Online customer reviews integral to e-commerce success

24 Oct 2008

An enterprising Cork technology company has developed a new service that can allow businesses to turn consumer feedback and reviews into strategic word of mouth campaigns.

Bandon-based LouderVoice has built up an impressive track record as a place where online users can go and review just about anything.

However, the company which won the New Company category in last year’s Irish Software Association Awards, as well as being nominated in the Best New Web App category in this year’s inaugural Irish Web Awards, reckons businesses can turn feedback into word of mouth.

The company has developed a white-label reviews system that can be added to any website.

E-commerce sites can review-enable any product page so that customers can write reviews and comments, which guide future purchasers and are a proven way of drumming up sales.

This theory has been put into practice by local and international firms such as Roomex.com, Klipsch and Bubble Brothers.

LouderVoice’s Conor O’Neill said this morning that content sites can use the technology to engage with readers by encouraging them to review movies, books, music, and even news stories.

“LouderVoice is not just about the web, but is equally at home in traditional high-street businesses. In a declining economy, tools like LouderVoice become absolutely critical.

“The SMS reviews and feedback system is ideal for restaurants/bars/retail, or any business that wants to get closer to their customer base. Customer SMS reviews can be made accessible to a wider web audience too, driving up company profile and reputation.”

All of the LouderVoice services at business.loudervoice.com can scale from SOHO operations to the largest e-commerce or media sites, O’Neill said.

By John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com