This Is Why Social Proof Is So Important In Ecommerce
Social proof is a psychological and social phenomenon where people make decisions based on others’ decisions. It’s a powerful tool to integrate into marketing and to boost eCommerce sales.
Published March 4, 2025.
A product and brand's social proof is more important than ever in 2025. As buying experiences continue to rapidly evolve with AI being used more widely, the power of social proof remains high. Why? Because buyers rely on human experiences to make their decisions. Having an AI optimized website, and having a consistent and reliable brand image and tone is very important; there’s no doubt about it. But knowing that other people have bought the same product and thought highly of it- this is the real key.
Types Of Social Proof
There are different ways that social proof can be integrated into your website. These are:
User reviews and testimonials
Celebrity endorsements
Experts’ approval
Friends referral
Viral marketing
Let’s take a look at why exactly social proof is so important.
Big Reputations
Reputation Matters
The bigger the brand, the more people will trust the quality of the item. There’s a reason why people gravitate towards brands they know; these brands have proved themselves.
For example, when it comes to buying a smart phone, Apple is always a top contender. Why? Because people know it. Nobody questions the quality of an apple product. Many people have them, and there are few complaints. This is the mark of a strong social proof.
The way we interact with products depends on the number of times we have interacted with it in the past. Therefore, when purchasing a smartphone that isn’t Apple, social proof would need to be stronger. There would need to be multiple reviews proving that other people have bought these phones and been happy with them.
When it comes to Apple’s reputation, they play into this with their entire marketing strategy. Their strategy #shotoniphone shows the prowess of their camera. It also encourages people to take their own photo and tag it on social media, joining in with the tag.
Boost Your Store With AI-Powered Product Recommendations
Fast Simon's AI-driven personalization technology enhances your eCommerce store by offering tailored product recommendations, creating a more personalized shopping experience for your customers.
How Was It?
Customer Reviews
After judging based on reputation and previous experiences, there is still a way to go before purchasing the product. The next step after this is the research stage, and this is where things start to get serious.
At this stage in the journey, customer testimonials start to influence the actions of the shoppers. These reviews need to be written within the past year, and need to be clearly written by the customer themselves.
One one star review on a certain product will leave any customer severely put off from making that purchase. But if you delete bad reviews, this will also reduce your credibility. The solution? Offer top quality products, and a top user experience. That way, the user reviews will go a long way.
I Saw It Online
Social Media Marketing
The rise of social media marketing is undeniable. When it comes to natural influence journeys, social media plays a huge one in this. Different strategies can be used here such as:
Influencer marketing
Hashtags
Competitions & giveaways
Viral marketing
If your product or brand has a celebrity or influencer endorsement, people will feel a lot more comfortable trusting in your brand. If the image of endorsement is sharable, this will lead to even more trust in the brand. This can go a long way in social proof, and in getting your brand message out there.
Just make sure to choose influencers whose brand is aligned with your brand. This means that shoppers will see the continuity and be able to have strong trust in your brand.
Conclusion
It’s clear that social proof plays a huge part in eCommerce. Shoppers don’t want to buy products if they don’t know that others have approved of them. Furthermore, in many cases social proof can also lead to the product discovery of your brand to others. When done well, it is a solution that can create many benefits all round.
Personalized eCommerce Experiences
Install Fast Simon's eCommerce personalization technology in a few clicks.
AI-powered autocomplete
Personalized product recommendations
Dynamic merchandising displays
