How to Increase Conversion Rates with Educationally Driven Beauty Product Reviews

There was a time when the only information available about new products was the description on its box. Online shopping has transformed the way we purchase everything, from household supplies to haircare. While print media in beauty magazines continues to influence consumer purchasing, online reviews increasingly persuade or dissuade consumers - and low, outdated or zero-review status can hurt sales.

According to Power Reviews, “A staggering 80% of consumers indicate they’re less likely to buy a given product if it has no reviews. This number is even higher among Millennial and Gen Z shoppers.”

Word of mouth (or passive advertising) still carries a lot of weight with shoppers, but online reviews fuel consumer decision-making – toward and away from brands. According to a 2023 Statista survey, “more than six in ten consumers [63%] from the United States reported that they always read reviews when shopping for beauty products online. Additionally, 36.5 percent reported that they sometimes consult online reviews.”

If those numbers genuinely reflect the attitude of the buying populace – and your brand isn’t actively pursuing ways to improve its review portfolio – then you’re relying on less than 1 percent of the purchasing public to buy your goods. And that type of thinking surely isn’t part of your company’s business plan.

What to Look for in a Quality Review

The content of written and video reviews matters, and consumers want specifics, such as:

• Does the review include first-person details indicating someone really used the product?
• Does the review compare product claims to real results?
• Is the reviewer trustworthy?
• What’s at stake for the reviewer?
• Did the reviewer explain the reasons behind a negative or positive review?
• Does the star rating align with the review itself?

Take a look at any beauty site, and you’ll find star ratings without detailed explanations. That’s like grading a product without justifying your rubric. Quality reviewers make an effort to explain how their star rating was derived, and that requires at least a paragraph.

Brief “I liked it” or “This cream smells good” reviews may boost your company’s ego, but they won’t translate to sales because “liking something” is subjective. Justifying a rating is part of the review process, and reputable reviewers will go the extra mile and include details about texture, performance, their own skin tone or hair type, etc. to help others.

Beautytap Experts Strive to Educate

In the Beautytap Expert Community, product reviews include usage details, user-generated images and videos, and information about the reviewers’ beauty industry credentials. Each vetted Beauty Expert agrees to test products for a specified amount of time and to submit lengthy reviews explaining their findings. Since each review round includes in-depth product education, reviewers independently select appropriate review rounds that align with their goals. And every review is 100% authentic and based on the individual opinions of the reviewer.

Unlike paid influencers, Beauty Experts review products at their discretion without compensation (aside from the provided product). The end result? Honest, authentic, educationally driven reviews that reveal real-life usage.

Dedicated Reviewers Share Results Beyond a Singular Platform

Industry professionals strive to stay current regarding offerings and trends that impact their market, and most Beautytap Experts love sharing their knowledge on multiple fronts. Whether sharing an unboxing or filming a tutorial with a new product, these professionals take added measures to get their information out to the public.

A Quality Review Answers Key Journalistic Questions

On occasion, consumers may come across a stray review that answers every who, what, when, where, why, and how question — and those reviews can amplify your brand’s integrity and shortcut the need for extensive FAQs. Much like a great meal, a quality review satisfies the consumer thoroughly and helps lessen the inherent risk in buying a product online.

Best Selling Brand Partners Who Trust Beautytap

The Beautytap Expert Community has consistently partnered with well-known brands as well as newcomers, and the results speak for themselves. From Jason Wu Beauty and Covergirl to testing out new serums from celebrity esthetician Joanna Vargas before they hit the market, Beautytap Experts develop compelling content and share insightful long- and short-term impressions with the brands’ audiences. K18’s Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask became a category leader at Sephora, and Vacation Inc’s Classic Whip SPF 30 Sunscreen Mousse went viral thanks to the Beautytap Review Program.

Actress Molly Sims brought YSE Beauty to Beautytap for pre-launch reviews; Alicia Keys sought fresh insights for Keys Soulcare’s newly launched additions at Ulta; and Versed Skincare —easily found at your local Target store — has developed a cult following for its reasonably priced, efficacious products all thanks in part to reviews garnered via the Beautytap Review Program. And some of the most widely recognized, best-selling brands in makeup, haircare, and skincare, including Living Proof, Odacité, Kat Burki, and Kosas know that their target audience appreciates the value of each detailed review posted by the Beautytap community.

Interested in learning how partnering with Beautytap will benefit your brand? Find out today.