Introduction
Social proof refers to how people determine what to do in a situation based on what others are doing or have done. It's a psychological phenomenon where individuals assume the actions of others reflect the correct behavior for a given situation.
Social proof is extremely important for ecommerce stores because it builds trust and credibility, which increases conversions. When potential customers see others buying from your store or providing positive reviews, it gives them the confidence to make a purchase. Social proof elements like customer testimonials, reviews, and site badges act as "social endorsements" that your store is trustworthy.
In this guide, we'll cover the different types of social proof and how they leverage psychological biases. We'll look at practical examples of integrating social proof on Shopify product and collection pages. You'll learn how to showcase user-generated content and optimize for social media sharing. We'll also explore analytics to measure the impact of social proof, as well as testing different elements. The goal is to demonstrate tangible strategies for using social proof to boost Shopify sales.
Types of Social Proof
Social proof comes in many forms on Shopify stores. Some of the most common and effective types of social proof to leverage include:
- Likes and reactions: Displaying the number of likes, hearts, or other reactions a product has received can influence consumers. Seeing that others appreciate something makes us more likely to as well.
- Comments and reviews: Customer reviews and Q&A commenting areas provide transparent social validation. Display review counts, ratings, noteworthy quotes, and recent discussions to showcase peer experiences.
- Testimonials: Direct recommendation quotations from real customers offer authenticity. Curate relevant and impactful testimonials to highlight throughout the site.
- Referrals and shares: Showing referral traffic numbers or social media sharing counts conveys popularity. Consider displaying recent backlinks, visitors from social channels, and share metrics.
- Sales metrics: Indicators of sales volumes like "1,000+ sold" tap into the wisdom of the crowd. Be careful not to exaggerate. Low stock warnings also create urgency and demand.
- Social followers and subscribers: While less directly related to products, showing the size of your brand's social media following and email list can indicate overall trust and authority.
Social Proof Bias
Social proof bias refers to the psychological tendency for people to rely on the actions of others when making their own decisions. This tendency stems from social validation theory, which states that individuals determine what is correct by finding out what other people think is correct.
When people are unsure about a product or service, they tend to look to the actions of other consumers in order to guide their own behaviors and decisions. For example, when you walk into a restaurant and see a lot of people eating there, you are more likely to have a positive impression of the restaurant and want to eat there as well. The crowds suggest the food must be good.
Similarly, in an ecommerce context, signs of social validation like customer reviews, testimonials, and indicators of sales volume can shape how potential customers evaluate a product. If a product has lots of positive reviews or appears popular, shoppers are more inclined to trust that it is worth purchasing.
Research shows that social proof is one of the most influential factors driving conversion rates. Displaying evidence of social validation like reviews and testimonials can increase conversions by more than 300% according to some studies.
The power of social proof comes from both informational social influence and normative social influence. Informational social influence means people rely on peer reviews and testimonials as authentic proof that a product delivers what it promises. Normative social influence is the human tendency to want to conform and fit in with others - so if many others are buying a product, individuals feel social pressure to purchase as well.
Social Proof on Product Pages
Product pages are the most important pages on an ecommerce site when it comes to conversions. It's where customers evaluate products and make their final purchase decisions. This makes product pages prime real estate for leveraging social proof elements to increase trust and drive sales.
Reviews and Ratings
Customer reviews and ratings are powerful forms of social proof that provide authentic peer perspectives on a product. Displaying ample reviews and an overall star rating on product pages significantly boosts conversion rates. According to BrightLocal, over 80% of consumers read online reviews before making purchasing decisions.
Reviews build trust and credibility by showcasing real customer experiences and satisfaction with the product. The quality and quantity of reviews influences perceptions about a product's desirability. Encouraging customers to leave reviews and prominently displaying them on product pages transforms your existing customers into advocates.
Star ratings act as visual shorthand that quickly communicates overall product quality and sentiment. Research by Spiegel indicates display star ratings can lift conversion rates by up to 270%.
Questions and Answers
An active Questions and Answers section demonstrates existing buyer interest and engagement with a product. Allowing customers to interact, ask questions, and see responses from the seller or other buyers provides social validation.
Displaying questions that prospects commonly have about the product, along with answers from the business, reassures hesitant customers. It shows the seller is responsive and transparent. Shoppers want their concerns addressed before committing to a purchase. An active Q&A section also adds unique content and surfaces organic keywords for SEO.
Leveraging FOMO
Creating a fear of missing out (FOMO) can be a powerful way to boost sales. Brands can leverage FOMO by using scarcity and urgency tactics.
Some examples include:
- Countdown timers - Adding countdown timers to product pages or carts indicating limited time left to purchase. This creates urgency and pressure. As the timer counts down, it taps into shoppers' FOMO.
- Limited inventory messaging - Displaying messaging like "Only 5 left!" or "Almost sold out!". Alerting shoppers that a product is scarce due to limited inventory left. This makes people feel like they need to act fast before that inventory is gone.
- Limited time offers - Promotions with messaging like "40% off, ends today!". Urging customers to take advantage of an offer before the deadline passes. This plays into FOMO by making shoppers worry the deal won't come back.
- Exclusivity - Positioning certain products or offers as VIP, exclusive or early access. People crave feeling exceptional and being among the first, sparking FOMO.
- Push notifications - Sending push notifications to signed up visitors about flash sales, new arrivals or stock selling out. Directly tapping into FOMO by notifying shoppers of what they're at risk of missing.
Strategically incorporating such scarcity and urgency tactics can entice visitors to convert rather than risk missing out. Tapping into human psychology around FOMO can prove highly effective for boosting sales. However, overusing these tactics can also backfire, so they should be used selectively. Test different approaches and closely monitor results.
Showcasing Proof Elements
Shopify stores have various options and apps for displaying social proof and trust elements directly on product and category pages. Some of the most effective methods include:
Badges and Trust Seals
Badges like the BBB seal and trust seals like Norton or McAfee are visual indicators that can help build trust and credibility for your store. Display them prominently to showcase any certifications, security validations, or memberships.
Testimonials and Reviews
Positive customer testimonials and product reviews are powerful social proof that reduce buying barriers. Display excerpts of 4 and 5 star reviews in your product descriptions or mention top reviews in marketing copy.
Security and Payment Icons
Icons from secure payment processors like PayPal and credit card logos visually signal the safety of your checkout process. Use them liberally throughout your site.
Awards and Certificates
If your business has won any awards or certificates, feature them on your site. Accolades from reputable third parties boost authority.
Best Sellers and Trending Products
Call out top selling items by tagging them as "best sellers" or "most popular". People tend to buy what's already being purchased.
Limited Supply Messaging
Indicating limited quantity or availability due to demand plants the scarcity seed and encourages quick purchases via FOMO. But use truthful messaging.
Social Following and Share Counts
Displaying your follower counts and social sharing numbers acts as social validation. Promote them in descriptions, banners, and badges.
The key is prominently displaying various trust signals and social proof elements throughout the buyer journey, not just on the product page. The more validation from others, the better.
Celebrating User Generated Content
User generated content (UGC) like customer photos, videos, and reviews can be incredibly persuasive by providing social proof of your products in action. Shopify makes it easy to showcase UGC throughout your store.
One easy way is by using the "Reviews" app to display curated customer reviews. Make sure to spotlight your 5-star reviews at the top. You can also embed customer photos and videos of your products by using "Customer Photos" and "Customer Videos" sections on product pages.
Enable customer sign up for an account on your store. This allows them to leave reviews, upload photos, save products, etc. Offer incentives for leaving reviews such as discounts or free gifts.
Shopify also lets you pull in UGC from Instagram using the "Instagram Shopping" app. Showcasing real customer posts offers authentic social proof.
Curating and displaying UGC boosts conversion rates by establishing credibility. It shows your products being used in real life and builds trust. Integrating UGC throughout your store and on product pages is a powerful way to leverage social proof.
Optimizing for Social Shareability
Encouraging and displaying social shares is a great way to leverage social proof on your Shopify store. Here are some tips for optimizing your store for social shareability:
- Integrate social share buttons prominently on product pages, blog posts, and other content you want to promote sharing of. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and email make it easy for customers to share your content.
- Display counters next to social share buttons showing how many times that content has already been shared. This acts as social proof that others have shared it and customers should too.
- Highlight viral user generated content like customer photos on your product pages. Showcasing happy customers provides authentic social proof.
- Write compelling content optimized for sharing on social platforms. Include intriguing headlines, striking images, and content tailored to specific platforms.
- Run social contests and sweepstakes for customers who share your content. This incentivizes sharing to unlock entries and rewards.
- Send follow up emails after purchases inviting customers to share their experience on social media. Provide sample text they can easily copy and paste.
- Identify influencers and brand advocates who may be interested in sharing your products organically. Reach out with unique offers in exchange for posts.
- Analyze social analytics to identify your top performing content in terms of shares. Double down on that type of content and optimize further.
- A/B test different elements like share button placement, wording, incentives, and content types to determine what resonates best with your audience. Iteratively improve based on learnings.
Optimizing your Shopify store for social shareability helps leverage the power of social proof and word-of-mouth marketing. Encouraging and displaying shares boosts visibility while providing authentic proof of your brand's value.
Analytics and Metrics
One of the best ways to determine whether your social proof strategy is working is by analyzing your site analytics and sales metrics. You'll want to track key indicators over time to see how they change in response to adjustments you make.
Some key metrics to follow include:
- Site traffic and conversions from social media referrals - Are more people visiting from social platforms and making purchases after seeing your social proof elements?
- Click-through rates on featured elements - Are site visitors engaging with the social proof content you're displaying? This could include clicks on testimonials, badges, ratings, etc.
- Conversions by traffic source - Are conversion rates higher for social referrals than other sources? This indicates your social proof is working.
- Sales per visitor - Is the average order value increasing for socially referred traffic? Higher AOV suggests positive social proof influence.
- Bounce rates - Are fewer people leaving your site right away after hitting your product pages? Lower bounce rates imply your social proof is encouraging visitors to stick around.
- Growth rates - Are traffic, conversions, and sales from social referrals increasing over time faster than other sources? Faster growth points to social proof success.
By closely monitoring this data in analytics and sales reports, you'll be able to connect changes in your social proof approach directly to the key metrics that matter most for your Shopify store's performance. Testing different elements and optimizing based on the data is crucial for maximizing the sales impact of social proof.
Testing and Optimization
A key part of leveraging social proof is continually testing and optimizing the various elements you use on your site. You'll want to take an agile, data-driven approach to identify which types of social proof resonate most with your audience and drive the outcomes you're seeking, like increased sales and conversions.
Some ideas for A/B testing social proof elements:
- Test different counters for showing site visitors or sales numbers. See if dynamically updating counters outperform static numbers.
- Try different placements for showing testimonials or customer photos. Does placing them higher up on product pages or checkout flows increase conversions versus further down the page?
- Experiment with showing user-generated content like customer videos and reviews. See if quoting the reviews performs better than just showing star ratings.
- Try excerpting key points from testimonials rather than showing full-length quotes. The snippets may be more effective at conveying social proof.
- Test social sharing features. See if adding visible share counts increases viral spread and credibility.
- Try different scarcity messaging like "Only 2 left!" or "Selling fast!". Test if urgency prompts more impulse purchases.
The key is to take a data-driven approach and continually refine your site's social proof elements over time. The various forms of social proof that convert best for your business will be unique. Optimization is an ongoing process, but the results are well worth the effort. Leveraging the right social proof signals can significantly boost Shopify sales.