April 22 2008
88% of UK Customer Reviews are Positive
I don’t bloody believe it. Analysis of Bazaarvoice client ratings and reviews shows we’re less like Victor Meldrew and more like Cliff Richard
If you thought that we were a nation of complaining miserablists like Victor Meldrew and Hyacinth Bucket then think again. In fact we’re a bunch of happy shoppers who are more likely to praise retailers and their products rather than bemoan the poor quality of our purchases.
The survey by Bazaarvoice has found that online reviews written by UK consumers tend to be extremely positive, mirroring a trend seen in the US over the past three years.
Figures show that over four fifths - 88% - of all reviews written by UK consumers were rated as positive – given four or five stars out of five. This compares to 81% of all US reviews classed as positive.
Bazaarvoice analysed 34,691 customer reviews across ten retail categories and 12 UK clients’ sites – including Timberland, QVC, Early Learning Centre and Goldsmiths – which feature the flagship Ratings & Reviews platform.
The analysis also showed that UK reviewers were more engaged in writing reviews than their US counterparts. Compared to US reviewers, 80% more UK reviewers have written six or more online reviews. Supported by research on US shoppers conducted by The KellerFay Group, reviewers are proactively airing their views about products to aid the shopping decisions of others. This latest data suggests that social commerce applications and other efforts to connect with brand loyalists in the UK have an equal or greater chance of success than they do in the US; an early adopter of customer generated content.
Another recent study, conducted by Bazaarvoice and Jupiter Research, found that trusting fellow buyers’ comments in the online shopping process was rated highest - 70% of online users said they found ratings and reviews the most helpful feature when researching products.
“These studies reflect the fact that UK consumers are highly positive and engaged online reviewers when provided with the opportunity to air their views,” said Sam Decker, Chief Marketing Officer at Bazaarvoice. “UK retailers who capitalize on consumers’ adoption of and demand for these capabilities are seeing measurable benefits. As we’ve seen in the US, social technologies like ratings and reviews are becoming a competitive “must have” for online retailers who want customers to make a purchase decision on their site.”
