How to build a trusted site, as told by 2 successful eCommerce merchants

It takes a lot of work to build a site that consumers can trust. When you’re a new brand without established credibility, it can seem like a monumental task, but it can be done. To help you build trust, we take a look at 2 Trustpilot success stories.

With the help of the powerful website builders available today, launching an online business is easier than ever. But getting your first sale? That’s a different story. 

First, you have to get your products in front of the right audience. That’s no easy mountain to climb, but let’s say you dedicate hours of your time and energy into creating an impressive paid advertising campaign and start getting some traffic on your site. After all that hustle, you expect to see the sales rolling in, but visitors just aren’t converting. 

That’s because even with a kickass marketing strategy, you’re still only halfway up the mountain. 

Consumers are savvy these days. They know scammers are out there just waiting to steal their personal information, so they don’t give it out to just anyone. In order to get up and over the mountain top to that closed sale, online businesses need to earn the trust of their customers.

It takes a lot of thought, planning, and strategy to build a website that consumers feel comfortable making a purchase from. When you’re a new business without established credibility, that may seem like a monumental task, but we promise it can be done.

At [TrustedSite](https://www.trustedsite.com/certification/?from=home), like our partners at Trustpilot, we work to help eCommerce businesses create confident customers with powerful trust-building tools.

But it's not as simple as throwing up a trust badge or review widget and calling it a day. Friction can arise and cause doubt at many points throughout the customer journey, so trust must be built from the moment a customer lands on a site, all the way through to the order confirmation page (and even after that).

One of the best ways to learn how to build a trustworthy customer journey is by studying other sites that have done just that. 

So without further ado, meet two sites that are absolutely crushing it in the trust-building department: [The Sunglass Fix](https://www.thesunglassfix.com/) and [Holabird Sports](https://www.holabirdsports.com/). Even though they sell completely different products to different audiences, they have one thing in common: they’ve both been able to achieve awesome conversion rates with the help of trust. 

Let’s take a look at each of these sites and find out what elements they have included to their journeys in order to grow consumer trust. 

## Trust signals on thesunglassfix.com

Born on Australia’s Gold Coast back in 2006, [The Sunglass Fix](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/thesunglassfix.com.au) helps customers around the world replace broken or damaged sunglass lenses, a less expensive and more sustainable alternative to buying a brand new pair. Here’s a list of all of the [trust signals](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/why-and-how-social-proof-influences-consumers) we could find on their website, built on OpenCart. 

### Site header


Sunglass fix homepage 1

A ton of punch is packed into the header. Since it follows customers throughout their journey, it makes sense to include lots of trust signals here. 

Starting on the left side, we see the Trustpilot reviews widget, which shows that the site has earned a 4.5 star rating from over 5,000 reviews. Impressive. Next, they’ve included everyone’s favorite message: free shipping! Finally, on the right side they link to their Help & FAQs page so customers can easily find support when they need it. 

### Site footer

Sunglass fix footer 2

Shoppers often look to a site footer to find more information about a business, especially when it's a new one they haven’t purchased from before. The company phone number and email address are listed here, which helps to build trust by showing that real people are working behind the scenes. They also display links to independent reviews sites, like Facebook, Google, and Yelp, which shows they are confident that customers are sharing positive feedback around the web.

### Floating

Sunglass fix about 3

Floating trust signals are useful because like the site header, they follow customers throughout their journey, providing reassurance along the way. The Sunglass Fix displays TrustedSite’s floating trustmark in the bottom right corner, which when clicked opens a modal that shows the site has earned certifications like [Verified Business](https://www.trustedsite.com/certification/verified-business), [Certified Secure](https://www.trustedsite.com/certification/certified-secure), and [Issue-Free Orders](https://www.trustedsite.com/certification/issue-free-orders) from an independent source. 

### About pages

Sunglass fix about 4

The Sunglass Fix shows they are truly an open book by sharing their history and values in the Our Story, Sustainability, and Awards pages. Here you’ll find info about their commitment to maintaining a low carbon footprint, along with awards for Outstanding Customer Service and Advanced Manufacturing. 

### Checkout

The checkout has all the information a customer would need to feel comfortable making a purchase, from the order summary and total to the accepted payment methods. They’ve also clearly called out that due to covid, shipping times are now longer. This helps to set the customer’s expectations for when their order will arrive, so there are no surprises after they complete the purchase. 


Sunglass fix checkout 5

## Trust signals on holabirdsports.com

Since 1981, family-owned and operated [Holabird Sports](https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.holabirdsports.com) has specialized in running and racquet sports equipment. Here’s how they [use social proof to build consumer trust](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing) throughout the buying journey on their webstore built on Shopify.

### Site header


holabird sports homepage 1

Like The Sunglass Fix, Holabird Sports knows the way to our hearts is with free shipping, so they let us know they offer it with orders over $49 in the header.

### Site footer


holabird spots footer 2

In the footer, they increase transparency in multiple ways. First, they display their excellent TrustScore of 4.8/5, along with a selection of verified customer reviews. They also display their business contact information including phone number, email address, and physical address, along with links to their social media profiles. Finally, they include accepted payment methods and TrustedSite’s Certified Secure trustmark, to reassure customers that their personal information is safe on the site.

In the footer, the TrustedSite floating trustmark is displayed in the bottom left corner to ensure that customers feel safe throughout their shopping journey.

### Product pages


Product page Holabird sports 3

If a customer had any doubts before landing on a product page, they certainly won't afterwards. Complimenting the crisp, clear photos depicting exactly what the products look like, icons calling out free shipping and returns are displayed, along with links to their official shipping policies so that customers quickly know what to expect. They also list detailed product descriptions that are extremely easy to read and display customer reviews as well.

### Shopping cart


holabird sports checkout 4

The cart calls out important information that customers need to know before they checkout. A note about shipping informs customers when orders go out, and that delivery dates aren’t guaranteed because of delays caused by COVID-19. There’s also a note that taxes and shipping are calculated at checkout, so the customer knows to expect an increase in their order total. They also display the TrustedSite Secure Checkout trustmark which informs shoppers that with their purchase they will receive $100k identity protection in the event that information is stolen within the next 90 days.

## In your own words, how do you build trust? 

To give you more insight into the trust-building strategies that these sites have put in place, we interviewed Craig Anderson, CEO and founder of The Sunglass Fix, and Brian Hirshfeld, owner of Holabird Sports.

### Why is building trust with your customers so important to your business?

__The Sunglass Fix:__ “When I came up with the idea, a lot of people thought I was going absolutely mad because I was starting a sunglass lens replacement business when nobody had done it in the past. I think if you talk to 100 people today and ask them “Can you replace the lenses in your sunglasses?” 99% probably haven’t heard of this concept. So when somebody lands on our site and is looking for a solution, building trust is the most important thing that we have to do, and we have to do that right off the bat.”

__Holabird Sports:__ “I think it’s important to build trust with customers because there are a million and one options out there for people to shop and spend their money. Although we have been around for 40 years, many people may come across our website and have no idea if we are a “legit” business or not. With so many massive websites out there selling similar products, we need to ensure our customers feel safe shopping with us, and that we’re doing everything to protect their information and offer the most secure shopping experience. We also want to make sure they know that our customer service will be second to none and are 100% satisfied with their experience.”

### What has been your strategy for building customer trust?

__The Sunglass Fix:__ “There are lots of ways that we've tried to achieve that. Using TrustedSite to be very confident that the customer's information is secure, and showing that to the customer is extremely important to us. Having the TrustedSite badge which customers can click on, read about what sort of security we have on the site, and learn that we're constantly monitored also helps to build trust.

Showcasing our awards is another strategy of ours. We won the Platinum Australia Customer Service Award three years in a row. That one is important because it shows that we do take care of the customers after the sale if there is any sort of an issue.

Having unmodifiable reviews out there is important to us too, so we can get feedback and use it to improve ourselves and to share with those that are contemplating a purchase with us. With Trustpilot, we're basically asking for honest feedback about our services from everybody that we sell to, and that stuff's untouched. We can respond to feedback, but if somebody gives a bad review, it's there.”

__Holabird Sports:__ “We have always believed in being on as many review websites and platforms as possible. Having unbiased and real customer feedback proves that we offer a great shopping experience that is hard to beat. We work to ensure all our customers have a great experience and will follow up with all reviews to check if there ever was an issue, and if so, we learn from it and improve.”

### What has been your experience using Trustpilot?

__The Sunglass Fix:__ “Trustpilot has been a really good experience for us in a lot of ways. We've always been open to customer feedback, good or bad. The good is very nice to hear and it builds that confidence level for future customers, but the bad is also a very important learning experience. If you don't hear about the bad experiences your customers have, you can't really improve your business. Trustpilot is easy to integrate and execute. It’s automated so we don't have to think about it a lot, but we do have to make sure we get out there and respond to customers. When we receive a negative review, we get to at least say something back and talk about what went wrong and what we're going to do to try to fix it for our customers.”

__Holabird Sports:__ “We have always used Trustpilot as a review partner. The ability to promote reviews and share people’s comments and feedback is presented nicely on the platform, and we have been happy with their services and platform.” 

### When and why did you decide to try TrustedSite, and what has the impact been on your site?

__The Sunglass Fix:__ “About five years ago we were looking for better tools to scan our site and make sure that things were as secure as possible. TrustedSite seemed like a great partner because we could sit back and focus on our business while also focusing on the site's security and preventing breaches that could potentially impact our customers’ private information. Having TrustedSite shows our customers that we care and shows that we're partnering with probably one of the biggest and best in the industry.”

__Holabird Sports:__ “We had always used McAfee for our website, so when presented with the new TrustedSite platform a few years ago, it was intriguing. At first, we were skeptical of a potential impact on business, but TrustedSite worked with us and provided an amazing experience with A/B testing to provide data that could not be argued. I think overall the impact on our business has been positive. I think it provides another level of protection and a feeling of security for customers who want that when shopping with new and unknown (to them) websites.”

## Wrapping up

There’s no single way to make your site a trusted site. It takes a combination of multiple trust signals placed strategically throughout the customer journey to ensure that customers feel comfortable making a purchase on your site.

Now that you’ve seen some great examples of sites that have implemented a successful trust-building strategy, consider how you can achieve the same. Start with simple trust signals, like displaying your contact information in your site’s header or footer, and work your way up to things like using an open review platform, and earning awards or certifications. With added trust, you’ll be well on your way to increasing sales.

Alysse Phipps

Copywriter at TrustedSite

[Check out more of Alysse's work here](https://blog.trustedsite.com/author/alysse/).

How to build a trusted site, as told by two successful eCommerce merchants

G-form logo

G-Form converts more customers by showing off their social proof

G-Form shows off their excellent customer reviews throughout their customer journey for higher conversion rates and better brand trust.

That means embracing their own cutting edge (SmartFlex™) technology and constantly testing their products to make sure they’re offering the best protective gear on the market. 

From bikers to soccer players, the one common thread for athletes is that falls and injuries are pretty much inevitable. G-Form knows that fear and safety worries can have some of the worst effects on an athlete’s mindset and performance, so by providing the best protective gear available, they’re empowering their customers to focus on what matters most: being on top of their game. 

## The need for a third-party review platform

Initially, G-Form had an internal system in place to collect reviews manually. The more they grew and upgraded their website, the less efficient this became. As a smaller brand competing for market share from much bigger competitors, they also needed to [establish their  trustworthiness in the eyes of Google](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/why-does-google-care-if-your-business-has-online-reviews-in-2019 "Why does Google care if your business has online reviews") and start [using SEO-friendly product reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/features/product-reviews "Product Reviews") for better visibility in organic search. 

Collecting and showing off customer reviews with Trustpilot has helped them achieve exactly that. 

## Getting the most out of their customer reviews

One of the biggest reasons G-Form has had such success with customer reviews is because they understand how effective social proof is in building trust with unsure shoppers. Many eCommerce brands add their reviews to their homepage and leave it at that. 

But G-Form understands that the more places they can display their ratings or reviews, the more they’re letting the voice of their customers do the work for them to build much-needed trust with their future customers.

### Email marketing performs better with social proof

G-form makes sure to leverage their excellent rating in the footer of all of their marketing emails. It’s an excellent way to add a little bit of additional trust for their brand, and any shoppers that may be on the fence are able to click the footer and easily head to their Trustpilot page. 

From there, they can do their own research and read what G-Form customers are saying about their brand. This gives them a better idea of what customers are actually saying about G-Form products and allows them to make  confident purchasing decisions.


Including your star rating at the bottom of your marketing emails is an easy way to build trust with shoppers

Ratings in email footer

In many of their email flows, they also include full customer reviews. This helps them avoid leaning on tired marketing copy to fill the page and lets their happiest customers act as brand advocates and do the selling for them. 

Including customer reviews can be a great way to switch up your marketing emails 

Customer reviews in marketing emails

This is a perfect example of how fun and engaging reviews can be as pieces of content. With a bit of humor around a painful situation that many bikers can likely relate to, these types of reviews keep your brand fresh and relatable for the audience that will connect with your brand and products the most. 

See how LendingTree builds trust with uncertain customers to increase conversion rates 

### Reviews lead to more ROI on paid social

Because it’s not a free channel like email, paid ads can carry a bit more of a risk. With every ad, part of your precious budget goes with it – so you want to maximize your ROI by making sure to take advantage of any way to boost the credibility of that ad [so people will actually click through](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/trustworthiness-in-advertising-what-consumers-have-to-say "Trustworthiness in advertising"). 


Star rankings on ads can help boost credibility

Star rating in paid social ad

That’s why G-Form highlights their excellent star rating on their paid social campaigns. Not only do the green stars catch more eyes, but they also show at the very beginning of the buying journey that they’re in good standing with a trusted third-party review site — and this goes the extra mile to help them earn trust with prospective customers. 

### Build confidence in specific products with product reviews

A star rating and general service level reviews are great for building a trusted brand — but depending on the type of products you sell, customers might need more specific insight into whatever [product attributes](https://support.trustpilot.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011913693-Manage-product-attributes "Manage product attributes") they’re looking for to feel comfortable making a purchase. 


Product reviews can help shoppers find more specific information than general service reviews

Product reviews on product pages

Injuries are scary, and they can also differ widely based on a lot of different factors. Because of this, general reviews about their products don’t necessarily build enough trust for shoppers to feel confident in their purchases. G-Form also sells gear for a few different sports, so reviews for baseball gear aren’t necessarily helpful for bikers or soccer players.

That's why G-Form leverages product reviews on their product pages, so that their customers can see reviews from the products they’re looking at specifically. This eliminates any last bits of doubt about whatever product they’re in the market for, and lets them decide to purchase based on only the most relevant feedback. 

Leveraging product reviews on your product pages can even improve conversion by up to 230%, making it a no brainer for any eCommerce business.

### Showing off customer feedback on organic social

One of the best places to be leveraging your review content is on your social channels. Not only is this going to be a huge win for whoever handles your social media by saving them a ton of time, but the content is also going to come across as a lot more genuine and engaging than if your social media is just you touting your own brand. 

Reviews from your customers can make excellent content for your social media channels 

Reviews as social media content

For someone who might be in the market for your products or services, seeing real reviews from happy customers on their social feeds can be a lot more impactful than seeing slick branded content or an outright ad for your brand. 

In addition to coming across as more genuine, reviews can often answer questions that someone might have had about a product before they thought to ask it, eliminating the need for them to go searching for answers before they complete the checkout process. 

## Reviews and their internal benefits 

When we asked G-Form to talk about any other benefits they were seeing from collecting reviews with Trustpilot, they talked about how reviews are not just helpful in conveying value to their customers — they’re really helpful for their employees internally as well.  

Trustpilot and G-Form

Trustpilot reviews have even helped guide decisions on sizing and alternative uses for their products. They started getting so many unexpected reviews about customers using their Pro-X2 knee pads for construction or everyday handiwork that they now take some of their reviews to their R&D department to help them plan for future product positions and rollouts. 

Are you ready to use social proof to build a trusted brand and attract new customers like G-Form? Request a demo below. 

ASAP Trustpilot case study

As an employment agency, people truly are the beating heart of the business. It takes dedicated individuals to match the right candidates with the right employers, and with so much daily human interaction, trust is key to the business’s success.

## Reviews are a powerful tool

As an employment agency, people truly are the beating heart of the business. It takes dedicated individuals to match the right candidates with the right employers, and with so much daily human interaction, trust is key to the business’s success. 

So how do you show potential candidates that their professional future and personal information are in good hands with you? That’s when social proof comes in... 

Social proof separates the good from the bad and the ugly, and is the most powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal. By proactively collecting and displaying reviews from candidates, you can differentiate yourself from agencies with a lower service level. 

That’s exactly what ASAP does. The employment agency builds trust throughout its entire candidate journey by showcasing reviews at various key points on its website — it even dedicated [an entire page](https://www.asap.be/nl/100%25-enjoy) to Trustpilot reviews! 


website homepage

Nothing says 'You can trust us' better than customer reviews on your website

Since ASAP started displaying Trustpilot reviews on its website, its conversion rate — the percentage of website visitors who applied for a job or created a user profile — has increased by a staggering 22%! Of course, Trustpilot is not the only factor responsible for this conversion boost, but it’s evident, from tests that ASAP conducted, that trust is an indispensable ingredient for business longevity.

22% more user profiles

## Reviews equal revenue

To measure Trustpilot’s impact on Facebook and Instagram ads, ASAP conducted an A/B test. For two weeks, two different ad variations were shown to a targeted audience: one that contained the Trustpilot logo and TrustScore, and the same ad without any Trustpilot reference.

The results are impressive: the Trustpilot version generated 140% more applicants, 8% more clicks, and 7% lower cost per click than the version without social proof! This shows that displaying a universal symbol of trust in your ads can not only increase your traffic and build trust earlier on in the funnel, but can also have a strong influence on decision-making behaviour.


a/b test results

## Google for jobs

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of all job searches start on Google, [according to CareerBuilder](https://www.sonovate.com/blog/recruiters-maximise-google-for-jobs/#:~:text=Nearly%20three%20quarters%20(73%25),Jobs%20will%20only%20enhance%20this.), and the search engine's role will only get more important as Google Jobs grows in popularity. 

By collecting Trustpilot reviews, ASAP ensures greater visibility on Google. If a company has received over 100 verified reviews from one country over the last 12 months, and has an average rating of at least 3.5/5 stars, [it qualifies for Google Seller ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions) — the gold stars in text ads and Shopping ads in Google Search. As ASAP more than meets these criteria, these conversion-boosting stars are visible in all of the agency’s paid ads in Google.

ASAP's reputation is also highly visible in Google’s organic search results, as its Trustpilot business profile and score appear on Google’s first page when searching for 'asap' or 'asap.be'. The search terms 'asap reviews', 'asap scores’ and 'asap experiences’ even rank the business profile page at the very top of the list in Google. 

quote

## Tag with trust

Trustpilot reviews are managed and monitored company-wide with the aim of optimising internal processes and gaining new insights. ASAP does this by tagging its reviews based on relevant topics. This allows ASAP to sort, categorise and analyse its reviews in a targeted and organised way. The possibilities of tagging are endless and reviews can be tagged both manually and automatically:

- __Industry__: Since ASAP is active in many areas, it tags its reviews by industry. This way, it can gather valuable insights and identify needs and opportunities within a specific market. Tagged reviews are also displayed on relevant landing pages. For example, on the page “Jobs for Drivers” you will only see reviews that contain the tag “driver”.
- __Language__: ASAP also tags reviews by language, so that both the French-speaking visitors from Wallonia, and the Dutch-speaking Belgians from Flanders, get to see reviews in their first language.
- __Location__: By tagging reviews by location, ASAP is able to monitor performance and tighten processes on an office-by-office basis.


A glimpse of ASAP’s international character: the agency replies in French, English, and Dutch

## It’s not unusual

ASAP experiences many benefits from collecting and displaying Trustpilot reviews. By building and showcasing trust, the employment agency has found an effective way to differentiate itself from competitors within an industry where trust is essential to stand out.


ASAP and Trustpilot

The above results are great, but by no means uncommon. If you want to find out if Trustpilot is also the ultimate review solution for your business, and how you can boost your traffic and conversion rate, just like ASAP has, request a free demo below.

How employment agency ASAP attracts more candidates than ever with Trustpilot

KLEIR. logo

KLEIR case study

With Trustpilot, KLEIR. has found a way to leverage its strong customer satisfaction, and take its social campaigns and conversion rate to the next level. 

With nearly 12,000 Instagram followers, over 1,000 [Trustpilot reviews](https://nl.trustpilot.com/review/kleirantwerp.be) and a TrustScore of 4.8/5, it’s safe to say that [KLEIR.](https://www.kleirantwerp.be/) has a great reputation among its customers. 

With Trustpilot, the Belgian brand has found a way to leverage its strong customer satisfaction, and take its social campaigns and conversion rate to the next level. 

Quote KLEIR

## Top-notch trust funnel

Modesty is a virtue —  but it doesn’t sell well. Sometimes you just need the world to know how good you are. If you've worked hard to build a trusted brand, putting authentic reviews front and centre can give you an edge over your competitors. So if you truly put your customers at the core of your business, it makes sense to showcase their experiences.

KLEIR. benefits from its good reputation on a daily basis. From social media ads to their shopping cart area, with its solid review strategy and top-notch trust funnel, it turns clicks into customers like few others. This is how they do it:

- KLEIR. showcases reviews on its [homepage](https://www.kleirantwerp.be/). Nothing beats trust at first sight.
- Its TrustScore is visible on [all product pages](https://www.kleirantwerp.be/collections/mannen/products/hoodie-doediskalm-zwart-unisex). It is strategically positioned below the CTA button, so visitors can click on ‘Add to cart’ with confidence.
- KLEIR.'s [shopping cart page](https://www.kleirantwerp.be/cart) ensures trust. Since reassurance is key for conversion, the reviews shown here can truly make the difference between a shopping cart abandoner, and a paying customer.
- Its [brand story](https://www.kleirantwerp.be/pages/wie-zijn-wij) is reinforced with social proof. The ‘About Us’ page is one of the most important pages of a website and is often visited by consumers that are interested in what you offer, but are not convinced they trust you enough to convert just yet. Since KLEIR.’s ‘About Us’ page shows its customers' approval, it is more likely to convert these visitors too.


Clockwise from top left: homepage, product page, shopping cart page and About Us page

KLEIR reviews

## Social ads that pack a punch

Nowadays, no one questions the fact that social proof has a major impact on buying decisions. Nevertheless, it's wonderful that KLEIR. has conducted an extensive test that once again confirms the power and influence of Trustpilot reviews. Here’s an overview of what the test consisted of:

- Ads on Facebook and Instagram for four weeks
- Three ad variations: v1 with Trustpilot stars and logo, v2 with Trustpilot stars and v3 without any mention of Trustpilot
- Requirement: unique reach of at least 10,000 people


KLEIR facebook ad

One of KlEIR.’s Facebook ads

## In ROAS we trust

Looking at the ROAS (return on ad spend) of these three ads, the influence of Trustpilot is crystal clear: the two Trustpilot ads generated an average revenue of €61,73. This means that KLEIR. earned €61,73 for every euro it spent on advertising — and for v2 alone, the revenue was a whopping €86!

Variation 3, the exact same ad but without any reference to Trustpilot, didn’t even come close. This ad had a ROAS of a mere €18.83.


ROAS KLEIR

## A KLEIR. winner

Click-wise, the two Trustpilot ads also won by a landslide. Variation 1 and 2 combined had a click-through rate of 0.57%, whilst the CTR of the ad without any mention of Trustpilot was only 0.19%.

In other words, people were three times more likely to click on one of the Trustpilot ads. Ad 1, showing both the Trustpilot logo and stars, had the highest click-through rate at 0.59%.


AB TEST KLEIR

## Not all reviews are created equal

Establishing a trust funnel and including reviews in your ad campaigns can help you reduce shopping cart abandonment, convert more visitors into customers, and systematically grow customer trust. 

This will only work if you take the time to learn from your reviews and improve your way of doing things, of course. So how do you do that? By maximizing transparency, preserving your integrity, learning from your customers, delivering on your promises, and showing the world you’re one of the good ones. 

That’s why verified reviews are so valuable. These reviews are written following email invitations that are automatically sent after a purchase – which makes verified reviews the most trustworthy reviews out there. Consumers know that they’re written by real customers, rather than online bots, sneaky competitors, or people that were paid to leave a review.


Verified reviews are automatically marked as "Verified" on our platform

REVIEW EXAMPLE

  Verified reviews are automatically marked as "Verified" on our platform

## Gold stars shine bright

Verified reviews not only reassure customers, but also draw more attention to your ads and drive more traffic to your website. When you’ve received over 100 verified reviews from the same country within 12 months, with an average rating of at least 3.5/5 stars, you’re eligible for Google Seller Ratings.

Google Seller Ratings are the gold stars in text ads and Shopping ads in Google Search, and should be a must for every review-collecting company. Why? Well, according to Google, showing seller ratings can [boost your text ads’ CTR by up to 10%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/how-to-calculate-google-seller-ratings-effect-on-google-ads).

## Fake reviews are the enemy


Quote Peter

Trustpilot goes to great lengths and invests heavily to ensure that the reviews on our platform will always be a reliable source of information, and that companies like KLEIR. can continue to benefit from their customer-centric approach and their online reputation.

If you’d like to learn more about Trustpilot’s Trust Promise, and how you can increase revenue, just like KLEIR. has, request a free demo below.


How KLEIR.’s social media ad revenue tripled with Trustpilot

Protect Line logo

Protect Line case study trustpilot

In this case study, we speak to Lewis Murray, Digital Marketing Executive at Protect Line, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and what results they’ve observed since using reviews throughout their marketing.

They’re a non-advised brokerage, which means they provide their customers with the facts to help them make an informed decision before purchasing a policy.

They offer level, increasing & decreasing term life insurance, as well as whole of life and over 50’s non-medical options. They have a panel of 13 of the UK’s leading insurers which includes Legal & General, LV=, Aviva, HSBC, and more. 

Protect Line are passionate about providing 5-star service and continuing their mission to reduce the UK’s life insurance deficit, protecting more families every day.

With over 28,000 reviews (99% of them classified as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Great’ reviews), it is safe to say that Protect Line take their customers’ satisfaction very seriously.

In this case study, we speak to Lewis Murray, Digital Marketing Executive at Protect Line, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and what results they’ve observed since implementing online reviews throughout their marketing channels.

## Why Protect Line chose Trustpilot

Protect Line started trading in 2010 and [signed up for Trustpilot in 2012](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/protectline.co.uk). The business understands the importance of the voice of the customer, and the power that user reviews can have to influence potential customers throughout their decision-making journey. 

Trust is a powerful tool for any business, but it’s especially prevalent for those working in financial services and the insurance industry. 

“Many customers feel fatigued by the idea of insurance due to negative interactions with house and home insurance – so much so that some feel that products like life insurance will not pay out. The reality is that 98% of claims are paid out by life insurance providers, so countering the theories and misconceptions is especially challenging for our business. Our trustworthiness is a key pillar in helping us operate effectively, and Trustpilot are absolutely crucial in showcasing trust. We are passionate about being transparent and open in everything we do, and the customer reviews being generated on the platform definitely help us achieve this,” says Lewis.

## Protect Line’s customer reviews increased CTR by 14%

The Protect Line team recently A/B tested pages with and without TrustBox widgets, and saw a 14% increase in CTR on pages with TrustBoxes.

Since then, they’ve implemented TrustBox widgets on their homepage as well as on specific campaign landing pages. They now feature Trustpilot prominently on their website. 

The Protect Line team also likes to observe how their customers interact with their landing pages using heatmaps and session recordings. Using those tools to measure their pages’ performance, they have seen positive interactions with Trustpilot reviews throughout their website.

## Using social proof to build trust throughout the funnel

Protect Line use Trustpilot in a variety of different ways. To start with, their marketing team feature Trustpilot prominently in all of their marketing campaigns, and across a variety of mediums – web, print and social. This helps with the trust factor, and has been shown to increase click-through rate when used well too.

Internally, Protect Line employees are targeted on their Trustpilot reviews. Providing exceptional customer service is extremely important to the business, and that’s why they choose to reward their teams when they succeed in generating positive Trustpilot reviews.

“We’re all about celebrating success and as a company we highlight the best reviews that come through to us. This does go both ways however; we also use the feedback we receive from customers to educate and teach any team members who may be struggling, and use this feedback to also influence our internal processes. If we can be doing something better for our customers, we’ll go ahead and get it done based on the feedback we receive. Having our fingers on the pulse of how our customers are reacting to the experience we provide is a very valuable resource for us,” Lewis points out.

Protect Line also found that including the Trustpilot branding as well as their star rating in ads increased their conversion rate by 4.3%. That’s one of the reasons the team now likes to make sure Trustpilot is always used in their marketing. 

The company uses Trustpilot reviews and ratings across everything they promote through marketing campaigns – this includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. They always feature the Trustpilot brand mark and their 5-star rating, whilst sometimes promoting customer reviews which stand out. These will often be featured in videos as well as static images, as seen below.

Protect Line review highlights

Protect Line also feature Trustpilot in all of their email campaigns, usually opting to use the provided widget so that the number of reviews is always up-to-date and relevant.

Protect Line’s email signature

“One of the quirky and fun ways we’re using Trustpilot is by using a custom-built internal API to display reviews in real-time with animated GIFs on the information TV screens we have across our offices. Sadly this is yet to go live properly due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but it’s just one thing we have lined up for when our people are back in the office.”

## The benefits of using Trustpilot

“One of the biggest advantages we see from using Trustpilot is that customers mention it to us when we’re speaking with them and it definitely provides our business credibility and a significant trust increase due to the brand power that Trustpilot has,” explains Lewis.

“We can also see first-hand the word-of-mouth influence that Trustpilot has on our brand – when customers mention our business to their friends or colleagues and suggest they also look into life insurance, one of the deciding factors other than their friend’s recommendation is that we’re so highly rated on the platform. This extra credibility has definitely had a measurable impact on how well our refer a friend campaigns perform.”

Protect Line have also found that responding to Trustpilot reviews is an amazing way to turn negative experiences into positive ones, and to really learn from their customers’ feedback. 
“We’re really pleased with how Trustpilot provides us another way to interact with our customers, and we see the platform being an integral part of our business for the foreseeable future,” explains Lewis.

Trustpilot likes to help businesses overcome any challenges they might encounter. One of the biggest challenges that Protect Line face as a business is getting their customers to answer their phones. As a life insurance broker, the entire process is largely done over the phone due to the in-depth questions they are required to ask to make sure that cover is suitable and correct for every customer’s needs. Once people answer the phone, they are far more likely to get through their funnel. 

“Like many businesses that rely on phone calls, the first stage of the funnel can often be tough. Trustpilot helps us here, too. We use automated SMS and email campaigns to reach out to customers who have enquired but have so far not answered the phone – we include a link here to our [Reviews page](https://www.protectline.co.uk/about-us/reviews/) where Trustpilot is featured prominently,” explains Lewis.


Protect Line homepage reviews

Just from including the URL in their SMS’s, Protect Line have seen contact increase by 2.6%, which is a great start. Today, they continue to A/B test and refine their messaging whilst monitoring performance.

If you’d like to find out more about reviews and how you can achieve better marketing results using social proof, just like Protect Line have, request a free Trustpilot demo below.

Protect Line show us how to boost CTR and conversions with social proof

Add people logo

Add People x Trustpilot case study

In this case study, we speak to Suraj Singh, Head of Partnerships & Communications at Add People, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how they leverage their online reviews as part of their marketing strategy

With over 17 years of experience and 4000+ happy customers around the globe, Add People take their customers’ satisfaction very seriously. In the last five years, the business has collected almost 900 Trustpilot reviews and achieved an impressive [4.3/5 TrustScore](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/addpeople.co.uk).  

In this case study, we speak to Suraj Singh, Head of Partnerships & Communications at Add People, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how they leverage their online reviews as part of their marketing strategy.

## Why Add People joined Trustpilot

[Trust has become such an important tool](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/the-importance-of-trust-in-uncertain-times) when it comes to boosting consumer confidence and building customer loyalty, especially in 2020. Developing good customer relationships online can be challenging, which is why reviews are crucial to any business looking to build credibility in these conditions.

That’s why Add People chose to use Trustpilot to ensure they build a valuable & trustworthy relationship with their customers, and show all potential ones that their brand is trustworthy, and that they care about their customers’ experiences.

Suraj explains:

“Trustpilot is the most recognised review platform anywhere. We have put focus on other review sites where our products are seen, but this is the one, it’s the tool that you see referenced in everyone’s TV adverts and billboards. Trustpilot is simply the go-to review site for building trust.
Add People are built to serve small businesses. There are 6 million small businesses in the UK, that account for 60% of the employment of the nation, and around half of turnover in the British private sector. They are the lifeblood of the economy.

But, they’re a diverse bunch… the term SME’s covers every company in the UK with less than 250 employees. And we don’t discriminate, we put as much effort into growing their business online whether they have 249 employees, or 1.

And that’s why trust is important to us. Not only do we straddle a diverse range of businesses, but we’re acutely aware of the difficulties small business owners face (many of us have owned our own small business to some extent).

And, if you’re putting your marketing budget - maybe that’s even a significant portion of your profits – in the hands of another business, you’d want to know you can trust them.

You’d want to see reviews and testimonials from other happy customers, you’d want to know you’re in a nice, safe pair of hands.”

## How the agency showcases its Trustpilot reviews

Trustpilot is Add People’s core tool for the measurement of customer satisfaction and the development of consumer trust. 

To showcase their reviews, the Add People team have implemented Trustpilot widgets throughout the customer journey. 

Here’s how the company showcases its Trustpilot score on the website’s homepage:


Addpeople homepage 1

Addpeople homepage 2

Their Trustpilot branding is also included in many of their marketing materials, in digital campaigns, and on social media platforms too.

FB 1

Add People share Trustpilot reviews on Facebook

FB 2

They also use the Trustpilot and Facebook Integration

FB 3

But that’s not all. Here are more examples of where Add People showcase Trustpilot reviews:

Display Ad

Webinar with British Pest Control Association

External Webinar - this was a co-branded webinar with Google

It’s safe to say Add People really take pride in maintaining their trust levels online. They even have an internal leader board in their office, to ensure that everyone is pulling towards keeping that good review score!

“We’re still breaking records for sales, and have posted some of the highest figures in the 5 years since we started working with Trustpilot. Because of the global pandemic – small businesses need as much support as ever and one way to survive (or thrive) in the current situation is through digital marketing,” explains Suraj.

As Adam Shearer, Head of Sales at Add People, says:

“Trustpilot reviews are the single biggest factor in our sales process. You can have the best sales people in the world, but if the person on the other end of the line can’t trust you, you’ve got no chance. Our reputation online allows us to pick up that phone in the confidence that we can walk-the-walk, and we’ve got the customer testimonials to back it up.”

Every employee takes Add People’s review strategy very seriously, and the company is even looking at introducing reviews as a KPI for some of their frontline teams.

## Moving forward...

“It’s a trying time for all businesses – but almost overwhelmingly – our reviews containing reference to Covid have been positive! As stressed previously, our customers’ trust is extremely important to us, and we’ve done everything we can to help businesses during the pandemic, whether that has been helping them to grow, or helping with payment plans and other solutions when they’ve been forced to pause their business during lockdown. The challenge going forward will be to ensure that our approach and reputation continue to be upheld if the nation is put into more temporary lockdowns within certain industries. Clearly, utilising Trustpilot and the tools it offers is going to help us maintain this service level, and this trust, into the future.”


Customer testimonial

Add People’s vision is largely customer-focused, and continues to be strengthened by the time and effort they spend on building trusted relationships with both new and existing customers. 

If you’re interested in building trust, showcasing third-party validation, and acquiring more customers, just like Add People have, why not request a free Trustpilot demo? It’s quick and easy, just click the link below.


How Add People showcase Trustpilot reviews

Low Cost Glasses Logo

Low cost glasses Trustpilot case study

To better understand why Low Cost Glasses chose the Trustpilot platform for their new review strategy, we spoke with Alexandra Butcher, Head of Marketing at LCG.

LCG currently offers a broad range of products online, as well as fast service and great customer experience.

To better understand why their team chose the Trustpilot platform for their new review strategy, we spoke with Alexandra Butcher, Head of Marketing at LCG.

## Why Low Cost Glasses chose Trustpilot reviews

As both a service and an eCommerce business, winning over customer trust has been the company’s priority since Day 1.

“We always knew that transparent customer communication was integral to business success, and Trustpilot has only confirmed that a thousand times over. People buy from people so having all your happy customers shouting about you in one place is the best ‘word of mouth’ marketing you could ever ask for,” explains Alexandra.

The team at LCG first signed up for a free Trustpilot account, and after a few months of usage, decided it was time to join for good.


Head of Marketing at Low Cost Glasses

The brand now has over 4,000 reviews and a solid 4.6/5 star ‘Excellent’ rating that is consistently monitored by the team at LCG. 

## How Low Cost Glasses uses Trustpilot to learn from customers

With regard to the platform itself, Low Cost Glasses is very active, and both their CEO and Head of Customer Services check the platform daily, monitoring feedback and fixing issues. The Low Cost Glasses team also likes to ensure that they have responded to every single person who has taken the time to share their experience.


LCG review 1

LCG review 2

“It has become an extension of our customer service offering. We’re always working on improving our whole customer journey so the (sometimes very!) honest opinions we receive have proved invaluable in developing the experience as a whole. We’re a lean team so we can react, implement changes or action requests very quickly,” says Alexandra.

The Customer Services and Marketing teams also use the platform to interact with customers, respond to feedback and collect valuable consumer insights, so it really is a full team effort!  

Since Low Cost Glasses have started using customer feedback to improve customer service and continuously innovate, they have achieved:

- A 99% engagement with customers giving a 2* rating or below
- A 52% conversion rate from 1 and 2-star to 4 and 5-star reviews through successful engagement 
- A reply rate of 97% of all customer reviews within a 24-hour window.

## Showcasing reviews throughout the buying journey

When it comes to showcasing the Trustpilot seal of approval and the star branding, well, Low Cost Glasses have quite simply put it everywhere! 

When Low Cost Glasses became official Trustpilot customers, the team refreshed all their digital assets to include their star rating, so it could feature across their Google and Bing PPC campaigns, paid social activity, delivery inserts, packaging, emails and press activity. We even pulled the existing TV ad to include the Trustpilot rating and had to go through clearance and station distribution again at extra expense. 


Low cost glasses tv ad Trustpilot

Low cost glasses email Trustpilot

The team also shares reviews across social channels, and implemented a live feed of their latest reviews scrolling across the website’s homepage. This just shows how much value the business attributes to Trustpilot and the power of reviews when it comes to building customer trust.

LCG reviews homepage

TP PPC Black friday offer

It’s safe to say that the team at Low Cost Glasses are very proud of their 4.6 stars.

Since Low Cost Glasses started collecting and showcasing Trustpilot reviews at every touchpoint of the customer journey, they have seen:

- An outstanding 89% increase in revenue
- A 30% increase in average order value
- A 60% increase in all web traffic
- A 2% increase in conversions 
- Traffic from their business profile on Trustpilot converts at 3.8%
- A 20% customer return rate (which is amazing when you think about how often people normally have eye tests and buy glasses!)

## How Trustpilot helped Low Cost Glasses overcome their challenges

As a very young business with no established customer base, earning trust was absolutely paramount to the company’s success. In the beginning, there were three main barriers to purchase that Trustpilot helped Low Cost Glasses overcome:

1. Competitor customers worried about the quality of their products, due to the low prices
2. People disbelieving they were a legitimate business, because of how low their prices are
3. First time buyers, nervous about purchasing glasses online.

Having a very active Trustpilot page helped them alleviate all of the above, as people could immediately see that existing customers were having great experiences whilst  saving money. 

Choosing to respond to every single review definitely benefited them too. It helped people realise that their products are real, that they aren’t a scam, and that they strive to deliver great customer service and outstanding experiences. 

The three barriers to purchasing outlined above still apply, as the business is still very new to the market in the grand scheme of things. Reaching new audiences of glasses wearers and winning over their trust and custom is Low Cost Glasses’ daily bread and butter, and one that is supported significantly by Trustpilot. 

The online glasses market is a very competitive sector, so they’re always working to improve their service, platform and product to stay one step ahead of the game. 

If you found their story inspiring, and would like to achieve similar results, book a free Trustpilot demo below to speak to one of our review experts.

How Low Cost Glasses increased their revenue by 89% with Trustpilot

registerit logo

register.it trustpilot case study

To better understand how to leverage negative reviews to build trust and improve customer service, we spoke with Trustpilot customer Register.it. 

The company is part of the leading international group REGISTER, which, with over 2.5 million registered domains, helps more than 900,000 professionals and SMEs all over Europe in creating, promoting and protecting online identity.

Registerit trustpilot homepage

Customers are at the core of the business, according to Register.it. With 88% of support emails answered within the first 4 hours, 94% of chats managed without waiting times and in real time, and over 130,000 calls received every year, Register.it aims to constantly continue to improve their customer service. 

## How negative reviews can improve customer service

When a negative review is left on the business’s Trustpilot profile page, Register.it reacts immediately, through a process that involves several teams across different departments, to understand what went wrong, and ultimately, win the customer’s satisfaction and trust back. 

[A study carried out by Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect) on a sample of over 1,000 European and North American consumers found that negative reviews represent an important opportunity for businesses to show that they care about their customers’ satisfaction.

According to the data emerged from the study, 68% of consumers trust a company more when it has a mix of positive and negative reviews, whereas one in three expects to receive an answer to their negative review. Specifically, 88% of consumers expect that, after having left a negative review, the company will contact them to quickly solve the issue flagged. 

## How Register.it handles negative reviews

This is exactly the strategy that is adopted by Register.it. When a negative review is left, the Marketing team intervenes first, verifying the specifics of the customer and the product bought. Afterwards, together with the Sales and Support team, all the touchpoints between the customer and the company are reviewed. If the issue flagged is a technical one, the second-level Support team gets involved. The goal is to react as soon as possible, solving the customer’s problem and gaining back their trust. 

That’s why, when Giuseppe left the following review (in italian), Register.it immediately understood that a quick action was needed. 

“The management of Register has changed. They're only kind when you purchase a product from them, and are very rude to customers afterwards. I have therefore mentioned my bad interaction with them to several of my friends, acquaintances and colleagues. My license will stay unused given that, after having communicated my issues to them, they just got back to me with an email containing instructions (INSTRUCTIONS WHICH DO NOT WORK!!). One of their agents even told me that they do not manage licenses anymore, and it isn't their fault if the process doesn’t work (so does that mean they only sell licenses? What’s the point in spending money for the assistance needed when installing a license, if they aren’t able to help you out?!) IT’S ABSURD!! I won’t even wait for the expiration, I will just take away my domains, my PEC, etc. And instead, I will purchase from another provider, a cheaper and more professional one (as until some time ago, Register was). I am sure that Register’s management isn’t even aware that their call center agents answer customers in the following way: “THAT’S WHAT WE NOW DO, SO IF YOU WANT ASSISTANCE, YOU MUST PAY FOR IT!!!”


Register.it negative review

At first, technical support agent Alberto got involved to find a solution to the technical issues flagged by Giuseppe. Then, Sofia, one of their customer support agents, jumped in to follow the customer step by step in the implementation of the solutions proposed. 

Marketing Manager at Register.it

As an outcome, the trust and satisfaction of the customer were regained, and the customer changed its originally negative review to a positive one.

“Dear old REGISTER, I have finally found my ‘REGISTER’ again: the one that helps me with my issues, and does it with extreme professionalism and speed. It’s the provider I suggested to many friends, colleagues and clients, the one that, thanks to professionals who answer you on the phone, suggests and searches for the solution with you. A special thanks for having put back in place the relationship between me and the company that seemed to be doomed to end after many years, and for the excellent skills and professionalism with which they helped me solve a problem I had been having for weeks. The result? I will buy another domain  immediately, and I will stay loyal to my dear old REGISTER! Have a good day”


Register.it positive review

## Turning unsatisfied customers into happy ones

Thanks to this approach, Register.it was able to make the customer change his review. They won his trust back and can guarantee future purchases this way. And that’s not all… by following this procedure every time someone leaves a negative review, 80% of Register.it unsatisfied customers have changed their negative reviews into positive ones. 

It’s evident how online reviews impact the way consumers perceive a brand. An immediate  response is crucial to help improve your customers’ experience, increase your chances of gaining repeat customers, or even become brand ambassadors. The quality of the customer service offered is what makes the difference between you and your competitors. 

If you’d like to find out more about Trustpilot and online reviews, request a free demo below.

How Register.it built consumer trust by leveraging negative reviews

Flowers.ie Trustpilot case study

In this Flowers.ie case study, we speak to Garreth Knowd, Flowers.ie’s owner, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how they leverage their online reviews as part of their marketing strategy.

With almost 2,500 reviews, and 96% of them being ‘Excellent’ or ‘Great’, it is safe to say that Flowers.ie takes their customers’ satisfaction very seriously.

In this case study, we speak to Garreth Knowd, Flowers.ie’s owner, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how they leverage their online reviews as part of their marketing strategy.


Flowers.ie results using Trustpilot reviews

## Why Flowers.ie joined Trustpilot

Trust has become such an important tool when it comes to acquiring new customers and building customer loyalty. Flowers.ie is an online business, and the majority of people purchasing their products are all doing so online and from distant locations. Building trust in these conditions can be challenging, and developing trusted relationships online only isn’t always easy.

Garreth explains:

"Trust is something that needs to be built over time through interactions and engagements done between a customer and an organisation. We live in a digital age where the opinions of all customers can now be shared online so easily, so it was important for us to ensure we build a valuable & trustworthy relationship with our customers, and show all potential ones that our brand is trustworthy, and that we care about our customers’ experiences.” 

Since Flowers.ie joined Trustpilot, collecting reviews – positive or negative – has been a huge part of the brand's strategy to continue to improve and innovate.

## How the brand showcases its customer reviews

Trustpilot is Flowers.ie’s core tool for the measurement of customer satisfaction. Indeed, customers who have placed orders on Flowers.ie are all emailed for feedback after they’ve received their order. 

To showcase their reviews, the team has implemented a Trustpilot widget on their website’s homepage, their product pages, and also throughout the checkout process. 

Flowers.ie Trustpilot reviews homepage

“Along with live feed on our website, we are currently running a 6-month nationwide radio advertising campaign and Trustpilot is featured heavily in it,” explains Garreth.

“Trustpilot branding is also included in marketing materials, digital campaigns and social media platforms. We share at least one review across all of our platforms on a daily basis, and have the Trustpilot Facebook tag installed on our profile page too.”


Flowers.ie reviews social media

Flowers.ie reviews social media 2

Flowers.ie reviews social media ads

But that’s not all. Both their Marketing and Customer Service departments also use the Trustpilot platform to answer reviews on a daily basis. The teams use Trustpilot reviews to identify any areas of development or issues with service delivery, and personally respond to all reviews that are 3 stars or below. 

Listening and responding to negative feedback allows Flowers.ie to learn from their mistakes and continue to improve their customer service to meet customers’ expectations.

Garreth explains:

“The opportunity to be able to change the view of a negative experience into a positive one is essential, as we want to be known to offer the best customer service, and don’t want any of our customers thinking they aren’t valued. However, without a platform like Trustpilot, we wouldn’t be able to do this. It’s essential for us to better understand what works and what doesn’t. For example, our reviews have taught us that our customers love the additional extras that we offer, like the video approval on all orders.”


Flowers.ie customer review

Since using Trustpilot on their website and across all their other channels, they saw a whopping 37% increase in conversions and 22% decrease in bounce rate. 

They also observed an incredible 166% increase in product sales and a 162% increase in revenue in their first three months of collecting and using Trustpilot reviews.


Owner of Flowers.ie

## Moving forward...

“Our customers have really gained confidence with us as a brand because they can hear from real people about their actual experience using us. Moving forward, we want to make sure that we continue to stand out even more from our competitors, and improve our product & service offering to meet the ever-changing customer needs,” says Garreth.

Flowers.ie’s vision is largely customer-focused, and continues to be strengthened by listening to their customers. Any business can make huge improvements when actively looking at customer satisfaction, and Flowers.ie is proof that reviews really can help you improve the way you’re doing things. It all starts by listening.

If you’re interested in building trust, getting valuable insights, delivering better customer experiences and getting more sales, just like Flowers.ie has, why not create a free Trustpilot account? It’s quick and easy, just click the link below.


Create your free Trustpilot account today!

How Flowers.ie saw a 37% increase in conversions with reviews

Why upgrading to more invitations and better features was well worth the investment for Food Circle Supermarket

In this case study, we'll discuss why Food Circle Supermarket chose to upgrade their free Trustpilot plan to a paid one, and how that positively impacted their business.

Instead of looking to produce more food, they want to try and reduce food waste and the enormous strain it puts on our planet. They do this by selling surplus products from some of the largest snacking brands in the world and help distribute any product that is short dated, overstock, has old branding, or would otherwise be wasted. 

Their business model works well because it’s a win for everyone involved. They’re able to sell the surplus products at a heavily discounted rate and ship them right to their door, saving their customers time and money on the products they need. And they’re able to help brands from having to waste surplus products and deal with the logistical headache that comes with disposing of them. 

## A customer nudge towards customer reviews 
Because their prices are often more than 50% less than what the usual price would be, it was hard for them to be seen as trustworthy to new customers. Many of them just assumed there was a catch or that it was a scam. They actually started using [Trustpilot’s free platform ](https://business.trustpilot.com/signup?cta=free-signup_plans "Free plans Trustpilot")after a customer reached out to them in 2019 and suggested they get a Trustpilot page — specifically because their prices seemed too good to be true! 

By the time they had accumulated around 200 reviews – almost all of which were 5-stars – they realized the impact that positive reviews [could have on their brand reputation online](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/6-ways-to-make-trust-your-essential-brand-differentiator "The value of a trustworthy brand reputation"). At this point they could clearly see the effect customer reviews had on building trust and they knew that upgrading to a [paid plan](https://business.trustpilot.com/plans "Plans & Pricing") would get them more review invitations and other helpful features. 

## The value Food Circle received from upgrading 
Once they moved onto a paid plan they quickly started to see value in some of the new features they unlocked. With more invitations, more reviews, and better ways to leverage those reviews, their success with Trustpilot grew. 

### More review invitations 
Getting [access to more review invitations](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/3-reasons-why-you-really-need-to-get-more-reviews "3 reasons why you really need to get more reviews") was one of the main reasons they upgraded. And within less than a year of upgrading, they went from having around 200 reviews to almost 2,000. For new customers to the Food Circle brand, this means more genuine experiences they can read about to help reassure them that Food Circle Supermarket is a trustworthy brand to spend their money with. 

### Better ways to showcase their customer feedback 
Their new plan also came with better ways to use their reviews throughout their customer journey and highlight the online trust they were working so hard to build. They started by implementing a [live carousel of customer reviews](https://business.trustpilot.com/features/trustbox-widgets "Trustpilot widgets") right on their homepage, to build trust with any new visitors to their site. And with their industry becoming more and more competitive, any additional trust they could convey was a huge help in giving them a competitive edge. 

Food Circle Supermarket website

Food Circle Supermarket site

Since their reviews have been so overwhelmingly positive, they also want to point customers back to their Trustpilot page wherever possible. They started including their rating at the bottom of their emails with a link to direct people to their profile page and point them to all of their positive reviews. 

Food Circle Supermarket email footer

This way – regardless of the email’s call to action– anyone who is on the fence can take a look at the feedback from all of their happy customers and know they’re in good hands. 

With some help from Trustpilot’s [social media tools](https://business.trustpilot.com/features/social-media-tools "Social media tools"), it also became quick and easy to turn customer reviews into an eye-catching social post. 

Every brand knows that coming up with unique content for their social channels is extremely challenging. They’re aware that they need to post on a regular basis to keep up a social presence, even though the majority of branded content is something their audience [doesn’t actually want to see](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/browsers-to-buyers/the-complete-guide-to-reviews "The complete guide to reviews"). 

Food Circle Supermarket Instagram

Instead of wasting time trying to reinvent the wheel and post the same repetitive posts about their brand, they’ve unlocked a steady stream of visual content — that their customers are truly interested in — and that helps drive sales.

### Integrations to make their teams’ lives easier
For any business, systems that don’t integrate together can create massive headaches for your teams. Food Circle Supermarket uses Shopify, so it was really important that they find a review platform that had an [integration with them](https://business.trustpilot.com/partners/shopify-plus "Shopify + Trustpilot").

As a result, they’re able to add review carousels and widgets to their site in seconds, so there’s no hassle to make changes or adjustments. It’s quick and easy.

### A competitive edge and a meaningful way to interact with their customers 
Although they’re a unique business in a relatively new market, their industry is getting competitive very quickly. Their reviews give them a competitive edge because they have such great feedback from their customers and they’re sharing it wherever they can. 

It also gives their customers a meaningful way to interact with their brand. [When there’s negative feedback](https://business.trustpilot.com/webinars-videos/learn-from-customers/reviews-happen-a-strategy-of-when-and-how-to-respond "Bad reviews happen: a strategy of when and how to respond"), they’re able to take that, resolve it with the customer, and make changes to avoid future customers having the same issues. And for their happy customers, it’s a great way to foster [engaging conversations with the people who matter most](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/why-engaging-in-consumer-conversations-can-help-you-build-a-trusted-brand "Why engaging in consumer conversations can help") so they feel heard. 

### Food Circle’s tips for getting success out of your reviews
Along the way there are a few things that Food Circle Supermarket has learned about how to make the most out of your customer reviews. It’s important to leverage your reviews across as many different marketing channels as possible. Because using the voice of your customers can be so much more effective than your own generic ad copy and messaging, it’s important to maximize results from your reviews by replacing your own voice with the voice of your customer.

The other secret to success with reviews is making the most of the onboarding team and asking as many questions as possible. Because there are a variety of uses and benefits to customer reviews, what works for one company may not work for another.

Paul Simpson, Commercial Director at Food Circle Supermarket

Commercial Director at Food Circle Supermarket

## Getting started with customer reviews
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Hermes logo

Hermes case study Trustpilot

In this case study, we speak to Gemma Dunning, Head of Customer Experience at Hermes, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how the team leverage online reviews as part of their marketing strategy.

Hermes provides a range of flexible and affordable delivery options and has a mission to be the UK’s carrier of choice.

Within the UK, Hermes operates a network of over 15,000 couriers and over 4,500 ParcelShops. This multi-channel approach offers a convenient and hassle-free delivery experience and ensures that  more than 95 per cent of their parcels are delivered the first time around.

Hermes also works with a wide range of leading retailers.  With over [1.3 million reviews](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.myhermes.co.uk), a fantastic 4.3/5 TrustScore, and over 83% of reviews rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Great’, it’s safe to say that Hermes take its customers’ satisfaction very seriously.

In this case study, we speak to Gemma Dunning, Head of Customer Experience at Hermes, to better understand why the business chose Trustpilot to build consumer trust, and how the team leverage online reviews as part of their marketing strategy.

## Why Hermes joined Trustpilot

“We chose Trustpilot as a review partner back in 2014. We wanted to grow our brand reputation and enhance our review strategy to hear more from customers, and get a better understanding of the service we’re providing. It also gives us the opportunity to show our potential customers the quality service our brand provides alongside third-party validation,” says Gemma.

“As we change and modify our review strategy, Trustpilot has been there to support our goals and momentum towards being proactive with our customers and showing more of our customers’ voice across our channels to let them tell our story.”

## How Hermes uses customer feedback to improve and innovate

This year has been quite a milestone year for Hermes. It reported a record-breaking year in parcel delivery, heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as their key workers continued to deliver to homes across the country. They also exceeded volumes that they’d only previously seen during the peak Christmas season, and executed their five-year growth plan in just five
months, whilst continuing to learn from every single review they received in that period of time.

Since  joining Trustpilot in 2014, Hermes has collected a whopping 1.2 million reviews. Hermes implemented a wider scoping proactive strategy for Trustpilot in 2018, which contributed to the rise in reviews. 

To better understand their audience’s needs and wants, Hermes produces a weekly summarised report of their customers’ feedback, which is shared across the business – including its department leaders and members of its Customer Experience committee.

“Our Trustpilot ratings and reviews are an important metric of our customer service for the board and heads of departments, and it’s a great indication for our business and helps employees understand the bigger picture around customer satisfaction across the industry. A lot of our departments leverage the customer insights we collect. Everyone in the business is interested in
the performance of our reviews. The insights are always utilised in a way that provides guidance and direction for our department leaders,” says Gemma.

Hermes uses [Trustpilot’s Review Insights tool](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/introducing-trustpilots-new-machine-learning-tool-review-insights) to extract trends and positive and negative sentiments from their reviews. This also helps them get an overview of their response rate, performance, and TrustScore.

Gemma explains: 

“Every week, we focus on a different key topic and highlight our customers’ stories and experiences around this. This lets us dive deeper into specific areas to understand what’s working well and what we need to improve. It provides us with actionable insights so we can start investigating areas we need to focus on.”

Using the Review Insights tool, Hermes can identify patterns which allow the team to delve deeper into the experiences raised by  customers. Based on previous feedback, Hermes has now placed a number of resolutions across the customer journey, including making updates to the contact page.  The team are continuously working to improve  service and go the extra mile for
their customers. Since implementing these changes, Hermes has observed an improvement in customer sentiment.

Other Hermes teams also like to use customer feedback to assist in their projects:

“Our tech team has also benefited greatly from the customer feedback we’ve received regarding our Hermes App. As we’re able to pull out specific insights regarding the app, we’ve identified new aspects of the UX we haven’t uncovered before, and it gives us a great understanding of
what our customers are thinking and feeling. Our app recently won an 'App of the Year' award, and for the submission of that award we used
our Trustpilot reviews to show how appreciated and useful the app is to our users.”

## How Hermes showcases customer feedback

Hermes is proud to showcase its Trustpilot rating and reviews across their marketing channels, including all of its social media platforms, digital ad campaigns, and client-facing materials.

Hermes Trustpilot reviews example

The business actually found that ad campaigns which included Trustpilot content resulted in lower average CPCs and brought their average CPA down significantly.

Hermes also uses Trustpilot’s Image Generator tool to create organic posts on social media and showcase some customer reviews.

Hermes Trustpilot Image Generator

Hermes Trustpilot Image Generator 2

But that’s not all. Hermes is also developing its strategy to incorporate Trustpilot ratings and reviews across other marketing channels, such as TV, in order to share the message more broadly.

Hermes also likes to celebrate special Trustpilot achievements, like its 1 million review milestone, or improvements in TrustScore, by sharing them on social media.


Hermes social media Trustpilot

## The final word…

“We aim to be an open, transparent and a responsible business seeking feedback across the customer journey, including via invitations to all our customers, as we’re keen to promote our partnership with Trustpilot as a trusted, well-respected platform,” explains Gemma.

“With the use of TrustBoxes across our website pages, we showcase that we’re a leader in consumer parcel delivery. We know that the “Excellent” badge is a great thing to be able to share, to not only earn the trust of our customers, but also to encourage customers to continue sharing their honest opinions because we take that very seriously.

Showcasing our reviews across our customer journey is also a way for us to direct customers and potential customers to our Trustpilot business profile page, so they can read all of our reviews, and use it as the official channel to share their own thoughts.”

If you’re interested in collecting actionable consumer insights, and building trust at every stage of the customer journey, just like Hermes has, why not request a free Trustpilot demo? It’s quick and easy, just click the link below.

How Hermes found success using Trustpilot’s Review Insights tool

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