Nowadays most business owners despise Yelp, but they understand its importance.

Overall, photo reviews influence purchase decisions significantly. Online reviews are trusted by 89 percent of consumers as much as personal recommendations. Photo reviews are trusted by the younger generation 55% more than other forms of media.

The issue is that customers are more likely to share negative experiences than positive ones.

As a result, it’s critical to get the right kind of reviews and understand how they can affect your sales and reputation.

Is photo review critical?

Images allow your customers to connect with the product visually. This  customers in visualizing how the item will fit into their lives. It isn’t easy to find a better way to see how a product will look than to see a picture of someone wearing or using it.

The same logic applies to including images of meals on restaurant menu items. People connect with the visual representation.

Likewise, 45% of customers would be more likely to buy clothing online if the site included photos of actual customers wearing the product. Then only they’ll get the confidence to buy the product.

What effect do photo reviews have on purchasing decisions?

Customer images in reviews can influence conversion. According to Crowdtap, 63% of millennials say user-generated content affects their product purchases. When there is a photo next to a menu item, people are more likely to order it. The same logic applies when purchasing goods online.

People are more likely to buy a product if associated with a custom image. Sure, product images from the brand or retailer help with this, but customers trust other customers. 

They are more likely to identify with other customers than with an anonymous model or a shoe stand supporting the shoes in the image.

5 reasons why photo reviews are like printing money for your Shopify business

Though the title may be unrealistic, photo reviews are gold for eCommerce brands. And here are five reasons why:

1. Increase the stickiness of your Shopify store

Making your eCommerce store “sticky” means getting customers to stick around. The longer they browse, the more likely they are to buy.

Is this good news? Customer-generated photos are one of the most effective ways to keep customers interested in your store. And there are more places to spread these photos around than your Home pages, such as your:

Product page. Encourage product discovery by displaying your best customer content when someone visits your site with shoppable galleries.

2. Establish trust, credibility, and social proof 

Social proof is a phenomenon that explains why people are more likely to act when they see others doing so.

Online brands must cultivate social proof to build trust and credibility with customers.

Customers must rely on your high-quality product images,  product descriptions, and customer reviews. In the absence of physical locations where they can see, touch, or even smell your items.

89 percent of consumers read reviews before making a buy. One thought on your product page can increase conversion rates by 356%.

Customers want to see how others use and react to your products. They want to make sure your items match the images and descriptions you provided.

Because 60 percent of consumers prefer visual information to text. Most customers will look at your customer photos before diving into the think-talk.

When they see photos of people who look like them, they will gain trust in your brand and increase your chances of making a sale. 

According to research, 75% of consumers believe in UGC, such as photo reviews. UGC is 3x more authentic and trustworthy than brand-created content.

3. Assist customers in visualizing your products in their real life

Real-world photo reviews from customers give shoppers a better understanding of your products.

Even if you list the actual dimensions of your products, some customers will ignore or misinterpret these numbers.

You’ll get a lot of one-star reviews and complaints like “not true to size,” “bigger than expected,” or “smaller than the pictures.” You’ll not only have dissatisfied customers, but you’ll also create some mistrust.

Customer reviews with photos are a game-changer in this situation. They allow shoppers to see how clothes fit people with similar body types or how beauty products look on people with similar skin tones.

4. It could save your company money

In eCommerce, adding at least four product images is the best practice. Even better is a 360-degree video or augmented reality.

But, let’s face it, adding this kind of content isn’t cheap. Product image staging and editing can cost up to $110 per photo. Multiply that by the number of products you sell in your store, and the cost quickly escalates.

What if you could delegate this costly task to your customers?

Customer photos are now included in many major retailers’ main product image lineup.

5.Reviews with customer photos can double as engaging advertisements

In our guide on  How to Collect More Photo Reviews with reviewbit on Shopify?  earn 4x as many click-throughs. It also cut your cost-per-click in half!

This is because ads with video and photo reviews:

• Stand out from competitors.

• Be less pushy.

• Build trust right away.

• Speak directly to your audience.

• Reduce the time required to purchase

Do You Want Your eCommerce Business to Have a Lot of Photo Reviews?

When used correctly, customer photo reviews can be powerful. So, are you getting the most out of your photos?

It’s time to take your brand to the next level by incorporating your customers’ photos into your brand identity.

Try out Reviewbit WhatsApp Reviews. Our top-rated review management software that uses frictionless WhatsApp technology, risk-free right now!