The importance of user generated content on customer experience

A few years ago, some marketers thought that user-generated content (UGC) wouldn’t leave a significant mark, yet it’s fair to say today UGC has earned its status as a powerful approach to promote authenticity, create trust and drive purchasing decisions.

UGC is essentially any content — text, videos, images, reviews, that is created by people rather than brands. Its success is simple — people make decisions about products and services based on what other people are saying and doing. According to Medium, 92% of consumers turn to their social circles for purchase recommendations, with 84% of them stating that they trust customer reviews more than any other form of advertisement.

While for many brands, social media is the primary platform for UGC, websites are also a key customer touch point where UGC can significantly increase conversion rates.

User-generated content and purchasing decisions

• Web conversions increase by 29% when websites feature user-generated content.
• 84% of millennial consumers claim user-generated content on websites influenced how they shop online.
• 70% of consumers will consider UGC reviews or ratings before making a purchasing decision. 
• On-site consumer reviews can increase conversions by 74%.  
• A significant 64% of consumers will not only strongly consider online reviews, but they will also actively seek them out before making a final purchasing decision.
• 71% of consumers state that online reviews are important when considering buying electronics, appliances, home décor, and others.
• 93% of customers believe user-generated content is very helpful when making a purchasing decision.
• User-generated content is 20% more influential than any other kind of media when it comes to millennial buyers.   
• Brands saw over a 50% conversion rate for visitors to pages featuring UGC.

Data courtesy of tintup.com.

If you're interested to learn more about different ways to implement UGC content, especially within your existing Episerver of Umbraco website do get in touch and we can provide our expertise on the solutions available to you.