How to integrate UGC at key moments of the buying journey?

If you are here, it is because you have already done the tour of the good practices to put in place to increase the sales of your e-commerce site and that you are still dissatisfied. And you are right, because indeed we can always go further and there are always new techniques to implement.

‍

E-merchant as you are, we suspect that this is not the first time you've heard about UGC, but just in case, let's make a brief introduction of the subject. The term UGC comes from User Generated Content and refers to all the content (photos, texts, videos) created by a brand's users (customers and influencers alike). 

‍

It's no wonder that 70% of customers are influenced in their purchasing decisions by UGC. The reason is simple: trust is at the heart of any relationship, even business relationships! Before making a purchase on your site, the customer wants to be reassured on several points: does the product (or service) correspond to his needs? Is the quality up to scratch? Is the site reliable? Are its customers satisfied? You can answer these questions yourself, but the customer will not believe you (after all, you are an interested party). But the word of another satisfied customer? Ah, that's where things change. Trust is gained and the new buyer's mind is at ease. So how do you take advantage of this source of content and trust?

What are the advantages of inserting UGC in your e-commerce site? 

‍

Most brands have some amount of UGC content. There are always customers who make posts or stories on Instagram and TikTok, leave a comment in a review site or third-party retailer, or make posts on other networks. 

‍

But most brands don't make the effort to include this content on their website. And yet, it is on the website that the customer will make the final decision to buy or not, and where he needs reassurance! 

‍

Advantage nº1 of putting UGC on your site 

‍

By including UGC on your website you will first of all improve your brand image, as well as gain credibility and authenticity. 

‍

It is important to remember that buying online is always a little more risky than buying in person. The customer can't see or touch your product, they can't ask immediate questions of a salesperson, and they can't see if there's anyone else in the store with them. In fact, 49% of online shoppers regret not being able to see or touch the product. As a result, seeing UGC on the site proves to them that you are indeed trustworthy and that others before them have had positive experiences, which improves your brand's image and credibility. 

‍

Advantage nº2 of putting UGC on your site 

‍

In addition to gaining credibility, UGCs help reassure visitors and lower return rates. 

‍

Reassurance is a key factor for customer conversion. It comes at the final moment, when the mouse wavers over the "add to cart" button. The customer is almost convinced, but hesitates. The images match his expectations, the price is right and the description clear... but he still needs something. Is he being fooled? A customer review or a picture (both UGC) are essential at this moment to push the customer to buy. 

‍

If thanks to UGC your customer has a better idea of what he is buying, the probability that he will return the products automatically decreases. 

‍

Advantage nº3 of putting UGC on your site 

‍

Finally, by adding UGC content to your site you will improve your SEO.

‍

How is this possible? Every time you add a new content to your page, it leads to a new indexation by the search engines! In addition, UGCs are the perfect example of consumer searches, and therefore respond better to a query than any keyword. 

‍

3 ideas to highlight UGC on your site

‍

Now that we are aware of the benefits of UGC, here are some ideas on how to make the most of it. 

UGC idea #1: customer reviews on the product sheet

‍

Customer reviews are essential to convert new customers. It's a habit that Internet users of all ages have internalized: they scroll down, often without paying attention to the product description, until they find the reviews section left by other customers.

However, customer reviews in text form are often not explicit or detailed enough. A "top product, I recommend" will not reassure a new customer. On the other hand, a photo or video where the customer shows how the product is used, or how the product looks in real life, will be much more useful in terms of information for a new buyer! After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

‍

UGC idea #2: images of influencers wearing the products

‍

If you work with influencers or are lucky enough to have one of them organically post your brand, feature that content on your home page or product sheets. 

‍

Influencers have large communities that have similar tastes to theirs and trust them to make a purchase. If a user recognizes an influencer on your site, it will increase trust in your brand! Indeed, 70% of French consumers are influenced in their purchasing decisions by UGC. 

‍

In addition, the images and videos of influencers are often much more polished and qualitative than those of clients. It is therefore the perfect content to show the more aesthetic side of your product without it being branded content. 

‍

UGC idea #3: Web stories on the product page

‍

If you didn't know what a web story is yet, it's simply content in the form of a story but hosted on a website and not on a social network. Pretty simple, right? It's in its simplicity that we find its genius. 

‍

Internet users are already well used to the story format: it's easy to digest, fast, and very visual! By adding web stories to your product sheets or home page, you can offer valuable information in a quick way or highlight UGC in their native format. 

‍

In addition, web stories are a content format that facilitates mobile browsing, an essential factor to remember when you realize that 61% of online purchases are made on mobile. 

‍

One last detail

‍

UGC have some particularities that are important to know before starting to use them. One of the main issues related to UGC is the intellectual property of the content. Often, unless previously agreed, the ownership of the content belongs to the client or influencer. This is why we always recommend working with a UGC management tool like Wiink. Thanks to a matchmaking platform, all the details related to the ownership or usage rights of the content are managed beforehand, and all that is left to do is to create the content (on the users' and influencers' side) and to use it (on the brands' side). 

‍

There are also tools like JOIN Stories, which allow you to insert web stories on any website thanks to widgets. This is a technology that makes it very easy to add UGC content without having to rework the entire website!