Social proof could be defined as the instinct in which we tend to do what other people are also doing at that time. A basic explanation for this phenomenon is that what the masses do is, or would be, the right thing.

There are two main reasons behind people following social proof. First of all, people always want to fit in a group of people and second, they tend to think that the others are more well-informed.

With that taken into account, utilizing social proof is an essential skill when it comes to businesses. In other words, by showing how popular your brand name is, it is likely that you will attract more visitors and eventually, customers.

1. Social proof popup

Social proof popups are notifications that show up anywhere on your eCommerce site whenever your customers perform site actions such as making a purchase or adding an item to cart. Those are totally different from the social proof feed, which only appears on the product page and is embedded into the page source in default unless you set them to popup.

2. Popular options

The Paradox of Choice, which could be explained as the overwhelming feeling that occurs when we have too many choices to go for, thus making the whole decision-making process difficult. In the case of online shopping, this could lead to cart abandonment and losses for business owners. A solution to prevent this is tagging popular items, which could help customers make up their mind more easily because it gives the browser valuable social context. Customers could use the popularity of the item as a benchmark to decide for themselves whether the item is worth their money or not.

3. Positive review

According to research conducted by BrightLocal, the percentage of consumers who depend on online reviews as well as personal recommendation is 88%. They also have the tendency to surf two or three websites before making an actual decision. 

Fun fact: people often do not trust the first review that came into their attention.

Positive reviews is an important material when it comes to social proof, so it is recommended that you should include positive reviews on your website or landing pages.  On the other hand, if you have poor reviews, it is best to try to improve your service and/or product. Most shoppers require at least a three-star rating when it comes to choosing which businesses they are going for.

4. Awards

It is true that awards and recognition are great forms of social proof due to the fact that it is like a stamp of approval from a third party. They are like a physical evidence to your shoppers that you are about to guarantee them a nice shopping experience. Therefore, we suggest that you should also list the most prestigious and value awards your business has achieved on your homepage as a form of effective social proof. 

5. Influencers

As we have both known, consumers believe in public opinion more than their opinions towards brands themselves. Therefore, it is totally understandable to find them trusting social media influencers.

A huge plus point for influencer marketing is that you can find an influencer everywhere. They might be someone who is super active on social media, or a celebrity, an expert. In other words, the influencer depends on the group of consumers that you want to reach.

Something important to keep in mind is knowing your audience. Therefore, it is better to find someone your audience trusts. From then, either mentioning your brand on Instagram in a positive way or leaving a good review for your product, that is a form of social proof you can use on your site in an effective way.