consumers are savvy and can tell when reviews are false. Putting a trusted and transparent system in place is vital to our ongoing growth.

“Online retail is incredibly competitive and our reputation means everything. Reassuring our customers that we are trustworthy is paramount.”

Through its Google integration, the reviews system has helped improve Salon Skincare’s search ranking results and contributed to its conversion rate.

Google stars gives consumers an overview of the reviews received by an online store before they enter it. It also helps reduce Pay Per Click (PPC) costs and contributes positively to SEO.

As a result shops see an increase in traffic. Combining reviews with third party accreditation that is visible at the checkout also helps reduces cart abandonment and increases conversion.

The trustmark is prominently displayed next to Salon’s search box to ensure customers are aware of its benefits and have greater peace-of-mind when reading reviews and shopping at the site.

Salon Skincare is a fantastic retailer, but really that’s only half the battle. Communicating a shop’s ongoing dedication to excellence can be just as difficult as achieving it. This is a example of how a trusted reviews system can have a positive impact on the business and improve the bottom line.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Phillip Smith .