5-star reviews are the lifeblood of e-commerce. Here are our top 7 softwares to help you generate and display as many as possible.
September 26, 2023
A few 5-star reviews make all the difference.
Indeed, 95% of buyers read online reviews before making a purchase (according to PowerReviews).
But what's even more impressive is that a product with 5 reviews is 270% more likely to be purchased than a product with no reviews at all (according to Medill Spiegel Research Center).
So how do you generate as many as possible to increase reassurance and boost conversions?
Via a customer review management software.
But choosing the right one for your brand is never easy.
So to help you, we've broken down 7 of the leading tools on the market, detailing their features, benefits and drawbacks.
Let’s go.
Review management software helps brands collect reviews and testimonials from a multitude of platforms, centralize and manage them, and display them across all marketing touchpoints.
The best of these allow you to generate reviews - be it positive or negative - on platforms such as Amazon, Google, Facebook, Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, Avis Vérifiés, Yelp, and many others.
Efficiency comes first.
Imagine having to manage reviews on a whole host of online platforms.
Review management software offers a consolidated interface, eliminating the need to switch platforms.
It's a centralized hub for comprehensive review oversight.
Then there's automation.
From soliciting feedback to post-interaction follow-up, these software solutions can automate the entire process.
That leaves you more time to concentrate on what matters most: your products and your customers.
And finally, analytics.
These software tools are capable of generating data-driven analyses, giving you an insider's view of customer sentiment.
Identify trends, pinpoint pain points and optimize your approach, all thanks to actionable data.
These platforms come with a range of features designed to simplify review generation.
From functional essentials to advanced tools, here's what you should keep an eye out for:
Your review management platform should be your unified command center.
It should effortlessly gather and organize reviews from different online platforms to save you time and hassle.
Make sure the platform supports a wide range of review sites, such as Google, Tripadvisor, Amazon, Facebook, and many more.
This broad integration capability will maximize your exposure and reach.
Ensure that review request messages and testimonials are customizable.
Automation functions will then send these personalized requests at the right time to optimize response rates.
Timeliness of responses is important.
The platform should provide instant notifications every time a new review is submitted.
This allows you to stay informed and react quickly.
Look for a platform that offers comprehensive analytics and customer sentiment insights.
This will help you identify trends and areas for improvement, and make decisions based on concrete data.
Responding to reviews is key to standing out and being put forward by review platforms.
Choose software that allows you to respond directly to reviews.
What's more, it encourages dialogue with your customers and shows your appreciation for their feedback.
Make sure the platform integrates seamlessly with your existing systems, such as your CRM or e-commerce platforms.
This will guarantee seamless workflows.
Go for software that offers gamification elements (VIP tiers, challenges, leaderboards...) and allows you to offer rewards for each review left.
This adds a touch of fun, helps boost participation and fosters a sense of community.
For ultra-complete software, look for a reputation monitoring function that alerts you to emerging issues.
It lets you take proactive measures to preserve your brand's integrity.
Loyoly is a new-generation customer review generation and management platform.
What sets it apart on the market is that it's one of the only software that allows you to generate reviews and testimonials on so many different platforms (Facebook, Google, Tripadvisor, AppStore...).
Entirely designed for e-commerce brands, it helps them generate authentic feedback to boost their SEO, customer engagement and conversions.
Integrating these review requests into loyalty programs, which Loyoly also offers to create, adds gamification and further motivates customers with personalized rewards.
✅ Besides generating customer reviews, Loyoly also enables you to create other types of UGC to generate even more visibility and credibility, such as testimonials on social media, comments, shares, and so on.
✅ Their interface is ultra-easy to use, both for users and consumers.
✅ It only takes a few minutes to set up the Loyoly platform and integrate its review program on the website.
❌ Loyoly does not yet offer the option of replying to reviews directly from their platform.
NiceJob is a cloud-based reputation management solution for managing reviews, referrals and sales optimization.
Automated processes, robust functionality and a focus on customer engagement make NiceJob a strong contender in the review management software market.
Features such as multi-channel review requests and referral widgets are great tools for increasing participation and customer engagement.
However, its complex pricing and inability to publish video testimonials can be somewhat problematic.
✅ Their user-friendly interface makes it easy to use.
✅ The platform’s customer support is highly regarded.
✅ The system prevents asking the same customer for feedback twice.
❌ Some users may find pricing plans and structures a little complex.
❌ NiceJob's cost can be quite significant for smaller businesses.
❌ The platform does not allow customers to leave video testimonials.
Yotpo is a customer content marketing platform, specialized in facilitating companies' review generation and management efforts.
Thanks to Yotpo's many features, companies can effectively leverage customer feedback to improve their products, overall customer experience and conversion rates.
Its product-specific review requests, image and video integration and partnerships with major players such as Facebook and Google further strengthen its position.
Although the complicated reporting and pricing considerations may give pause for thought, Yotpo's integrated solutions for reviews, loyalty and SMS marketing make it a pretty comprehensive choice on the market.
✅ Yotpo boasts official partnerships with Facebook and Google
✅ Beyond reviews, Yotpo integrates solutions for loyalty programs and SMS marketing.
✅ The option of adding a rewards program increases engagement and participation.
❌ Some users may find reporting system less intuitive, potentially requiring a learning curve to effectively navigate.
❌ Yotpo's pricing could pose a problem for small businesses or those just starting out in e-commerce.
❌ The setup process is considered difficult by some users.
BirdEye is customer review management software, made for companies looking to generate reviews on a large scale.
Its enterprise-level capabilities provide a complete solution for brands looking to enhance their online reputation.
With a wide range of review request channels, customization options and multi-location management capabilities, BirdEye offers scalability and ease of use.
Despite a lack of integration with all social media channels, and prices considered high by reviewers, BirdEye remains a solid choice on the market.
✅ BirdEye offers an easy-to-use interface with minimal learning curve.
✅ The platform simplifies communication with existing and potential customers.
❌ Some users may find that BirdEye could benefit from broader social media integrations.
❌ Compared to other options, BirdEye's pricing might be on the higher side.
Swell is online review management software designed specifically for companies in the medical and dental sectors.
It offers smart, automated solutions for soliciting reviews and boosting customer engagement.
Its automated SMS invitations, integrated response templates and comprehensive analytics dashboard are among its obvious strengths.
Despite its niche specialization and potential API challenges, Swell remains a compelling choice for healthcare companies.
✅ Swell allows businesses to request reviews on a dozen platforms, including Google, Facebook, Tripadvisor.
✅ Users can launch unlimited text marketing campaigns
❌ Swell's features are primarily designed for healthcare businesses.
❌ Some users might encounter hiccups with APIs and integrations.
❌ Their software can only send SMS messages, not emails.
Podium is a versatile reputation management application that offers a wide range of features, from review management to text and video chat with customers as well as credit card payments.
They present themselves as a comprehensive messaging-centric platform designed to improve customer interactions, manage online feedback and foster reputation building.
Although its exclusive SMS reviews feature and niche targeting may be considered, Podium remains a solid option on the market.
✅ A mobile app is available for managing reviews while on the move.
✅ Their intuitive interface ensures seamless navigation and usability.
❌ Podium's review request feature is exclusively based on SMS
❌ Rather designed for smaller automotive, healthcare and service providers, Podium's focus could make it less effective for e-commerce brands.
❌ Some users encounter difficulties in reaching human customer service representatives.
Trustpilot is a customer review management platform that enables online businesses to build their brand reputation.
It offers a range of features designed to boost Google visibility, conversions, sales and overall brand credibility.
Its automated review collection, analytics dashboard and review widget creation contribute to its market success.
While the inability to remove inaccurate reviews and limited widget customization may be considerations, Trustpilot remains a solid choice for medium to large online businesses looking to generate and display customer testimonials.
✅ Trustpilot offers integrations with a range of platforms including Zendesk, Magento, Salesforce, Zapier, Prestashop, Mailchimp, and more.
✅ Free forever pricing provides enough tools for small brands to start generating and managing customer reviews.
❌ Users have reported limitations in the management and deletion of inaccurate or erroneous reviews.
❌ Reviewers also reported a lack of personalization and mobile optimization of the review widget.
UGC & Reviews
Customer reviews have considerable influence and often determine a brand's reputation and success. However, the quest for 5-star reviews has given rise to controversial practices such as review gating. But what is it ? And what are the risks ?
UGC & Reviews
Generating customer reviews is no longer an option. It's a prerequisite for your business' survival, whether on Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yelp or any other platforms. But how do you go about it? When to ask? How to ask? We tell you all about it.
Loyoly is a new generation referral and loyalty program which helps brands turn their community into a growth engine through gamification.
