Products that receive positive reviews on web shops not only generate more sales, but also end up being returned more often, a study shows. High expectations also lead to an increased customer dissatisfaction.
Ask for negative reviews
If a product outscores another product by a single star, their sales can easily be 10 % higher, but they will also be returned more often, a study from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen’s Alex Minnema shows.
Usually, the product fails to meet the consumer’s expectations and only rarely, an actual problem is the cause for a return shipment. Minnema feels this is mostly the case for products with very positive reviews.
He informs web shops to stimulate their customers to leave negative reviews as well, as to generate a decent representation of the actual product. “Do not only ask consumers to write a review when they are satisfied, but also when they absolutely hated the product”, Minnema said.
