The numbers back up Comp USA’s customer reviews strategy
81% of surveyed CompUSA Inc. shoppers consider customer ratings and reviews important when they are researching or planning a purchase, according to research findings by a viral marketing firm and web analytics vendor.
“CompUSA offers more than 20,000 products online,” says Al Hurlebaus, senior director of e-commerce. “Customer ratings and reviews are absolutely critical to helping our customers choose the right products from this assortment—and to attracting new shoppers to our site.”
The findings are based on feedback and comments gathered by analytics vendor iPerceptions from more than 2,000 CompUSA online shoppers during the month of August 2006. CompUSA is No. 39 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites.
A recent study by JupiterResearch found that the number of online buyers who cite customer ratings and reviews as the most useful shopping site feature has more than doubled from 2005 to 2006. JupiterResearch also found that online shoppers who find user-generated product ratings and reviews useful are heavier online spenders than average online buyers.
“CompUSA understands that customer ratings and reviews are strategic to their customer acquisition and conversion efforts,” says Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of viral marketing firm Bazaarvoice. “Online word of mouth and user-generated content is gaining more and more momentum, and merchants who consider ratings and reviews to be just a site feature are at risk of missing out on a huge multi-channel marketing opportunity.”
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