By Ellie-Rose Davies, Content Executive at IMRG
Customer reviews can influence everything from conversion rates to brand perception, making it important for retailers to manage them well. In this blog, industry experts reveal how to use reviews not just as feedback, but as a tool for improving the wider customer experience.
We’ll explore:
- How personalisation can help reduce negative reviews
- Using review insights to improve product content and messaging
- The link between delivery performance and customer satisfaction
- Ways to encourage more positive reviews
- Why you shouldn’t fear negative reviews
- How to respond to negative feedback effectively—and even turn it around
Creating better experiences
Reviews can offer valuable insight into which parts of the customer experience are working well and where improvements might be needed.
For many retailers, this feedback can help inform efforts around personalisation, product information and delivery. Taking cues from reviews may support better decision-making, enhance satisfaction, and reduce the chances of negative feedback further down the line.
Personalisation
Personalisation is becoming an increasingly important part of the customer journey.
As shopper expectations continue to evolve, there are signs that tailored experiences, when relevant and well-timed, can lead to higher satisfaction and stronger engagement.
In many cases, this may also encourage more positive reviews, as customers who feel understood are more likely to share good experiences.
Nikhita Hyett, General Manager EMEA at Signifyd says, ‘Retailers looking to avoid negative reviews should start by rethinking personalisation. It’s no longer about a customer’s name in an email or a retargeted ad.’
‘True personalisation starts the moment a shopper begins their journey and continues through checkout and beyond. Using first-party data and customer preferences allows retailers to remove friction, anticipate needs and offer relevant experiences at every touchpoint.
‘The result?,’ says Nikhita, ‘Fewer moments of frustration, fewer reasons for negative feedback. When shoppers feel seen and understood, satisfaction naturally follows, and bad reviews become far less likely. Personalisation builds trust. Trust can build lasting success.’
Messaging and product descriptions
Reviews can offer clear direction for refining messaging and improving product descriptions, as Justin Thomas, VP Sales EMEA North at Akeneo, explains: ‘Product reviews are a goldmine of user-generated, first-person customer data and product intelligence.’
Justin says, ‘AI can analyse thousands of customer reviews and feedback points to instantly detect patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.’
‘By identifying common themes in real customer reviews, whether it’s recurring complaints, praise for specific features or even emerging use cases that open new target audiences and shopper segments, brands can improve messaging and enhance product descriptions based on real data.’
‘Through this, brands gain a clear picture of what it is customers truly think and how to improve its products or services.’
Justin continues, ‘For example, by tapping into customer reviews and feeding this data into product information management (PIM), Leatherman Tool Group has been able to build SEO keywords and metadata that can be syndicated across its eCommerce platforms, ensuring that products align with customer needs.’
Delivery
One area of the customer journey that’s becoming increasingly important to get right is the post-purchase experience. It’s often where customer sentiment is shaped, and where frustrations can quickly turn into negative public feedback.
Gavin Murphy, CMO at Scurri, reflects on how “The court of public opinion, sitting in the form of customer reviews, represents a double-edged sword for retailers and brands.’
‘It offers the opportunity to get closer to customers through excellent customer service, but also creates the potential pitfalls where negative reviews risk eroding consumer confidence.’
‘Our recent research showed two thirds (64%) of customers will leave a negative review when their delivery is delayed or they receive an unsatisfactory response to a ‘where is my order’ (WISMO) query, while poor customer service prompts over half (53%) of consumers to leave a negative review.’
‘This highlights the role of post-purchase delivery information and customer communication in avoiding potentially damaging negative online reviews,’ says Gavin.
‘With 40% of shoppers indicating they leave negative reviews to prompt a retailer reaction and get their query addressed faster, retailers should pre-empt delivery queries by building in regular and timely communication within the delivery experience to update shoppers on the status of their order.’
Gavin says, ‘By owning and controlling the post-purchase delivery experience, retailers and brands can enhance CX and avoid damaging shopper feedback.’
Inspiring positive reviews
Positive reviews play a key role in building social proof and can be a valuable driver of customer confidence and conversion. The more consistently retailers collect strong feedback, the more it can support both trust and long-term performance.
Head of SEO, Adam Preston, at Summit explores how retailers can inspire customers to leave positive reviews: ‘SEO performance should be a key consideration when thinking about your approach to review. The frequency, quantity and quality of reviews are important for SEO.
This will bring benefits such as better visibility in search engines, increased click through rates and a stronger brand reputation.’
‘You can boost a wider mix of responses by offering incentives such as prize draws, discounts, or charitable donations. Rather than just customers who are compelled to review due to a really negative or positive experience.’
Adam notes that ‘There are now ways to centralise reviews from multiple platforms, simplifying the process and allowing for automation, making it easier to manage and maintain a strong online reputation.’
Don’t fear negative reviews
Negative reviews shouldn’t always be seen as a setback. In many cases, retailers responses can demonstrate strong customer service and build reassurance and trust with future customers.
Amelia Clarkson, CRM Manager at NOVOS reflects on this: ‘Collecting reviews is an important tool for driving sales – particularly for new customers who need social proof before making their decision to purchase for the first time.’
‘It’s easy to fall into the trap of only asking your best customers for reviews to be more positive, however, ask for feedback as much as possible. Post purchase reviews on the checkout experience, product/service reviews and unsubscribe reason forms can help you collect actionable insights to make improvements at different stages in the customer journey.’
Hemang Nathwani, Sales Director, at Price Trakker emphasises the opportunities behind negative reviews, stating, ‘Retailers should actively engage by promptly responding to all feedback—especially negative reviews—with genuine empathy, clear actions, and transparent solutions. Turning negatives into positives publicly demonstrates reliability.
He recommends for retailers to ‘Encourage reviews by simplifying the process. Short, user-friendly prompts via email or SMS post-purchase yield strong results. Integrating reviews visibly across product pages can enhance trust, reassurance, and conversion rates.’
Hemang provides an excellent top tip: ‘never fear negative reviews. Instead, embrace them as powerful tools to showcase your brand’s responsiveness, improving loyalty and credibility with every genuine interaction.’
Encourage customers to edit their negative review
A well-handled response to a negative review can make a difference. In some cases, customers may choose to update their feedback if they feel the issue was resolved fairly. It’s a useful way for retailers to show that they’re listening and willing to put things right.
Head of Growth at The Pixel, Aynsley Peet, provides his top piece of advice for reviews and that is to ‘always look to respond to negative feedback, this shows that you listen to your clients and demonstrates you care.’
Aynsley says, ‘I have frequently seen a customer who has left a negative score upon acknowledgement and resolving of their issue change their score/review to a more positive review.’
Expert Prisync also highlight the way retailers can turn negatives into positives. ‘Someone in the company can monitor reviews across platforms to notice any negative ones.’
‘When you encounter one, be positive toward the customer and try to resolve the problem quickly, as there may have been a misunderstanding or a failure on your business’s end.’
‘After transparently communicating the process, you can ask them to update their review. Also, if you want your customers to review your product or service, consider encouraging them by offering post-purchase discounts or upfront deals in exchange for honest reviews.’
Reviews will always be part of the online shopping experience. It’s how they’re managed that matters. With the right focus, retailers can use them to strengthen trust, improve performance, and reinforce the value they offer to their customers.
Want to read more? Here are IMRG’s latest blogs that might be of interest:
How to make eCommerce products go viral – IMRG
Creating Change: the shifting demands of eCom content – IMRG
Cost effective strategies to acquire new customers – IMRG
Beyond sitewide offers: How Radley London increased conversions while protecting brand value – IMRG
Optimising eCommerce cross-border performance – IMRG
Published 06/05/25
