Reviews.io is a review collection and management tool that helps companies grow their online reputation with genuine reviews from their customers.
They make it simple for customers to review your business and being Google-licensed adds an extra layer of trust.
1. What’s your name and title, what do you do day-to-day in 20 words or fewer?
Giles Eida – Global VP of Partnerships
Supports the global partnership team at Reviews.io , based in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and the USA.
Partnerships are based on transparency and support, so it’s imperative to ensure all parties are aligned with the same ambitions and goals, and that we continue to innovate for the benefit of our shared clients.
2. At Reviews.io you help engage customers and convert them into loyal returners. Can you give us a success story for a D2C brand you’ve worked with. E.g What was the problem? What did you do? What were the results?
Brighton Beard Co. Scaled up its UGC Strategy with the switch to Reviews.io:
The Problem:
For eCommerce personal care brands, social proof is crucial to assure customers of the quality and style of their products. Lloyd and Jessica, founders of The Brighton Beard Co. in 2013, recognised the importance of authentic reviews and UGC. However, after years of using their chosen provider, the ROI was inadequate and their marketing budget was affected. Seeking a new solution, they required an alternative that could still accommodate their existing social proof.
The Strategy:
Lloyd chose REVIEWS.io after comparing major review platforms. We offered affordable rolling monthly plans, customisable features, a secure import process, and dedicated tools for social proof and UGC. He was especially impressed with our exceptional customer service.
To ensure a smooth transition, a well-managed import process and successful migration of existing reviews were crucial for setting up a new provider. REVIEWS.io offers a robust import process for a secure transition, as well as customisable widgets for social proof. The Brighton Beard Co. successfully implemented these widgets, sharing review content in multiple ways, including customer photos for added authenticity. The brand plans to use REVIEWS.io features like review attributes and shoppable UGC to maximise its solution and generate more review content, including video reviews. If you’re a Yotpo customer looking for a more flexible and cost-effective solution, check out REVIEWS.io’s comparison page.
3. You specialise in reviews – what piece of advice would you give to DTC brands who want to grow through customer trust and advocacy?
For Reviews.io, the friendly review platform, our advice to ensure growth through trust and advocacy is to encourage and incentivise customers to leave reviews on their website.
Incentivise review collection through rewarding with the Influence.io loyalty program. Combining reviews and loyalty is an incredible way to take your marketing strategy to the next level.
Leveraging user-generated content, such as customer photos and video review content, can also be a powerful way to showcase the authenticity and quality of a brand’s products or services in a visually engaging way.
Also, responding to reviews is crucial to allow their brand to grow through showcasing authentic review content. From our ‘State of Reviews 2023’ survey, we discovered that customers are more likely to read negative reviews than 5-star ones. Therefore, responding to these negative reviews proactively is imperative to build trust.
4. What do you think the biggest challenges facing eCommerce/D2C businesses will be over the next 12-18 months?
One of the biggest challenges is the need to focus more on customer retention due to the recent economic downturn. To combat this, businesses are increasingly turning to loyalty programs such as Influence.io, a REVIEWS.io company, as a solution to keep their existing customers engaged and loyal.
Another challenge that businesses will face is the changing landscape of data collection. With the removal of third-party cookies, businesses will need to find new ways to collect customer data. This means they will need to rely more on first-party data collection methods, such as REVIEWS.io tools like Surveys or Session Replays & Analytics tools, to gain insights into customers’ preferences and behaviours.
Overall, businesses will need to be adaptable and innovative to overcome these challenges successfully. By prioritising customer retention and finding new ways to collect and use data, businesses can maintain their competitive edge and stay connected with their customers.
5. Complete this sentence – DTC brands that survive and thrive in 2023 will …
DTC brands that survive and thrive in 2023 will likely have a strong focus on customer feedback and review collection. By actively seeking out and responding to customer reviews and feedback, successful DTC brands will be able to improve their products, services, and overall customer experience. They will also prioritise transparency and authenticity in their review collection efforts, using our reputation manager tool to distribute review invites to third-party platforms and tools to ensure that reviews are consistent to promote trust signals further.
In addition to collecting reviews, successful DTC brands will also use customer feedback to inform their product development and marketing strategies. They will regularly analyse and review data to identify trends and insights, and use these insights to make data-driven decisions that improve their offerings and drive customer loyalty. Finally, they will be responsive and proactive in addressing negative reviews, using them as an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and continuously improve their products and services.
6. Name three D2C brands that are killing it and whom you recommend others to emulate/learn from.
Koh – Email conversion increase, case study here.
Obvi – Using both Influence.io and Reviews.io – they’re a great example of how to combine reviews and loyalty as a marketing strategy.
Nudea – Use review attributes to help their customers make better-informed purchase decisions, case study here.