Consumer-generated content helps drive online sales

BII

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Consumer-generated content (CGC) is on the rise as e-commerce continues to grow thanks to social media and product review sites.

Shoppers are able to more readily spread the word of their favorite brands and products, and retailers are taking advantage to drive sales, according to a report from BazaarVoice.

• Shoppers that interact with CGC are 97% more likely to convert with a retailer than customers who do not. Brands see a 78% lift in conversion rates when customers interact with CGC.
• Revenue per visitor for retailers increases 106% when customers interact with CGC versus those that do not. For brands, revenue per visitor sees a 75% lift due to CGC.
• Average order value among retailers gets a 10% lift when shoppers interact with CGC. For brands, AOV sees an 8% lift. 

Taking advantage of the high volume of CGC is vital to retailers that want to win over potential shoppers and their trust. US consumers are heavily reliant on online reviews before making both in-store or online purchases, according to a separate report from BazaarVoice cited by Internet Retailer. 

In addition to including shoppers' social media posts in their own campaigns, brands and retailers can reprint positive feedback in brick-and-mortar locations, print advertisements, and other online ad campaigns to help drive sales.

• 54% of US shoppers read online reviews before making an e-commerce purchase.
• 39% of shoppers read online reviews before buying in-store.
• 82% of shoppers read reviews while inside a store immediately before making a purchase.
• The most read reviews are for electronics, with 58% of shoppers performing research before buying anything in this product category in-store.

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