Buyer feedback, whether it's on a marketplace platform like Madeit, or an independent review site, is a type of social proof. Wikepedia defines Social Proof as "a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation."
In terms of buyer feedback, this means that potential customers are more likely to purchase from you if they can see that others have purchased from you and had a good experience doing so.
According to Invesp 72% of consumers won't take action without first reading a positive review and nearly 90% of online buyers put as much trust in reviews as they do in personal recommendations. So positive reviews can clearly be the deciding factor in convincing customers to purchase from you.
Under the same Social Proof principal of "assum(ing) the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior", existing positive feedback can encourage those who do buy from you to also leave positive feedback.
The more positive feedback you have, the easier it is to attract further positive feedback, and even more customers. This does mean you will most likely need to work harder to secure your first handful of glowing reviews but investing that effort earlier will make the process easier over time.
Encouraging more feedback for your Madeit store
Obviously, one of the great ways to attract positive feedback is to blow your customers away with an incredible buying experience. I'm going to assume you're already trying to do that, so from a more practical standpoint, following are some of the strategies and tools you can use to encourage your Madeit buyers to leave feedback.
1. Include estimated delivery timeframes in your postage settings
When you include an estimated delivery timeframe in your listing postage and handling details, we will automatically email your customers when their order is due to arrive, and request that they leave you some feedback.
This provides a timely reminder for customers on the importance of feedback, reminds them where to go to leave feedback, and does it all while the amazing handmade buying experience is still fresh in their minds.
If you're hesitant to provide estimated delivery timeframes for fear that your customers will be upset by postage delays that are out of your control, consider that it is very difficult to keep customers happy if you don't set their expectations early, and if you don't publish estimated postage timeframes on your product pages, many customers will either guess how long they think it should take, or not complete the purchase.
If you are letting customers decide when your products should be delivered, you are risking their disappointment anyway, so I would argue that over-estimating is better than saying nothing.
You can also add comments to your product descriptions and store policies and store announcement to reinforce that postage times are estimates based on your postal service's recommended delivery times. Additionally, you can also notify customers of any potential delays, and remind them that delivery timeframes are based on your postage provider's estimates when they checkout by adding a message for customers in your Postage Settings, and when you mark the customer's order as posted.
2. Mark orders as posted
When you mark an order as posted, your customer receives an automatic email to advise them that their order is on their way (keeping them informed of their order progress) and it also serves as the trigger to start the countdown on their estimated delivery timeframe, so the system knows when their order is due to arrive.
This ensures the timeliness of the feedback request email. This also provides you an opportunity to provide tracking information to your customer (you will be prompted for postage and tracking details which will be provided to your customer) and an opportunity to leave a personal message thanking them for their purchase, advising of any potential postage delays, and asking that they leave you some feedback when their order arrives.
This step helps you manage customer expectations, keep them informed, and remind them that you are as excited about receiving their glowing review as they are about receiving your awesome creation.
3. Include feedback requests with orders as part of your packaging
You can also make feedback reminders a part of your product packaging to provide yet another timely reminder for customers that you would love to hear about their experience and remind them where & how to leave feedback. This can be in the form of a hand-written note, a branded postcard with info about your brand, your product, and your undying love for positive feedback, or it could be as simple as a feedback reminder on the sticker that seals your package.
4. Contact customers directly to request feedback
If you still don't receive feedback, from a customer, you can also contact them directly to request it. The best way to approach this message without seeming too needy or annoying, is to:
- thank them again for their purchase and gently ask if they received and were happy with their purchase or if there's anything you can do to assist.
- And remind them where they can go to leave feedback.
Spread the Good Vibes: Getting more mileage from positive feedback
When you do get great customer feedback, don't just wait for customers to go looking for it. Shout it from the rooftops and let other potential buyers know that people have nice things to say about your brand, and that you appreciate their reviews.
Here are some ways you can get more mileage from your hard-earned feedback.
- Take a snapshot of a great testimonial and add it to a spare product image space in relevant listings. This can be feedback from your Madeit store, or from other platforms, review sites, or anywhere else you've attained some great customer feedback.
- Share quotes from positive reviews in your product descriptions
- Take screenshots or create pretty posts in a graphics program like Canva to display your positive feedback across your social media channels (in your social feeds, stories, and more.
Dealing with negative feedback
The best way to deal with negative feedback is to prevent it from occurring in the first place, by doing everything possible to meet - or better, exceed - your customer's expectations.
In part, that is about providing a great product, and great service, but equally as important is managing customer expectations. You do this through, plenty of clear product images, detailed product descriptions and titles, plenty of information about you and your process across your Madeit store and the rest of your online presence and clear, consistent communication throughout the buying process.
If things aren't going to plan, let customers know before they have to ask questions or get concerned.
Sometimes though, despite your best efforts, things can go wrong, misunderstandings can happen, and you may not always keep everyone happy, so if you do happen to find yourself with negative feedback, what should you do?
Will Madeit remove negative feedback?
Generally, no. If a customer breeches our community terms and conditions by being abusive, we may amend or hide their feedback comments, but we won't delete reviews without authorisation from the person who left them.
While it can be incredibly disheartening to receive negative feedback and we instinctively want it hidden from potential customers, research shows that 27% of consumers only rely on reviews if they believe them to be authentic.
When marketplaces remove, hide or otherwise censor negative reviews in their official feedback systems, they undermine the trust of end customers, not only in the feedback presented, but in the platform as a whole. If you receive negative feedback, the best first step is to contact your customer directly to try to resolve the matter.
If you can reach a resolution, you can ask your customer to amend their feedback. Research shows that if it is done well, your response can reduce the impact of negative reviews.
Whether replying directly to the customer, or writing a public reply to negative feedback, you should;
- Acknowledge their concerns
- Apologise - even if you don't agree with them you can just say sorry that the product / service wasn't in line with their expectations. You're not saying that your products and service aren't of a high standard, but you're also not dismissing their disappointment.
- Explain - if you need to explain your side of the story, do so briefly, and if you can find any way that you can improve to avoid a recurrence, let them know what actions you'll take. eg. Can you improve product photos or descriptions to directly address their area of concern for the future, or can you add product options, or add more information to your store policies to avoid mis-understandings? If so, tell them, and then follow through with those changes.
- Offer a solution and a way for them to reach out to you to have their concerns dealt with.
When replying to negative feedback, you should not;
- give an emotional response
- lay blame on the customer or other parties
- dismiss the customer's concerns
It can be hard not to take feedback personally, and to respond without letting your emotions get the better of you, so I strongly recommend that you take some time to craft your response if you're feeling upset.
Try to keep your feelings out of it, but write as if you're a real person rather than a corporation. Keep your response professional, and your tone personal. Even if your response doesn't convert the current customer to a happy one, it can turn negative feedback into a positive for your brand.
Potential customers can tell if a reviewer is being unreasonable, and your response should give them confidence that you'll handle things professionally if things don't go according to plan.
Learning from all customer feedback
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, one of the best things you can do to ensure customer feedback - both good and bad - benefits your business, is to learn from the feedback you receive.
Let the positive comments guide you on what to keep doing, or areas to focus more energy, and try to find improvement opportunities in the negative comments if you receive them. Even when we're doing our best, none of us are perfect, but what sets the great brands apart from the rest is a willingness to listen, to self-assess, and to constantly strive to be better.
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