Mastering Social Proof: Amazon's Blueprint for E-commerce Dominance
Step-by-step guide on how to create social proof in the online world demonstrated through the case study of the e-commerce, Amazon.
Analyzing existing companies or their individual solutions is something I enjoy much more than any other type of writing. Therefore, I decided to dive into it again.
It started innocently again after I saw how few entities either give little priority to acquiring and displaying social proof in their e-commerce businesses or do not know how to do it properly. So, I focused on someone who does it more than right and decided to do a 'short' analysis.
It ended up classically - I discovered Amazon, analyzed it, and it turned into an case study spanning dozens of pages.
What this analysis will cover
Content:
The Development of Social Behavior and the Principles on Which It Is Based
How to Create Strong Social Proof
Try to use the "Honest Signals" technique
How Amazon Utilizes Social Proof
First appearance in search
Social Proof Architecture on the Product Page
Introduction and first product display
Reviews by known authorities
Product information and details
Social Proof Architecture in Amazon
How to Effectively Manage Negative Reviews
Conclusion
In today's case study, we will focus on recommendations, reviews, and ratings, which I will also refer to as social proof of products and services. We will discuss their purpose, their added value and importance, and of course, we will demonstrate their creation and remind ourselves of all the important points that we must not forget.
At the beginning, I will show common recommendations and then I will demonstrate the architecture of recommendations and ratings made by one of the largest companies in the world, which is a leader in e-commerce, and that is none other than Amazon.
I chose Amazon because, with this example, I can nicely demonstrate the individual principles that e-shops should follow when creating social proof or reviews.
We will also show how other very well-known companies like Airbnb, Alza, or Google do it. Creating social proof is extremely important, especially in areas such as:
Enhancing the company's reputation. When you have positive reviews, it proves that you are a well-established company that is honest and listens to its customers. User ratings on the website help buyers build legitimacy, thereby improving your company's reputation.
Leveraging your position in search engines. Google and other search tools use off-site indicators to determine the relevance, trustworthiness, and reliability of your company. Companies can use reviews as one of the most consistent methods to improve these indicators.
A few numbers to start with
To understand the importance of these recommendations, I bring you several very interesting data points, based on which I also want to highlight the importance of evaluations, or of this analysis as such.
In a survey of 5,003 consumers, 84% of respondents said that online reviews and feedback from other people helped influence their purchasing decisions.
63% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a site that has user reviews and ratings.
Visitors to a site who interact with consumer reviews and questions are 105% more likely to purchase during their site visit and spend 11%+ more money than visitors who do not come into contact with consumer reviews/questions.
Consumer reviews are significantly more trusted (nearly 12 times more) than descriptions and specifications directly from manufacturers or sellers
The Development of Social Behavior and Principles It Is Based On
The way of presenting social proof is constantly evolving and improving. The only thing that does not change is the so-called "eternal" behavioral principles or cognitive biases on which it is built, which we will describe and explain. The essential cognitive bias is called social proof.
Social proof – This is an automatic tendency in which people think and behave as others around them do. If people are unsure of what to do or are looking for recognition or acceptance from their surroundings, they simply follow the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. This can lead people to make unconsidered steps and erroneous decisions, which can have huge and irreversible consequences.
We are set up to make a huge number of decisions in our lives based solely on the behavior of other people. The effect is so strong that even when we are surrounded by a small group of people insisting that blue is green, we start to question our own reality.
There are many research studies, videos, evolutionary, or biological explanations for why this is so, but that is not important at the moment. What is important for us is to understand what is actually happening here and the power it has.
Remember - strategies or techniques for using principles change over time, some may stop working, but the principle itself will work forever.
What do I mean by this?
Let's take an example.
Advertisements like "9 out of 10 dentists recommend" were once common, and unfortunately, we still encounter them, especially in the media. You might be chuckling to yourself now, because today few would believe it, but it once worked. It is based on the same principles as today's online reviews, and it is amazing to watch how social proof forms and spreads across different cultures.
How to Create Strong Social Proof
Certainly, on many websites (almost every single one), you might have seen recommendations of this type:
Here again, I reiterate - this is a very classic way to increase credibility. Usually, it works such that on a website or social network, there is a statement by a well-known person who has used the product, service, or at least participated in something related.
This type of social proof is also becoming quite commonplace.
For example, in the right photo, you see a recommendation from Michal Pastier, the creative director at Darwin & The Machines. Besides the fact that this communications agency is among the top firms in the field of advertising, Michal is a very recognized and publicly known person in marketing and brand building. Therefore, such a person very effectively stimulates three behavioral insights, which we will remember (authority bias, halo effect, and messenger effect).
Authority-Misinfluence Tendency – It is a tendency to give more weight to the opinion of an authority and to be more influenced by this opinion. People typically have a deep-seated duty to authorities and usually comply with their requests.
Halo effect – The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area. The existence of the so-called halo effect has long been recognized. It is a phenomenon where we assume that because people are good at A, they will also be good at B, C, and D (or vice versa).
Don’t shoot the messenger – We are strongly influenced by the person who communicates the information to us.
However, this has one major drawback, which e-shops should try to address and which needs to be considered when using the principle of social proof.
Using the 'Honest Signals' Technique
References are crucial because they serve as a powerful tool of social proof. However, for their full relevance, they should include the condition of so-called "Honest Signals."
An honest signal is essentially a signal that is very difficult to fake or that immediately communicates credibility, or in other words - the trustworthiness of the source. For example, if a person who is overweight comes to you offering to be your personal trainer, it may raise doubts about his training abilities.
Or if a person offering various nutritional supplements also appears to be ill, it might inspire more skepticism than interest in buying.
This mechanism is ingrained in us and acts as a certain protection when we lack sufficient information.
Therefore, recommendations often include photographs of people, the names of companies they work for, or their job titles. The goal is to strengthen credibility and show that the recommendation comes from a real person with relevant experience. Evidence of credibility, such as photographs, company names, and job titles, helps distinguish authentic recommendations from fake ones.
There is another option - as Amazon has demonstrated - by adding a "Verified purchaser" label to people. This label immediately increases credibility and essentially gives the right to comment because we know that the product is real and is likely not a fake or, in other words, a "troll" or "fake."
In my original design of the Academy of Irrationality, I tried to emphasize the authenticity of recommendations by adding "honest signals." Instead of text (which is aesthetically pleasing), I displayed screenshots directly from emails or messages in the recommendation box:
Currently, this approach has become common practice in many companies.
For this reason, independent review sites like Trustpilot, Capterra, or even Glassdoor, where former employees anonymously rate companies, have become popular. The likelihood of fake reviews on this platform is low.
Example from Trustpilot:
That would be all for the introduction. Let's now discuss how Amazon applies the principles of social proof in the context of the customer journey.
How Amazon Utilizes Social Proof
I decided to approach this from the customer's perspective, simulating the customer journey of purchasing an actual product.
The product is the book Predictably Irrational, which offers valuable insights into the workings of the human mind and decision-making. The author, Dan Ariely, is considered one of the leading figures in behavioral economics. This book is among the most significant works in this field and can help you better understand the motivation and decision-making of people. If you haven't read it, you have my recommendation.
So:
1. First Search Result Display: When searching for books on behavioral economics or decision-making, Amazon often shows Predictably Irrational as a top result, not only because of its popularity and relevance but also due to its high rating and number of reviews. This is the first level of social proof, showcasing that the product is well-received.
2. Product Page Architecture: On the product page, Amazon uses several layers of social proof:
Customer Reviews: These are prominently displayed, and high ratings are highlighted near the book's title. Positive reviews from verified purchasers add authenticity and trust.
“Best Seller” Tags: If applicable, labels like "Best Seller" or "Amazon's Choice" signal to potential buyers that the item is popular among consumers.
Q&A Section: Amazon includes a section where potential buyers can see questions from other customers and the answers provided, which often include feedback and additional endorsements from users.
3. Use of Personal Testimonials: Occasionally, personal testimonials from high-profile individuals or experts in the field are featured on the product page. These can significantly influence potential buyers by leveraging the authority bias.
4. Cross-Promotion of Related Products: Amazon suggests related products based on what other customers viewed or bought after looking at Predictably Irrational. This not only increases the likelihood of additional purchases but also reinforces the idea that people who bought this book also found these other products valuable, further utilizing social proof.
Amazon employs many behavioral interventions designed to encourage purchases or increase their frequency. However, now we focus mainly on social proof.
The other interventions and behavioral principles I have detailed in the case study of the online store Alza, should you be interested in learning more.
Now, let's continue looking at how Amazon applies these strategies.
First Display After Searching
After you click search, you are taken to this page.
I have marked all the areas where the product rating appears. The dashed lines indicate ratings that are relevant but do not directly relate to our specific purchase.
Filtering Using Ratings
The right sidebar is used for filtered searching, where simple clicks better define the product you are looking for. In our case, it is clear since we know what we are looking for. The only thing I would point out is the search by the number of stars, i.e., by the rating of the given product.
This method differs slightly from usual searches such as low/high price, category, and the like. In fact, it is so important that Amazon has placed it as the second option in filtering, right behind the section in which the book is located.
As far as I know, Amazon was one of the first to have such an option, and the way it has done it is very user-friendly.
With these things, you have to keep in mind that not a single line in Amazon is random; everything is tested and verified with hard data. When something gains second place, it must be very significant.
Product Rating
Of course, the rating must also be present for each individual product. Given that there are many other products in the basic search on the page, the rating must be very simple and clear. It must work with the automatic in our brain, which we also call System 1.
Here we see a graphical display of the rating from 1 to 5 using stars, and of course, the number of people who have rated this product must not be missing. This number adds significant credibility to the given stars.
Architecture of Social Proof on the Product Page
Introduction and First Display of the Product
Even below the title and author's name, we have the same rating as I mentioned in the previous section. It is there also to maintain consistency from the perspective of the user interface (UI).
Notice that this book has several types of bindings, such as hardcover, paperback, or audiobook. Currently, this is not important, nor will I discuss it further, but the reason I point this out will make sense later.
Reviews from well-known authorities
As soon as we scroll down, the first section we see is the editorial reviews.
These are reviews either from well-known people or companies. It serves the same purpose as reviews on product packaging.
As is usually the case, every book typically has comments from well-known people or companies, who evaluate the book in a very positive light or give their endorsement. This simple method is used to increase the credibility of the book and highlight its qualities.
This might have been a very good strategy at one time, but in today's world, it is considered either a given or it is starting to become irrelevant. Just like recommendations from 9 out of 10 dentists are currently irrelevant.
This type of social proof ideally utilizes those three behavioral insights we mentioned, such as influence by authority, halo effect, and messenger effect.
Since ancient times, we have followed leaders and society has always been organized into hierarchies. This is innate from evolution because in the past, leaders (chiefs, kings, leaders, etc.) were usually the most educated or the strongest people. Listening to leaders meant survival because they could protect you. Conversely, disobedience to a leader could lead to exclusion from society and thus to death - similar to being fired in the modern world and damaging one's reputation.
This is one of the reasons why especially very well-known individuals or companies in a given field provide public statements and recommendations. This bias is best combined with the halo effect.
The halo effect, briefly stated, refers to the tendency of a subconscious belief that personalities like celebrities or successful businesspeople are not only successful or attractive but also better, smarter, more popular, more confident, and more talented in everything.
This is because our brain is set to save energy and cognitive effort. Analyzing the credibility of these individuals and their statements in that particular context would cost us too many cognitive resources. Therefore, in general, we trust people and learn the most from others. We don't always have the time, so we believe that what they say must be true. This is also why we punish betrayal so harshly and radically.
If we wanted to objectively assess the accuracy of a statement or at least come close to objectivity, we would need to study the book and the person's education, create an evaluation system, compare their state before reading the book and after, etc. Simply put, it would be too demanding, and we would not be able to function in our everyday lives.
These two things directly create what's called the messenger effect. This means that we are often influenced by the person delivering the message, and not directly by the content of the message. Several studies have been conducted on this topic. One study that personally interested me involved taking neutral statements issued by the European Central Bank and reading them to people in two groups. One group was introduced to the statement as an assessment of the state of the European Union by Barack Obama, and the other group as a statement by Donald Trump. Opinions on this same statement dramatically differed in both groups. For example, the group that believed the statement came from Obama found it diplomatic, while the group that believed it came from Trump found it aggressive.
I personally have never read these reviews from authorities and do not plan to, but I understand that they are an important foundation that simply must be there.
My advice: If you still do not have enough reviews concerning the product or the site itself, try to start obtaining them from external sources. You can pay a trusted or independent person, or offer the platform all the data, according to which it can assess the product. Alternatively, if you are selling a product that is also available elsewhere, you can find reviews on other sites and use them.
See how well Alza, one of the largest e-commerce companies in CEE, understands this.
Alza's e-shop intended for the United Kingdom looked almost the same, except for a few details, which, however, make a fundamental difference.
This is what you will see when you visit the Alza page in Slovakia:
And this is how you will see the Alza page in the UK:
(source: Alza.sk; Alza.co.uk)
As you may notice, Alza in the UK has integrated reviews through a third-party provider of independent reviews, which has a strong reputation in the UK.
Why do they have this? Alza in Slovakia and the Czech Republic is at the top and is generally well-known, which allows it to focus on presenting individual benefits/products that are important for that country and does not need to increase its credibility.
Since Alza is not yet well-known in Britain, it needs to do everything possible to increase its credibility and trustworthiness. Because many people do not know it there, this is considered one of the most essential things for that country.
Immediately to the right, there is a rating from a third party in the Verified Reviews section, which focuses on objective reviews of websites and companies. It is likely that Alza paid this provider to develop such an evaluation for them:
Why am I discussing this?
I have not yet seen such a step, such localization, in most e-shops or companies. When they enter a new market or a new country, their sites usually look almost the same, just with minor adjustments. In this case, we see that Alza's priority so far is not just presenting products or pushing sales, but rather gaining credibility.
They are also doing it in another very interesting way, directly through displaying ratings from people and rating portals.
This is Alza's advertisement on the sidebar in Slovakia (It says “Night delivery in Bratislava”:
And this is the advertisement in the UK:
In Slovakia, it is a night dispensary in Bratislava, in Britain, it is marked as the most reliable e-shop.
I really like how communication in individual markets is based on the priorities they are trying to achieve in that country or to which people respond best.
The integration of third-party reviews is nothing new, and more and more websites are using it.
For example, this is how Google handles movie ratings:
Above you see ratings that are directly pulled from reputable portals focused on film ratings. Below, Google also has its own rating. However, the informative value of this rating is very weak, because all you have to do is give a thumbs up or down. That really doesn't tell you much. Google realizes this, and therefore it is placed at the very bottom.
However, the principle here is nice: if you don't have ratings, get them from third-party sources.
Product Information and Details
As we go further down to the next section, we see the basic things that are necessary, such as information and details about the product or author. I won't dwell much on this, but I would like to draw attention to what is in the red frame: Space for a video.
As I mentioned at the beginning, video reviews are also a very good tool and address the effect called "Visual depiction."
The visual depiction effect describes the way consumers find something more attractive when they can imagine using it. Presenting the product in a way that facilitates this effect increases the likelihood that someone will buy it.
This is why, for example, ASOS has started to add product videos to the product section extensively:
It's not easy to execute, and if the video is not done very well, it can quickly turn against you. However, it is one of those interventions where the rule is: high risk, high reward.
Are you ready for one of the best and most detailed review architectures on the market?
Let's go for it.
Social Proof Architecture in Amazon
We've finally reached the reason I started writing this entire study. The section is too extensive and complex to summarize briefly. Therefore, I will try to divide it into several parts, each of which I will discuss in detail. Here is the entire section divided into several parts in all its glory, and we will examine each in detail:
a) Detailed Structured Breakdown of Ratings
Customer Ratings
The title is basic, simple, and a crucial element. It must immediately and precisely target and explain the section. From behavioral economics, we know that titles can slightly influence human behavior. This title simply tells us that these are CUSTOMER reviews.
One of my somewhat bold ideas is to start adding a title that summarizes or addresses customer ratings in one sentence using artificial intelligence or advanced algorithms.
Visual Representation of Rating Through Stars
A simple summarized display of ratings through both graphical and numerical expression is crucial. However, I have a nice example of how Airbnb recently changed the style of displaying similar ratings in their A/B testing.
Here’s how it was on their site:
Displayed change before and after:
(Source: https://goodui.org/leaks/airbnb-discovers-a-better-way-to-display-customer-ratings-in-this-a-b-test/)
I quote from the source:
"In the control (A) version, we see that Airbnb used a full set of 5 stars to denote the average rating. Looking at older snapshots of other property pages, we can also say that these 5 stars visually denoted the average amount using a combination of darker green stars and lighter grey ones. In contrast, variation B uses a numerical representation to display averages with one or two decimal places - and this version was used.
Why might decimal places be better? One of the simplest explanations I could think of why actual numbers might be better is that they facilitate comparing reviews that have similar ratings (especially if these averages are close to each other - for example: 4.62 and 4.87).
A second potential reason is that high ratings look too perfect. For example, looking at the screenshot above, version A shows what looks like a perfect 5/5 star, whereas the average rating is 4.92. This numerical average can be considered more authentic."
I don’t need to comment much here, because there’s complete truth here, and I agree with this possible explanation. I couldn’t have written it better myself. I assume that Amazon would do something similar, especially on the first page of product searches.
Alza did something similar:
Customer Rating in Numbers
For this, I don’t need to dwell too much, numbers need to be shown wherever possible.
Distribution of Ratings
As I've emphasized several times, the more detailed the breakdown, the higher quality the insight obtained. This allows for a better understanding of the composition of the ratings. It works optimally when this analysis is always supported by specific numbers, which we will see in the next paragraph.
Percentage Distribution of Ratings
This is a very nice example of how to show ratings in detail. Various analyses can then be made from them. Alza did something similar, but it provided absolute numbers, while Amazon used a percentage distribution, which I think is stronger and certainly works better in the case where a product does not have enough ratings:
So, it is also a safer path.
In this case, I would lean towards Amazon’s interventions. But not entirely. The ideal solution would be to combine these two methods.
If we show percentages, we can have a better overview of the ratio of individual ratings (or stars). Because for us, it is very challenging to imagine or derive this ratio from absolute numbers. For this reason, percentages also give us a better option for analyzing individual ratings. But it has another view.
In my opinion, Alza is trying to utilize what’s called Ratio bias, which states that people find it harder to handle ratios or proportions than absolute numbers or comparisons (Burson et al., 2009). Thus, absolute numbers better influence the customer and improve the customer experience. This is because our experiential system - unlike our rational system - encodes information as specific displays and absolute numbers are more specific than ratios or percentages (Kirkpatrick & Epstein, 1992).
It’s worth noting that this only applies if the absolute number is large. With small numbers, this assertion has the opposite effect.
What is considered a large number? That is relative and depends on many factors, such as the type of product or rating.
Therefore, I would definitely suggest a way to combine both interventions - show absolute numbers and then display percentages.
b) Distribution of Ratings by Groups and Interests
Dividing the product rating into groups is not a very common strategy.
On the contrary, this is something challenging but can have a great effect. For example, here is the categorization of a book in one of the most popular bookstores, Martinus.
Here we see all the subcategories in which the book is classified:
As we can see, this differs somewhat from what the content of the book is about or who it might interest. Even though it is from a marketing perspective, it is useful for people interested in psychoanalysis or even economics. Here, one of the basic principles of persuasion called Likeability is utilized.
Likeability: We tend to naturally prefer people, companies, products that we like or with whom we feel similar in many respects to an irrational extent.
What does this mean? The more different categories you provide, the more likely you are to appeal to more people. If a person sees themselves in several different categories, it strengthens their conviction about the book and increases the likelihood that they will buy it. However, if there are too many categories, people may feel that it is meant for everyone and therefore for no one.
P.S.- Look at how Amazon
b) Distribution of Ratings by Groups and Interests
Dividing product ratings into groups is not a very common strategy.
On the contrary, this is something challenging but can have a great effect. For example, here is the categorization of a book in one of the most popular bookstores, Martinus.
Here we see all the subcategories in which the book is classified:
As we can see, this differs somewhat from the content of the book or who it might interest. Even though it is from a marketing perspective, it is useful for people interested in psychoanalysis or even economics. Here, one of the basic principles of persuasion, called "Likeability," is utilized.
Likeability: We tend to naturally prefer people, companies, products that we like or with whom we feel similar in many respects to an irrational extent.
What does this mean? The more different categories you provide, the greater the likelihood that you will appeal to more people. If a person sees themselves in several different categories, it strengthens their conviction about the book and increases the likelihood that they will buy it. However, if there are too many categories, people may feel that it is meant for everyone and therefore for no one.
P.S.- Look at how Amazon simply asks whether each complex or new intervention is helpful. This helps them determine how relevant the change is.
c) Writing a Review
This section is for sharing reviews from users.
I would just like to draw attention to the first part of the second sentence, "Share your thoughts."
What is Amazon trying to achieve with this?
In this case, I believe Amazon is trying to mitigate what is known as "perceived effort."
Perceived Effort – Perceived effort ≠ actual effort. The effort that people have to exert, and what they think they need to exert, can differ.
The customer or consumer must feel that performing the requested behavior is easy.
Because if it were only "write a review for this product," it sounds more strenuous. Firstly, we need to think about the review, and secondly, the customer might subconsciously feel they lack the expertise to write reviews. If it says "share your thoughts" instead, suddenly it sounds like a casual thing.
After all, everyone has thoughts or opinions, and everyone likes to share them, right?
Then there's also "with other customers," suggesting that our thoughts could inspire others. It doesn't say "Rate the product, we would really appreciate it." This way, it seems like Amazon is primarily thinking of others, which is quite selfless.
d) Photos as Part of Reviews
Fotografie sú výborným spôsobom, ako posilniť dôveryhodnosť sociálneho schválenia, takže by nemali chýbať ani tu. Myslím si, že Amazon ich ako jeden z prvých e-shopov aplikoval už v minulosti. Nemusím zachádzať do detailov, len by som chcel upozorniť na prvú fotografiu, ktorú Amazon umiestnil na vrch. Je to otvorená kniha s pokrčenou stranou. Zaujímavá náhoda, čo poviete?
Je známe, že ľudia často reagujú viac na negatívne správy, a hnev je emócia, ktorá podnecuje zdieľanie príbehov na sociálnych sieťach a zvyšuje klikateľnosť.
„Zhodou náhod“ je prvá fotka pokrčenej knihy, čo automaticky vzbudzuje dojem, že niečo nie je v poriadku a podvedome núti človeka kliknúť „aby zistil viac“. Tento prvotný dojem môže človeka poháňať k zvýšeniu záujmu, pretože si uvedomuje, že podobná situácia sa môže stať aj jemu. Je to naozaj zaujímavé rozhodnutie.
Neskôr sa dozvieme, že jednému pánovi prišla pokrčená len 1 strana. Avšak to nie je nič zásadné a zákazník si uvedomí, že pravdepodobnosť, že sa mu to stane, je veľmi malá. Aj keby sa tak stalo, nie je to nič, čo by ovplyvnilo významne jeho rozhodnutie.
Ale svoj účel to už splnilo, alebo ako by povedal Harry Potter, „darebáctvo sa podarilo“.
e) "Keyword Highlighting"
This is an interesting thing that I see for the first time. I haven’t seen it anywhere else.
Every product and every review certainly contain key words or things that occur in that review.
For example, whether it is necessary to buy, whether it is a great book, or what people most commonly write.
I think here Amazon is analyzing all the words and selecting the most frequent ones to quickly show what people are writing about and discussing. It helps customers focus on the essential things they want to find.
Enough of everything else, let’s move on to the last and most important part. This was the original reason I wanted to start this analysis, which was initially planned as a short analysis of social proof. More than 25 pages later - for those who have still stuck with me, let’s get to the best part!
How Individual Reviews Are Designed
We are nearing the end, where we will look at the architecture and essentially, how individual reviews should be formed. These are the points that should not be overlooked.
Number of Customer Reviews
I won’t go over this again. This number must be right at the top because it lends the most credibility to the reviews, especially in cases where this number is really large. It shows how many individual ratings there are.
Filtering
The option to filter individual reviews is also good and necessary. In this case, you can choose either recent or top reviews ("Reviews").
The best are directly linked to how many people found them helpful. Voting is possible at the very bottom or at point 12. A great way to allow people the choice of deciding based on their preference.
Customer Profile
In today’s world full of trolls and fake accounts, a photo and a normal-sounding name are more of a necessity for credibility. Companies are trying to come up with all sorts of strategies to prove that the people commenting are real. You are more likely to believe someone with a photo and a normal name, than an account where there is just a nickname, such as in the case of the bookstore Martinus.
Compare for yourself to which you would subconsciously attribute greater trust.
Stars as Ratings
When an individual person rates, numbers or decimal places are not relevant. In this case, only stars are sufficient. Because if a customer had to give overly detailed ratings, it could either significantly influence the way they rate, or in the most likely case, completely paralyze them, thus completely refusing to provide ratings.
Sentence that Summarizes the Review
You know how I mentioned the automatic system in the brain? And thus System 1? Well, this sentence is precisely targeted at this system. Below we see a very lengthy review that may deter us. Therefore, we need some way to capture attention and spark interest in the given customer. For this, short highlighted sentences at the beginning are used that explain the essence of the review.
A great sentence can be done in two ways:
Find the best sentence that has the most value and place it there.
Start with something catchy that makes a person want to read more and then continue the text. For example: "At first, I didn't know if anyone could handle such a tough topic, but... And now continue in the review."
Currently, this might not be done by the customer, but it could be summarized by artificial intelligence, and the customer would just either confirm or modify it.
The online store Alza does it a bit differently, yet creatively. This is also a way to work with System 1. Essentially, the person briefly captures the biggest advantages and disadvantages of the product.
Nicely simply and concisely divided into advantages and disadvantages
Date Added to Review
Time and date are important, which again shows their relevance. Maybe today something or knowledge that was previously addressed is long resolved or was in an older version. Therefore, it is important to verify not just the content of the review but also the time when it was added.
Type of Product
Remember how I previously showed different formats in which you can choose the product and hinted that you would understand the reason later? Here is what I was talking about.
Often, the same product has several formats or parameters. For example, in this case, whether it is a paperback, hardcover, or audiobook. Why? Often, the audiobook may be much worse or better than the hardcover because with an audiobook it very much depends on how it is dubbed.
Therefore, it is important to know exactly what format or type of product it is.
Verified Purchaser
Another relatively new feature, which was among the first to appear on Amazon, is a brilliant way to increase the credibility and credibility of reviews. In an era when the internet is full of trolls, any intervention that indirectly shows that the reviewer "knows what they are talking about" is added value. In this case, when you purchase the product on Amazon, you become a verified purchaser, which means that other people know that you really bought the product and your reviews are not just "your opinions."
Facebook tries to do something similar through the "Top fans" feature. I also became one of them, so I allow myself a little brag.
From my perspective, this is just the beginning, and the effect is not quite what Facebook envisioned.
The Entire Review
The more extensive the review, the better. A more extensive review also stimulates our logical system, System 2. Although it is often said that we decide only based on emotions, the truth is more complex. If something does not make logical sense, especially on the internet, where we have enough time to decide, we probably will not engage with it. Therefore, it is important that we engage both parts of our mind in reviews or full product descriptions – System 1 and System 2.
Disappearing Text
The disappearing text strategy is very popular, especially among digital newspapers. It is an effective way to engage the reader and motivate them to continue reading. Initially, you reveal part of the text to engage the reader and start introducing them to the story. Then you gradually hide the text, while a part remains visible. Curiosity is a natural human trait, and thus a reader who has started reading tends to continue to gain more information.
At the same time, this allows you to measure customer interest in reading full reviews.
You can also integrate analytical tools directly into this button.
Validating the Review by Users
This is essentially an assessment of social proof. Because not every review should have the same importance, it is good that people can determine which one helped them the most.
Different Types of Interaction with Reviews
The ability to express oneself or rate a review is like providing social proof to the social proof itself.
Now we have gone through and analyzed in detail each point of the social proof architecture on Amazon. It is evident that all these elements are carefully thought out, have their designated place, and also a purpose.
Social proof has a significant impact on customer decision-making and therefore should not be underestimated.
I hope you have taken at least some inspiration from Amazon.
Just before the final conclusion, I would like to mention the last area, which is negative reviews and ways to effectively work with them.
It's good to be prepared for this situation because you will definitely encounter it.
How to Effectively Manage Negative Reviews
Try not to display negative reviews among the first, most visible reviews you show (for example, by simply displaying the newest reviews first).
Update the rules regarding which reviews you display first (for instance, the most relevant, not the newest), quickly address negative reviews, and of course, offer excellent quality and service.
When people see a negative review among your first reviews, they are much less likely to make a purchase—even if your average rating is excellent.
Findings
When people see one or more negative reviews in a product review list, they are much less willing to buy the product—even if the average reviews are excellent.
In an analysis of over 68,000 product page visits on a large online retail portal, researchers found:
People were 41.80% less willing to buy the product if the first reviews on the product page were negative, along with positive reviews (compared to those containing only positive reviews).
It was also 9.7% more likely that people would look for alternatives.
Every negative review people saw made them 26.87% less willing to make a purchase.
The negative effect is stronger in cases of:
High average product ratings.
Reviews related to product functionality (e.g., compatibility) or customer service, rather than personal preferences (e.g., color).
The product is utilitarian—i.e., has a practical use—(e.g., a microwave, an insect-repelling candle) rather than hedonic, i.e., pleasure-seeking (e.g., a gaming console, an outdoor scented candle).
(Source: Ariyh)
If the way I approach things resonates — or if your product, idea, or strategy feels even slightly “off” — I might be able to help.
Let’s have a quick 20-minute call to find clarity together:
Conclusion
Social proof is and will remain one of the most important things you can do to increase your chances of success in all aspects. However, what can greatly help you can also, conversely, do great harm.
I appreciate everyone who made it to the end, as it not only indicates that the things in this article were valuable but also shows that you take your project seriously. I have a feeling that your success will soon manifest.
Thanks again for your attention, see you in the next article.
- Peter