As consumers, we all know that reviews are good for us. When a product has a lot of reviews – good or bad – we have a much clearer idea of what to expect before we purchase. As a subscription box business owner, however, you might feel a little intimidated by the idea of reviews, particularly negative reviews.
But there’s no need to fear: research has shown that negative reviews contribute to a sense of honesty and authenticity behind your brand. (In fact, if a customer sees there are no “bad” reviews, this can make them suspicious and less likely to buy. Who would have guessed?) In other words, reviews matter because honesty matters.
Lucky for you, Cratejoy has just rolled out a brand-new feature that allows reviewers to include photos of your box! This conversion-boosting feature applies to reviews with 4-5 stars, allowing you to show off your box-packing skills and taste in curation. That means more honesty for your brand… which can lead to more subscribers in the future.
By responding well and encouraging reviews with photos, you can minimize any negative effect of reviews and maximize the impression of your box as a reliable (and exciting!) experience.
Why Reviews Matter
Subscription ecommerce has one thing in common with traditional retail: the principle that the customer comes first. And for customers, others’ experience of the product is crucial to their buying decisions.
A review – or photograph, for that matter – is a type of what we call user-generated content, or UGC. Building UGC is key to growing your business. Skeptical? Well, the Spiegel Research Center at Northwestern University determined in 2017 that the likelihood a customer will purchase a product increases 270% once that product has 5 reviews. UGC, in other words, is the digital equivalent of word-of-mouth.
Another recent study found that UGC influences 90% of online shoppers – and a whopping 97% of Millennial shoppers. Whether that UGC is positive or negative, however, has far less of an impact than you might think. All that matters is that reviews are honest –
Convinced? Take a look at Cratejoy’s content guidelines for subscriber reviews.
In short, you’ll miss a huge opportunity if you don’t encourage your subscribers to leave reviews. Doing so shows that your business cares about your customer’s authentic experience – making your business more trustworthy to future subscribers.
A Photo is Worth 1000 Raves
In your personal life as a consumer, it’s likely you already know the benefits of reviews that include a photo. You might have never ordered furniture online without seeing those pieces “in action,” so to speak, in a reviewer’s living room.
Try to keep in mind that your subscribers feel the same way. Seeing an authentic image of someone’s unboxing experience, or products that you’ve chosen to feature in this month’s box, could be the deciding factor for a new subscriber.
After all, any business would covet the opportunity to be featured in an unboxing video on YouTube. Why should unboxing photos be any different?
Read more: Check out our image guidelines for submitting photos with a review.
Here’s an example of a recently submitted review with a photo (see below). Subscribers can include up to 3 photos with their review:
When a visitor to your Marketplace listing clicks on the image thumbnail, the photo expands to its full size:
How to Encourage Reviews with Photos
There are a few different ways you can encourage your subscribers to upload photos with their reviews. Here are some ideas…
- Include a prompt in the subscriber’s box. Packing inserts can be an incredibly effective part of the subscriber’s unboxing experience. (They can even raise your ROI!) Including a CTA for reviews with photos on a well-designed
packing insert could lead to a higher response rate. - Customize your feedback email. In Cratejoy’s merchant dashboard, you can customize your email notifications to send out a request for feedback from every subscriber. This request email is set up by default to go out 7 days after you mark the box as shipped. Under the Settings menu, you can edit the email text to ask for a review with photos.
- Offer a giveaway to subscribers. Everyone loves the chance to win something! Offering subscribers the opportunity to win a prize – for example, a free month – is a sure bet to grow your reviews with photos. Make sure the rules are clear that the subscriber does not need to write a positive review, just an honest one.
Tip: If you go with the third option, be sure to check the rules of your state to confirm you’re not unintentionally running a lottery! Read about the differences between contests, sweepstakes, and lotteries at our breakdown.
So what are you waiting for? Start collecting those photos!
