Survey Reveals That UGC Can Drive Improved Belief and Loyalty for eCommerce Brands

People’s shopping habits have changed significantly since the pandemic started, with many brands scrambling to find the best ways to grab consumer attention and turn browsers into buyers on their ecommerce sites.

But did the effects of 2020 have a lasting impact on how people discover, shop, and engage with the outside world? And what impact will these changes in consumer trends have on the upcoming holiday season and beyond?

A new data report from Stackla provides insight into these questions and shows that not only will the rise in online shopping continue, but today’s consumers expect more authentic, personalized shopping experiences from brands.

The survey of more than 2,000 consumers found that 83% of respondents believe retailers need to provide more authentic shopping experiences and 70% say it is important for brands to offer them personalized experiences.

Here’s a look at some of the key takeaways:

UGC offers the authenticity and personalization that consumers are looking for

Despite the amount of budget brands invest in professional photography and influencer marketing these days, only 19% of consumers find branded content to be authentic and only 10% say they arrive at influencer content as authentic.

The majority of respondents said that user generated content (UGC) was most received as the most authentic, with nearly 80% of respondents saying that UGC heavily influences their purchasing decisions, making it 8.7 times more effective than influencer content and 6.6 – times more effective than branded content on consumers’ eyes.

And according to online shoppers, the global pandemic has only helped add to the influence of UGC. In fact, 56% of consumers say they are more influenced by pictures and videos on social media when shopping online than they were before the pandemic.

When shopping online, people cannot physically see, touch, or try on the items they are considering. You want to know how a jacket would fit someone with a similar body type, what that lipstick would look like on someone with their skin tone, or how much space a couch would take up in a living room with similar dimensions. UGC provides people with an unvarnished and trustworthy third-party view of these unknown elements and helps them bring products to life in ways that feel real and relevant.

When asked, 72% of consumers said that real customer photos and videos are the content they most want to see on ecommerce sites. In addition, 80% said they would be more likely to buy a product from an online store if their website had photos and videos of real customers.

How important is UGC to today’s online shoppers?

Importantly enough, 64% of Gen Z and 60% of Millennials said they left an ecommerce store without making a purchase because the website didn’t have customer photos or reviews.

The message to the consumer is clear: the presence or absence of UGC can make or break brands, especially as we head into the holiday season.

Consumers want to play an active role in creating the brands they love

User generated content is abundant to scale across multiple marketing initiatives and continuously meet brands’ evergreen needs for new content. Additionally, using customer content to market to other people is a great loyalty strategy.

Not only are most people willing to give brands permission to have their photos admitted in exchange for being featured in their marketing efforts, but today’s consumers are eager to act as content creators for their favorite brands.

Over 60% of consumers say they would be more loyal to a brand and would likely buy from a brand that invited them to join a consumer interests community to actively help create more UGC for the brand.

In short, brands that put UGC at the heart of their online experience are rewarded by shoppers.

Therefore, brands wanting to stay ahead of the competition must strategically begin using UGC to create the authentic retail experiences that today’s buyers crave. Those who do this can increase both sales and confidence while building more meaningful connections with customers.

You can read Stackla’s full report, Post-Pandemic Shifts in Consumer Shopping Habits here.