By Christina Widner 

In this day and age, online reviews play a vital role in the purchasing decision-making process. This is particularly true in the toy industry, where consumers often look for detailed information on products and suppliers before making their final decision. Reviews have a huge influence on the trust that potential customers place in a retailer.

Building trust through customer opinion

One of the key benefits of online reviews is that they inspire trust. Customer reviews appear authentic and credible because they come from genuine users who share with the public the experiences they have had with a particular product or retailer. In the toy trade, where children are often the end users of the products, customers set particular store by safety, quality and user-friendliness. Reviews help to evaluate these aspects, which makes them an indispensable guide when making decisions.

Social proof in the form of reviews

Buyers are strongly guided by the opinions of other customers. This so-called "social proof" significantly influences their purchasing decisions. Studies show that consumers often consider buying a product if it has received positive reviews and, conversely, refrain from buying it if the comments are mostly negative. Retailers with a large number of positive reviews enjoy an advantage when it comes to trust. This not only has a positive impact on sales figures, but also boosts brand loyalty.

Visibility and ranking in search engines

As well as having a direct influence on purchasing decisions, online reviews also play an influential role in search engine visibility. Platforms such as Google rate retailers not only based on the quantity of the reviews they receive, but also on their quality. A product with a lot of positive reviews has a greater chance of being displayed higher up in the search results. This leads to a higher reach and more potential buyers, since the retailer becomes more visible and so attracts more attention.

Handling negative reviews

However, negative reviews are equally unavoidable. For retailers, though, this is not just a danger, but rather an opportunity to demonstrate customer focus. An appropriate and professional response to criticism shows that the retailer cares about customer feedback and takes any problems seriously. Especially in the toy industry, where the emotional connection to the products is often strong, customers react very sensitively to bad reviews. However, dealing with these comments in a transparent and respectful manner can increase trust and ultimately lead to greater customer satisfaction.

Reviews as valuable feedback

For retailers, customer reviews are not only a way to win over potential buyers, but also an important source of feedback. Each customer’s opinion offers valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of their own products and services. For the toy industry, for example, this can mean that feedback on design, safety aspects or game experience flows straight back into product development or improving customer communication. Thus, reviews not only serve as a sales argument, but also as a tool for optimising the product range.

More trust thanks to verified reviews

One of the ever-increasing challenges in the online retail sector is ensuring the authenticity of reviews. Many consumers are aware that fake or bought reviews can distort the image of a product. To counteract this, a growing number of platforms are relying on verified reviews that only come from customers who have actually purchased the product. This enhances trust in the authenticity of the reviews and contributes to the retailer’s credibility. It makes sense for retailers in the toy industry to make use of such systems in order to set themselves apart from the competition.

Conclusion: make strategic use of customer reviews

Online reviews are hugely important for toy retailers. They engender trust, influence purchasing decisions and contribute to better online visibility. Handling reviews in a professional and strategic manner – whether by promoting positive reviews or by dealing openly with criticism – can permanently increase a retailer's long-term success.

5 steps on how to benefit from online reviews

• Actively encourage your customers to leave a review after making a purchase. You can do this through targeted e-mails or incentives.
• Respond in a professional manner to every review, especially to any critical comments. Show that your customers’ feedback is important to you.
• Use verified rating systems to ensure the authenticity of the ratings and boost the trust of any potential customers.
• Analyse the feedback you receive to identify the strengths and weaknesses of what you offer and then make improvements.

• Use reviews in your communication by emphasising positive comments in advertising campaigns or on your website.

   

About the author

BASIC thinking is an online magazine and one of the widest-reach tech portals in the German-speaking world. The editorial team reports daily on social media, marketing and business topics. This article was written by Christina Widner from BASIC thinking GmbH and BASIC thinking International.